Episode #11 - Sober Fitness With Eloise Hoatlin

Start the day. So having those, like, you know, five, six o'clock in the morning, uh, workout times is grueling, but like, there was no other way I could have gotten it done. And then from there, I just started finding. Oh yeah. I hate, I still hate it.

Uh, I tried a bunch of different gyms all around Portland, mostly, you know, close to me. Uh, I live in, uh, Southeast Portland. Um, tried a bunch of different gyms and then I found a kettlebell gym that was really close to my house, uh, that had really intense workouts. And then I went to one workout there and just fell in love. And I was like, this. The one for me. And, um, you know, met a really amazing group of, um, community members through the gym and all my friends were there.

And so that was the gym that I ended up, um, getting my certification, uh, with to work at. So like that's when I ended up, that's when I decided I wanna be a personal trainer. I wanna be a kettlebell trainer, I wanna do group fitness. And uh, and that was the gym that really, um, sparked, sparked it not just to be a client, which I still am. I still love going to the workouts, but also an instructor as well.

Getting back to your kind of the fitness bug, it's, such an important thing and I think for me, the reason why, Have had it most of my life cuz my dad is a fitness nut and he used to teach weightlifting in the park and rec where I grew up. And then he played sports in college . And so he's just, he's obsessed with playing and watching sports. Then also for him to be in his, you know, early 70's right now and he is still running and doing different exercising.

It is and it's, so to me it just seems like, , even if you have injuries, like we all do, you know, if you're smart about things, you should be able to do fitness for quite some time. It benefits way more than just your physical self, but your, your mental self as well. And so did you get a lot of, um, you know, mental, let's say support or relief from exercise? Like, you know, the runners, hi, I know you're an avid runner, so,

Like extra time and energy, you know, I wasn't hungover in the mornings anymore, you know, and, and, um, and I was really focused on like making, changing my life around. And so, um, so I started that bootcamp and, um, just to, just to like try some new things out. And I re like f like realized like right away, like, oh my God, this makes me feel so good. And the, the relief of. Like how I felt after I worked out, you know, like that. Like, just like, you know, feeling exhausted.

So like that helped. So then you can't kind of like ruminate as much, you know, if you get tired and you can kind of pro, I process a lot when I'm, when I'm working out too, like whatever's going on in, I process in my mind and my body and it just, it just hit, it just connected with me like, oh my god. You know, there's a little bit of transference of addiction, especially like early recovery where, you know, you might substitute one addiction for another, you know?

Um, and, and that was definitely part of, part of that was just like, you know, I needed to, to have something that was gonna fill that void that was left in me. And, um, and so I just like went. Like just went in deep. I was like, okay, this is, this is my thing. I'm gonna go in hard on this because I feel good. It's healthy. And it just, um, was just amazing, like relief.

Just like the, the mental, um, part of it, aspect of just being able to like, escape for a little while, do the exercise and just feel really good and, and proud of yourself afterwards.

Um, and uh, and that was really the turning point for me was sort of dipping in and out of recovery, uh, places. And then, uh, in 2000. 17. Uh, I went to an outpatient treatment program, so I had, uh, hit another bottom and, uh, and you know, it got to the point where my family had really had intervened and, um, and they had, uh, decided that I wouldn't. I had slipped for my son's father at that point, so I was single parenting, trying to do everything on my own.

It was, you know, it was, it was a, it was a hard, it was a struggle, you know, I was working a lot of jobs, um, you know, trying to keep my head above water. And, um, and it was just really difficult And, um, And so it got to the point where my family, you know, said that like, we can't let you, you know, have your son anymore at this point. You know, things have really, you know, gotten to, uh, a point where we, we feel like this is, this is what needs to be done. And so that was sort of the.

The intervention that I needed to, um, to, to decide like, okay, I, this is a turning point. I'm at, I'm at, uh, a crossroads right now. So, um, and so I started an outpatient treatment program and I was there, it was five days a week. Um, , uh, for, you know, for, I mean, I think I was there for about a little over a year and a half. All all said and done. It was a long time.

