November Member of the Month

Brooke Nezaticky

In her words…

I had recently moved to New Orleans after college and was just coming out. I found out about Vitality through an event on Facebook called Dykes Do Deadlifts. Although I had done alot with free weights in college I had limited experience with a barbell outside of squats. I enjoyed the workout so much I immediately signed up after the event, it was a nice change from just doing "bodybuilding" style training. I did feel a little tricked though when my first actual Vitality workout ended up being 100 burpees for time!!

When I first joined Vitality I was already active and working out most days, but I did so because I felt like I had to. I had lost any passion for the gym. I never felt strong and was constantly discouraged. That all changed quickly with Vitality. I felt like an athlete again! All of the coaches were always so positive and encouraging during each class (very different than experiences I've had with fitness in the past). I was learning new movements weekly and getting stronger each month. I feel like the biggest progress honestly was making fitness fun again and focusing more on my performance vs appearance.

I signed up for an Olympic weightlifting competition in January! My goals are to improve my mobility, move completely pain free, and of course get stronger.

I was always so self conscious about my strength growing up in sports! It did not come naturally to me at all. I was constantly comparing myself to others and never satisfied. About a year and a half ago I might have said I was most proud of getting stronger. Today I would say I'm most proud of my confidence in myself and knowing that if I mess up, or don't PR etc it has nothing to do with my value.

Ask anyone - I talk about Vitality constantly, whether it's that days workout or how weird the question of the day was. I truly view it as fun fitness for everyone. I've never been to a gym that is as accommodating for not just different fitness levels but also different fitness goals. Which is especially impressive considering it is group fitness. The trainers have a great way of knowing how much to push someone. And I promise you if you come in after a bad day you will leave with a smile on your face (unless the workout was 100 burpees for time!)

In Coach Kristin’s Words…

Brooke joined Vitality at our very first "Dykes Do Deadlifts" event. At first, she was very shy but was down to hang after the event so I knew that community was someone Brooke was also looking for. After the event, she joined our gym and was drawn to our style of workouts, and was determined to absorb as much knowledge as she could to become a better athlete. She took as much in as possible in between her long trips away for work- but even then she stayed consistent with her routine. Brooke is a true success story. After 3 years of working her ass off in class, doing personal training, at her "boat gym" off-shore, she has transformed into a well-rounded athlete. It has been such a joy to see how much she has progressed with that first workout. Brooke is now pursuing weightlifting and doing her first competition in January next year. I cannot be more proud of her and all of her success. Brooke is not only a die-hard member, she is a friend and a bro. :) I cannot wait to see how her future with weightlifting unfolds and am excited to see her in competitions. Love you, Brooke. You are one of a kind.