MAY 2022 MEMBER OF THE MONTH

In Robin’s Words…

As I came out of the haze of grad school and the first few years settling into my academic career, I needed to establish a routine, particularly in regard to my health. I had been athletic and generally interested in fitness for a long time but my commitment phobia had not led to me sticking with any one program for longer than maybe a year at a time. Having dabbled in functional fitness and weightlifting, I knew I wanted something challenging but with clear instruction. It had taken a while for me to assimilate into the city of New Orleans, being a non-native, and the first tribe I had attempted to join was the comedy community. As this world was drastically evolving, for better or worse, I followed my funny acquaintances to Vitality because I still believe that most "yes, and"-ers will lead us to more positive than negative experiences.

My goals are not the same as when I started. Basically, I wanted to go hard and go all-in from the start. Despite my ego bucking and kicking for a stupidly long time, I realized that longevity is more important than daily PRs. My body is much different now, in middle age, than when my first comedy tribe in Los Angeles first introduced me to functional fitness. They were a bunch of non-athletic comedy nerds who got really buff really quickly. They started talking the bro'ed out vernacular, some were entering contests; their comedy dough corpuses evolved into action-hero shoulders and glutes...then they all got injured. I had a history of fitness calamities myself--runner's knees, thyroid disease, family history of congenital disease. My goals shifted to building muscle and energy to fight the effects of aging. Don't get me wrong--I still have my heart set on doing cool tricks. I'm just a bit more chill about it.

I'm proud of finding a symbiotic relationship between mental and physical health. Tangentially, Vitality has helped me in my profession life. Not only does fitness help me establish routine in a chaotic schedule that involves balancing a full-time job with a few equally challenging side hustles, it supplies numerous analogies with which I teach my students about process, growth, perseverance, and humility. On the low, I also observe the training and support staff as models for communication methods. For example, Kristen is pretty damn genius at meeting a member or client where they are and modifying a session to meet the individual's needs. That's crucial in teaching, and I'm not ashamed to say I'm always looking to learn from other teachers, even if we work in different disciplines.

When I describe Vitality, honestly, I say, "It's like (that functional fitness brand that won't be named) but much cooler. You actually get coached instead of bullied. It's tailored to all levels. And they value inclusion. I drank the damn Kool-Aid, but look at my butt. Seriously, look at my butt. I work hard on this butt. The people are cool, and generally, everyone has a nice butt, extra bonus."

Final note, in the vein of the Mary Jacobs "I'm going to be vulnerable right now" post, I'm probably more excited about getting MOTM than you realize. I honestly thought I'd never get it after all this time has passed, and because yes I do have a tendency to be late, and yes I have a big mouth that won't shut up at QOTD, and I'm way too sensitive for my own good, and yes I have really had to temper my competitiveness, and yes I spend too much money on dumb fitness gadgets and yes I'm super annoying when I correct the math on the board. I drive ya'll crazy sometimes being so extra but I love working out and being a dork about it and I promise I don't ask so many questions to drive you crazy--I really am just such an obsessive nerd when I find my hobbies--and thank you for being patient with me and putting me in my place sometimes when I need it but also not putting me in my place most of the time because I'm a totally soft little baby who cries when I get my feelings hurt. That's all.

In Coach Kristin’s Words…

Robin was brought to vitality by my co-pilot Mary for a ‘Friends and Family Day’ event. That was all it took- she’s been hooked ever since. Robin has proved herself to be one of our most dedicated and consistent members these last few years. I’ve watched as her stamina has risen and she’s improved form and efficiency on complex movements like power cleans. Robin has been an active member of our community, always showing up with a bud for “Friends and Family Day” over the years, making it to Vitality nights out whenever possible, checking out our new class offerings and just about any event we host. I would consider Robin to be a very passionate member of Vitality. She gets us and believes in what we are doing here. Through our different phases of Vitality- the good, the bad, and the ugly- Robin always stayed loyal and true to her community. I deeply appreciate her as she's always had our back and I hope she knows we have hers too. I am very proud of her for competing in her first competition and placing! Robin, Vitality wouldn't be the same without you. I have so much love for you and I'm thankful you have stuck by us for the past three years. Let's keep the good times rolling!