Um, but, you know, you start five days a week and then you step down and, um, through that process of, you know, going to process groups and, um, you know, doing, working on with mental health and substance abuse, um, treatment, uh, and physical, you know, like all you know, that's integrative. Um, care center. And so through that process I was really able to, um, to, you know, make the actual changes in my, in my brain first that I was able to then translate into like the rest of my life.

But like I said, it was a long process. It didn't happen overnight.

You're working for a chocolate company, I think, and you actually had to leave early from the event because of how you're acting or something like that.

I was, um, and, uh, and so, and I hadn't told anyone there that, you know, that I. Struggling that, you know, that I had been sober before and you know, so everyone, you know, I was just hanging out with the rest of the people and kind of hiding, you know, what was going on. Um, but then I entered the, you know, things went south and that's when I entered. Um, Into the outpatient treatment center, but through the, and that was very early on at Bleeding Hearts.

Most people don't remember, uh, that, because now I'm about five and a half years sober. Uh, so for this, since that, you know, 6, 14, 17 is my sobriety date. So,

Um, but that's, that's about it. But becau and then I, you know, finally started talking about it. But because I was doing the things in tandem, I was doing all this working out cuz I was basically only in outpatient treatment and taking care of, um, you know, I was, was I, I don't even think I was working my parents. I had the real, I had the privilege of having my parents be able to support me at that time. And so I was just like working out and doing , doing treatments.

That was like, it, that was my whole life. Um, and then as I was there, you know, I had started, started running and then I was doing kettlebells and. And then I was finding this community and then I was like, Hey, you guys should do these running things with me and then developing more community. And I started running hood to coast, my first hood to coast, which I've now done, I think I've been the captain of my head to coast team now for a few years. I think I've done it eight years.

It's hard to know cuz Covid kind of messed it up. So, um, my first, uh, hood to coast was with my. AA home group, you know, was the first time I did decos and I fell in love with that. So all of these things were happening at the same time. And then my, uh, my friend who owned the gym, she was like, you spend so much time here at the gym, why don't you just get certified and I'll pay you

to be here . And you know, so like all these things were sort of happening at the same time, but it was all connected towards like being, not just working out. The working out is a huge part of it, but also like the community that, um, , uh, evolves from working out, you know, like the people that you hang out with, cuz working out's great alone. Um, but it also is more fun.

I mean, that's why like the group fitness, like what we were doing, you know, you know, that makes it, that group aspect of it. You know, you can kind of have fun and push each other too at the same time.

Um, like I have a friend who is really into CrossFit and then he became like a CrossFit instructor. That's not his main job or anything, but he just loves CrossFit and he just became family with them. So they do stuff together. And so I think it's just really important cuz then you encourage people to be healthier.

Then you kind of give each other crap a little bit here and there if you don't show up or something, or you show up late and, and you know, just the, the ambiance of, uh, I like the, you know, the vibe, the music and everything. And, um, and then if you, maybe you do a couple classes a week and then you are like, I'm really into this. And then maybe that gets you into then doing more stuff on your own. Like you, for example, getting into running.

It's this positive domino effect of, of things after one after another where you start craving it more. And not to say it's a new addiction, but in some ways it is because, but you're feeling, you're feeling good about it yourself and what you're doing versus, you know, the downfalls of things. So, um, I can

And one of the things that I realized is that, like, that wasn't gonna be good enough for me this time. Like I had to change, like everything that I, that I had that was going on around me. Um, and I loved that, that treatment center. I loved my counselors. Um, you know, I really, you know, had a lot of respect and high regard for, you know, the process and everything that I learned there.

And, um, and so, While I was there, they have, they introduced me to a program through Portland Community College that helps women specifically. Um, this kind of, uh, kind of like a kickstart, a headstart into going back to college. So it's a, it's a program, um, designed for women. Trying to go back to coll. I'd been, you know, I'd been, been to college, went to University of Oregon for a couple years, um, , you know, right after high school.

