July Member of the Month

Annika Mengisen

In Her Words…

I met Mary and Kristin at a birthday party of one of our friends. Covid was still in full swing and it was one of the first social (outdoor) events I'd done in like a year. I was pretty down becasue I was too scared to go to my all -indoor gym and working out has always been the foundation for my mental health. Mary and Kristen mentioned they have a gym and it's mostly outdoors and I jumped on it. I have been a somewhat obsessive attendee ever since. It pulled me out of a serious funk and continues to keep me out!

I am eoins stronger than when I first started. Strength was always my main goal and I'm amazed and delighted by how strong and grounded I feel in my body. (Not to mention those sexy-ass back muscles) I always felt unconfortable at every other gym I've been at because of their bro-ey overwhelmingly cis-het male-catering culture. This is the first place where I feel safe, seen and truly equal to all my peers. It's like being on a magic queer planet and it's helped me (a natural introvert) to feel safe enough to open up to people more than I normally would.

Goals for the future include improving my powerlifting form overall. I definitely hit a goal of building muscle and I want to get even stronger!

I am most proud of the fact that I inspired (I think) the disco ball to be hung in the middle of the gym :)

Vitality is like a queer workout cult that you need to join, right now. But really, I tell people it's the most accepting and encouraging gym I've ever been a part of. Thank you, VCF!

In Coach Kristin’s Words...

Annika has been a member since November 2020 and has brought the essence of Abba and Disco into our space. It turns out we have a slight obsession with Abba amongst the VCF membership that I didn't even know existed until Annika shined a light on it with her Spotify playlist requests. Annika came into Vitality during the winter of COVID times and was weary of working out around new folks (understandably so) and usually stoothed in the back of the class. Very much- new kid in the back of the class, shy vibes. But as soon as we were able to get closer together in a working space, she became more open to the folks around her. She quickly fell in love with the vibe of the gym and started bringing her friendly folks to Tabata classes and they also fell deeply in love with Vitality. Annika really came out of her shell at our first VCF prom and gave an incredible show full of glitter. Glitter still lurks in the crevices of the gym floor. Annika is a member that usually will remain relatively quiet during her workout- she likes to come in and get to work. However, she is someone that has made an impact on the community. She expresses her love of Vitality through her off-the-cuff Insta stories that we love sharing. Annika walked into Vitality as a pretty-well established athlete but her strength is something that I've taken notice of and how much it's grown since she's started. I am proud of who she is and who she's becoming as a jock, a performer, and a representation of strength and queerness in our gym. Thanks for putting your special touch on VCF, Annika.