Where were you in your fitness journey before BSC and where are you now?

Before BSC, I lived in MN. I played a lot of sports (soccer, basketball, volleyball, tennis), ran lots of road races, and did crossfit a couple days a week.

What were your goals when you started, and have you achieved any of them?

I moved to Oregon in 2019 and injured my knee during a soccer game almost right away. When I found BSC a bit later, my main goal was to figure out how to function with the knee injury (I didn’t know it was a torn ACL). After failing split jerks, box jumps, etc. I finally got an MRI and confirmed the tear. Covid hit right after that, so in between cross-country moves and being on wait lists, it took a couple years before I could get it repaired. I also had a debilitating hip injury during this time that I chose to treat with Physical therapy vs a total hip replacement. So basically - my goals these last couple of years at BSC have been to be smart with scaling, put in the work with physical therapy, be patient with myself, and set achievable milestones. Just in the last year, I have seen a HUGE improvement with strength and fitness and I look forward to seeing what I can achieve a year from now.

What about BSC makes you keep coming back?

The support of the coaches and of the people at BSC is second to none. I wouldn’t be where I am now without the incredible kindness and camaraderie of our community. No matter what mindset I have going into class, I always walk away having had a fun time complaining, joking, and suffering together!

When/what was your "ah ha!" moment?

My “ah ha!” moment was getting to know people’s stories and realizing that almost EVERYONE has some past injury or situation they are dealing with, and they show up for themselves anyway. When I get discouraged, just knowing other people push through helps me to push through. That doesn’t always mean I make it to the gym if I’m really struggling, but I’ll at least get out and walk or hike, which I’m so grateful I can do again.

Does anyone at the gym (member or trainer) inspire you and why?

If I started listing people and coaches - it would take up the rest of the newsletter! It sounds super cheesy, but literally everyone inspires me at BSC. Each coach has invested their expertise, time and effort helping me recover. Each member has inspired me through their words and actions to be grateful for what our bodies can do, push when and where we can, and not get bogged down in the ‘can’t dos’.