But, you know, I spent most of that time partying, , and so it wasn't, wasn't super successful for me. So I hadn't been to college, um, in, you know, 20, I've been to school in like 20 years. Um, So they, they send you, you know, they, they, um, give you some classes, give you like a, you know, like, um, this is how you study. This is, this is how you get over your math anxiety. You know, here's how you write papers. So kind of just like some basic education.

And then you can, then you, uh, and that's like a free program that they, that they do for women. And then, um, and then. Yeah, it's, um, and I, I'm trying to remember the name of that, that the program. So, uh, but so I, so I started doing that. And you're with women who, um, were, are also, you know, other maybe survivors of domestic violence. Maybe they had been, um, incarcerated, maybe they had been like me and they were struggling with addiction.

Um, you know, just basically trying to start your life back over again after, you know, whatever, whatever you had gone through your life. And, um, so I started going there and I decided I wanted to be a drug and alcohol counselor. Like I, I wanted to give back. I wanted to, I needed to find, I'd worked a lot of jobs and they were just jobs to me, and I needed to find a career that was gonna be meaningful to me.

Um, when I worked at that chocolate company, one of the things that used to irk me, I loved the chocolate company. I thought it was a, it was a woman owned business. Um, and people used to ask me all the time when I was working for her, um, oh, is this your chocolate? Is this your company? And it used. I me, because then I would have to say like, no, this isn't mine. I work for somebody else. And then I realized, . That's something that's important to me.

That's something that's gonna, like, that's gonna, that's gonna fill me, is like knowing that there's something that's mine, that is, that I'm doing for myself. And so, um, that was, so that's what I was doing um, when I was doing some personal training is I have my own personal training business. Like that's mine. You know, I get to make my own , schedule my own rules with that. and I wanted to become a drug and alcohol counselor.

Um, uh, because I wanna give back, you know, when you, when you have been rescued from yourself by these team of people who help you, um, you know, it's like, I wanna do that for somebody else too. Like, I couldn't have done it without, you know, the, everyone who had helped me along the way. Um, and I also wanted to bring in, um, sober fitness to it because, uh, sober like finding, um, exercise and fitness through recovery.

I don't know where I would be if I hadn't found that relief, if I hadn't found those things at the same time. And that's not for everyone. That's not gonna help everyone, but it will help a lot of people. Like there's a huge recovery, fitness, um, world in Portland specifically right now, and I'm sure in other places. Um, but that's what I wanted to do, is I was gonna go to, I wanted to go to school and I did. I went to school.

I became a drug and alcohol counselor, um, and then I ended up, Working at the same clinic that I had been in treatment in a few years earlier. So that was kind of amazing when I had to do my, um, my practicum, which is kind of like an internship. Um, I reached out to one of my counselors there who had been there at the time, and I was like, Hey, I don't even know if this is like a thing, but like, , would it be possible if I could just do my internship there?

Um, you know, cuz she was a woman who had helped me get back into, um, community college and take me class, take classes there, and she was like, yeah, we're actually looking for like, you know, if you can like come in and interview and maybe like, we were looking for someone like right now and, and you know, it's been two years since you've been a client, so, uh, there's no conflict of interest there.

Um, so I did my internship there and then, uh, and then they ended up, after my internship was done, they ended up hiring me. So I worked as a drug and alcohol counselor. The same clinic that I had been a patient at. It was like, you know, , the, getting the keys to the asylum meeting, you know, it was like when they gave me the keys to the building was like, are you sure? Like, Because you guys, you know, you guys know me, uh, and, uh, and yeah.

You know, and, and that was just, uh, it was so, so cool to like come full circle on that, you know, to have been through treatment with them and have some of the same people who are still, um, employed there. Um, now being like my, my peers, my coworkers, and, uh, and

I guess case study for the place that you went to treatment for. So that's a great place for you to obviously talk to and then hopefully stay connected to that community and then help those people who want to be helped through, you know, sober fitness.

