February Member of the Month

Brooke Blanchard

In her words…

Before I joined VCF I was not in a good place physically or mentally.  I needed to do something soon before I lost who I was. I was looking to make some physical and mental changes but I wanted to do it in a supportive community with people that would guide me and not just treat me as another person paying to go to the gym.  Thanks to Colleen and Will I attended a Family and Friends day last April and I haven’t looked back since.  Best decision I ever made.

 When I began last April my goal was to lose weight and meet new people.  As I continued to show up my mindset changed.  It became more about becoming stronger and finding my confidence in myself.  I reached goals I never even knew I wanted.  Powerlifting was never on my radar but now it is my favorite three days of the week.  I enjoy watching the numbers grow with each lift.  I look forward to the community that comes with these classes.  The coaches are there to support, guide, and encourage.  They truly want to see you succeed.

  I already hit my lifting goals.  My newest goals are to increase each lift by 10 pounds by the next time we go for one max reps.  I also plan to compete in my first powerlifting competition in 2024.  I am proud that I have stepped out of my comfort zone and met new people and participated in things I would not have in the past.  I have found a place where I can be me.

I am most proud of how I have put me first, even if just an hour a day.  I have changed how I look at what I am accomplishing.  I am focusing on the journey and not just on the results.  I am also very proud of my mental health.  I have seen a decrease in my anxiety and days dealing with depression, I feel more whole.

It is a community.  The people that come to Vitality are supportive, caring, and there for each other.  We are many kinds coming together as one to form a gym community like no other; there is no comparison.  Vitality has spoiled us!!!

In Coach K’s words…

Brooke came into Vitality with some of our most loyal VCF vets to experience our Friends & Family Day. On her first day we connected about her personal battles and what she was looking for in a gym. Brooke is a hard working mom, who travels for work and was looking for some "Me" time in her schedule. She quickly gravitated towards our community with open arms and embraced her new found friendships.

Not only is Brooke a committed member to our community she is one of the few & the proud ‘Invested Members.’ Through her invested memberships we have been able to build in more one-on-one coaching and develop a very close and productive coach/athlete relationship. I got to know Brooke on a deep level which hasbuilt trust between us. Brooke’s willingness to be open and honest has allowed me to help her in some very deep and meaningful ways.

I am a huge fan of this woman. She exemplifies what growth looks like within the whole body. She is physically and mentally stronger now that I feel like she's ever experienced for herself. She is a fighter. Even though she was out with an injury, she was determined to do exactly what she needed to come back healthy. She did the hard thing- sitting back for a while and started focusing on her mobility and slowly building her powerlifting numbers back up.

Brooke is an incredibly driven human being who I admire. She lives in the mom world- a place where folks often times can lose themselves. Brooke was not going to let that happen to herself but instead has focused on finding solutions and prioritizing herself. She is so inspiring to me, as I see how much of a dedicated parent she is to her kids and husband. She has also made tremendous strides in all our classes. She is a pleasure to coach and I truly enjoyed our early morning classes together.

Brooke, I couldn't be proud of who you are and who you transformed into since you've started. Your growth has been inspiring to us all.