Because it, it does mean that, you know, you, uh, have to, you're taking care of your mental health. It does mean that you're taking care of your social health, you know, by surrounding yourself with, with people that care about you and that you care about. It does mean that you're eating and drinking the right things for your body. Getting the nutrition, it does mean that you're. The right physical health for you, whatever that looks like for you. You know?

So it's not all about like, if you do this one thing that's gonna fix you and that's gonna make you better, that would be great. if that was the one thing, and it's not the the one thing for everyone, but it's like this mixture of like all the things that work for you, the alchemy of like what it is that's going to, that's gonna be right. And it takes lots of fits and starts too.

It's like, you know, what works for me doesn't work for somebody else, but trying a bunch of little things and eventually trying to find the right thing that's working for you right. Then that might evolve through time as well too. You might move beyond, like, I don't, I'm, I don't see a drug and alcohol counselor anymore. You know, I don't necessarily have to go in for mental health treatment all the time anymore, but you know that, that, cuz that ebbs and flows with the things in your life.

But those are all the things that, that, um, that, you know, came together to help pull me out of the place that I was in and give me the foundation to be where I am now.

Um, you know, there's, and there's also other peer groups, or not even peer groups, but you know, there's things like aa, there's a million chapters of AA important. You could get a meeting in online or , or, and that's na, that's na, narcotics Anonymous, or so many different anonymous groups. Um, sometimes those groups are not for everyone.

There's, um, , there's groups that are more, um, meditation and Buddhist space called Dharma Recovery, which um, is sort of an inclusive group too for, you know, any, any kind of recovery, you know, cuz sometimes it's not just substance abuse, it could be any, you know, people have, you know, can, um, have other behavioral, um, uh, things, you know, there's sex addiction, gambling, shopping, you know, there's a, there's. there's, there's, there's no, there's nothing.

You can't really, if you put your heart to it, get addicted to, and, and also get, get help with. So those are some of the places. The Elano Club, uh, in Northwest Portland has a lot of resources for that. There's, uh, there's for, there's a new treatment center for, um, for people on the rainbow. So queer specific called true colors. tr uh, that's a recovery center.

So that's peer led meeting, that there's not necessarily like drug and alcohol counselors and medical staff, but it's like people who have lived experiences. And you can go in there and they'll tell you about meetings or they'll hang out with you and just kind of like give you support. You know, like, oh hey, you know, like I went through that, you know, here, you know, made it. Why would we go to a meeting together about how about we get some coffee?

Or when you're feeling like you're struggling, gimme a phone call and we'll talk about it so you don't have to go out and use over this, you know, just gimme a call and, and. We'll talk about things. So there's a lot of different avenues. Um, cuz sometimes going to treatment is too scary, you know, like that, that's a big commitment.

So you can start off with like going to a meeting or going to one of those, um, those peer support centers where again, everyone's there has, has had the lived experiences. So, y you know, sometimes getting over the fears of shame and judgment can be the hardest part in those places are great places to know that. Like everyone who. Who's in there has been where you are and has no, no thoughts or feelings about you in regards to like what you're going through right now?

But sometimes there are, um, circumstances in which you do need medical care first before, uh, you. , you go into your treatment, uh, of choice and those decisions, you know, um, those facilities can help you, uh, with those. So that would be somewhere where you, you might need to go first if that's, if that's your story.

You can't make anyone stop using drugs. What you can do is you can let them realize that it's, if they want to keep on using, uh, that they certainly can. But you know, you might not be a part of their lives anymore. So that's where you start talking about like the ways in which their life might change if they continue to use.

So that's kind of like classic intervention sort of speak where it's like, you know, like, I can't give you money anymore because, you know, I, I feel like if I give you this money that you might be going out and buying drugs with it. And even if you're telling me it's for food, I'll give you. If that's what you need, but I'm not gonna give you money anymore, or I can't let you stay here anymore because, um, because when you stay here, you scare my children, you know, if you're drinking.

So you know, I love you and I support you and I, when you, when you're not drinking, I will. I will be around you, but until that day happens, you know, I can't support you in this way anymore. So giving that unconditional love, but setting those really, really hard boundaries is really the, the best way to, um, to try. And then also going to.

To groups for codependency or going to groups like Al-Anon that will give you those skills to keep yourself, um, emotionally safe and then keep your loved ones safe as well too. Because like I said, with, with my story specifically, you know, my, my family had to make a really hard decision by telling me that I couldn't have my son, um, for. until I got sober. And that was, I'm sure, extremely painful for them. It was very painful for my son and I. But did it get me to treatment?

Yes. Did it get me to make the decisions that I needed to make for myself to realize like, I can't live like this anymore and I need to change my life and no one else can make those decisions for me?

So, um, I had two classes, of those before March, 2020 happened. And, and uh, and so that was definitely, um, put on the, the delayed. Then bleeding hearts closed in October of 2022. So, I was left, you know, like, oh, well, I guess I don't have, um, that job anymore, which actually was bringing me more income. Um, social work doesn't, doesn't pay a whole lot . So I was, so as much as I love that job, um, it honestly, it doesn't, it did not pay me enough to, um, To survive.

You know, I, I am a single mom. Uh, you know, I have, you know, to, I pay for everything. And so, like the, even if I had gone, uh, up to my hours at the clinical job, it was not gonna be enough to support myself and my son. Um, so I was sort of like floundering, like, well, what am I gonna do to supplement my income? I'd only ever worked. two plus jobs for like the last, you know, I don't know, five, uh, no, probably eight, eight or nine years.

And so, um, so I was trying to like figure, cuz I, that space also is where I was doing my personal training too. So I was like, so we're back to square one. And another trainer and I were like, okay, well we're gonna. we're gonna do something, I don't know what yet, but let's work together. We'll figure out a way that we can, like rent a space and, and do something.

Uh, and I contacted, um, the landlord of the same space that bleeding carts had been, and I was asked him if I could just, um, use the space temporarily for, for a discount. You know, so he would at least get a little bit of income before, uh, before, you know, he found a permanent tenant in that space. And he said, well, I would really like you guys to. Keep on renting it. I really like, you know, having the, a gym there.

I really, he already knew, he already had a relationship with me, um, from the previous gym and he's like, I really would like you to stay there. And um, and I said, well, I don't know if we can afford it. And he said, I don't care, . So he said, we'll, we'll make it, we'll make it happen. So it was kind of like, he's like the one landlord, uh, in the. universe who, you know, has a heart of gold. So I really credit him a lot for this.

And it was one of those things where everything just sort of fit into place where it's like, you know, we were able to, uh, connect, you know, Felicia, my business partner, um, she and I were like, well, I mean, are we gonna do this? So within we, we went from like having zero, like. Finding out that the gym is closing to within a matter of like two or three weeks, like starting our own business, assigning a lease, um, you know, getting everything ready and buying our own gym.

And so, um, so October 31st, bleeding Hearts, kettlebell Club shut down, and I think November 6th, we signed our lease that day. For the gym. And then oc uh, November 6th, uh, we had our first class, um, at East Side Kettlebell Collective. So it was, um, it was like zero

I love working with people, but like in reality, that job is 80% chart notes, which is not my vibe to be sitting around doing chart notes. Like, I wanna be like doing things. I wanna be like, you know, I'm hand more of a hands-on person and I really wanna do sober fitness. And, um, that was something that they are, were. Willing to support me in at at Quest, but it just. There, it just wasn't happening at my speed. Like it just wasn't quite there yet.

And I was like, well, if I have this opportunity to start my own business now I'm gonna have my own space in which I can like really start working on my sober fitness and do things the way that I wanna do it myself. I'm already a certified drug and alcohol counselor. You know, I'm a trainer. I now, I have my own space. I'm, I'm starting a trauma-informed weightlifting certification program next month. And so what I'm really hoping to be able to do is, is my goal when I first.

Drug and alcohol counseling. I think maybe I said it, maybe it didn't, I don't remember, but was to do sober fitness, like that's my goal is to bring sober fitness and to bring up my, my experience as a drug and alcohol counselor and my experience as a personal trainer and like, let's, let's get, let's get sober together. Let's get strong together. You know, like, let's do this as, as a team. . Um, and so that's my hope with that.

So, so yeah, I, I went from, you know, having, uh, you know, feeling like I lost everything when bleeding hearts closed. It was devastating to, it was truly probably one of the hardest things that's ever happened to me. Es especially the hardest thing that happened to me, you know, in sobriety.

Um, and, you know, and from that, Turn it around into like, well now I'm a business owner, of this thing of that I love doing and hopefully be able to bring this other thing that's like hugely important in my life. Um, like there's no, there's, there's nothing better to me. Like, there's just really like, it, it just like the, I, I don't.

Consider myself like a super like wbu person, but there is just things that, um, that can't be ignored and whether it's like woowoo or it's, whether it's just like making the next right choice, you know, and having the ne and just kind of like being able to make those, um, like high, you know, high risk, high opportunity, um, decisions like I did and, and having it turn out. And so far it's been truly been the right choice.

Um, and, and just, it was like this culmination of everything kind of coming together at the right. when they shut down, you open. You've already trained there. So you already have, you know, the space, you understand the business to a certain extent. Um, you know, you have somewhat of a built-in audience. So it just, it made a lot of sense. And, and, and so that's why I, I think you have to go for it.

I'm so happy that you went for it, because often people don't go for things in life, and, and these things align with all of your, you know, your virtues. What's really important to you. So I'm just, I'm ecstatic that it all came together for you. I mean, that's,

And we can make, you know, we can make all the choices about how we, um, how we wanna see this, this, uh, space work and how we want this, this community to interact with us and with each other, you know? that's been really like the, the great part of it.

Yeah. And having the foundation that, of everything I learned from leading hearts and, and before and being able to turn that, that, that stays in a special time and place, you know, like that that is, that is uniquely the time and space that it was, and then like just a really, you know, amazing stepping stone to what we've started now with Eastside Kettlebell collective.

Uh, pink, you know, wall and you know, we're just trying to send the signals that like, if there's there, there's a million gyms out there that are, are designed for, for, you know, your, your classic, you know, gym. Stereotype, right?

Where, you know, there's, there's a million spaces that, like you, for example, not to call you out, but as like a, a , a cis white male, you can walk into almost any space and, and it's designed by you, by people who look like you, for you to make you feel the most comfortable possible. The whole world is designed like that, and so we wanna provide a space that makes, that is inviting for people who. Who the world is not necessarily designed for.

So people who, you know, women often don't feel super comfortable going into spaces like that cuz you know, the energy that's there. We don't wanna be necessarily like, hit on or observed or any of those things. We're there for, you know, to, to get a workout. You know, people who, you know, are on the brain rainbow spectrum again, you know, so like we have a, we have a high queer population that comes to our gym that feels safe there.

Uh, there's people who might be living in new bodies, they've transitioned and you know how. Where do they belong? You know, can they go into those spaces and feel comfortable or can they come in? So we wanna provide a safe, inclusive space for, for all bodies to come and get strong together. We're not about what you, what you look like in a bikini. We're never gonna talk to you about the food that you put in your face or anything like that.

You know, we're here to get strong, you know, like we're here to get strong in our minds and our bodies and everything else is just a byproduct of that. So we wanna build community, we wanna build strength, we wanna build support, and we wanna build safety for people.

You know, like time can be a barrier too. Like how many of us have time during the day? You know, we're working, like I said, I was working so many jobs before. One of my jobs just happened to be in a gym, so I was able to make space. So, you know, we, we have a sliding scale, um, membership, so you don't even have to pay us anything at all. Like, I mean, if. You know, we take, we'll , take free memberships or we do trades, uh, for services.

Or if people just tell us like, Hey, you know, I can afford X amount a month. Um, I wanna pay you something, but this is, this is what I can afford, then that's great. Whatever, whatever it is that you wanna do to come into the gym. But we don't want there to be any financial barriers. There's already so many barriers, . If there is one thing that we would like to provide, it's, it's also not a financial barrier for people too.

So that's something that we're really committed to and we're also committed to giving back to the community. So we make an effort to, um, you know, quarterly try and do something that's gonna be of service to the community. So doing like food drives , doing, uh, contributions to other, uh, spaces in our that are member driven. Like we've asked for members, you know, like, where do you wanna see your money go?

If we're gonna do a fundraiser, you know, what are some organizations that you guys support too? So we're committed to also giving back to our community around us.

I like the idea of the sliding skill because you know, maybe for some people they aren't able to afford it much, but then later. , they'll pay more when they can't afford it and, you know, when they get in a good spot. And, and so I, I think that's really great as well. Um, is there anything that you're excited about?

I, obviously there's so much going on with your clubs new, but is there anything exciting coming in the new year, um, that you wanna educate people on or just anything about your club

So we have, um, we have, uh, a woman, um, Margo Isadora, who's gonna, um, who recently moved from New York, and she's gonna teach a strength and stability body weight class with us. We have, uh, a yoga teacher coming on soon. We have, , a who comes in and does a, uh, a hit kickboxing class. I just, I just came from that right before here. It's super intense . So we do that. We have, uh, mobility for athletes, um, that's starting, uh, next Tuesday.

So mobility is something that's really important for people. You know, you talked about your know, your, your dad, you know, seeing fit, you know, Through being in his seventies. My stepdad is the same way. And you know, part of our mission too is, is that, you know, this is about longevity and sustainability too. That's health. You know, like we're not here just to, you know, squats are a good function for a reason. You wanna be able to get in and out of bed.

You wanna be able to get in an up and off, off your toilet without assistance. As we age, you know, we wanna be able to do all these activities of daily living without assistance for as long as possible. You know, mobility is part of that. So we're bringing on, um, new, um, new classes, um, and new, uh, new guest trainers all the time. So we wanna be able to have it, have it be a space that's utilized, um, by all kinds of different ways of moving your body, not just kettlebells.

And that's my thing, . It's not everybody's singing and we, you know, we're starting off the run club again. Um, I know that you. Uh, able to run that much anymore, but, you know, still, still doing that. So all my fun group act team activities that , I know all those team activities that, um, that, uh, you know, like Shamrock Run, those are all coming back.

Still have my Hu Toco team and, uh, I'm gonna, you know, um, my next step for myself personally is, is figuring out the sober fitness piece of once I've, I've just had to lay the groundwork of opening up this business, you know, from,

Um, but like the Turkish get up, that's takes some coordination and I'm, I've done, I've tried doing that a number of times and, and, uh, but I I, it's a great workout. I mean, kettle bell bells are amazing. I did use some today for , some farmer's walks though. There you go.

Um, my business partner, she also does personal training, so she does, hers is Weyman, W I N E M A N, coaching, Felicia Weyman. Uh, she's taking on new clients as well. Um, and yeah. We are really wanting to build the working out is, you know what we're doing right? It's, it's the thing, but what we really are trying to do is build the community around the working out people. People don't necessarily wanna show up because they wanna workout.

They wanna show up because they, they know that their friends are gonna be there. That you can hang out with your friends, uh, while you're there too. You can, you can complain about the workouts as much as you want. We don't care. You're still, you're, you're paying us to be there. So we're, we're there to make you stronger, uh, . And, and so you can complain about it, but you'll be happy in half an hour when it's all done. The, the thing that I learned, , about.

When I, when I was at the last gym, is how to be a community member. I learned how to be a friend. That was something I'd never learned before. I never learned what friendship was. I never learned what a community was until I spent time in a community and I realized how important it is for people. And it doesn't matter what you're doing within that community. For us, it's working out for somebody else that might be doing something else, you know, making food or doing whatever For us, this is it.

And that's what we're trying to do is, is the, the fitness is a byproduct of everything else that we're doing.