I get to watch people do impossible things every day when I’m at work. This past weekend, I coached an intro to strongman for some CrossFit athletes, followed by our StrongKID training session. In the intro to strongman, one of the lifters was struggling to get our lightest Atlas stone loaded to the platform. Stone loading can feel really scary, and sometimes it’s hard to build comfort with it. We worked on building the skill in pieces, and she was determined not to give up. When she got it on her third try, the whole room erupted into cheers, and I teared up a little bit.
Then, in our StrongKID session, our kids killed it on truck pull, with a few pulling a full size vehicle. An eight-year-old pulling a vehicle all by herself is a sight to see! Everyone yelled cheering each kid on, and it looks impossible, seeing a tiny person with a harness over her shoulders making a whole truck roll along the driveway. I floated home that day, excited by everyone’s achievements.
I’m going to admit something to you, though. I never planned to be a gym owner.
My Unlikely Fitness Journey
I often describe myself as a gym class dropout. I failed gym in high school, and didn’t participate in any sports as a kid. I never thought of myself as an athletic person, and it wasn’t something I cared about as a kid. So how did I get here?
I got into running, triathlon, and a career in mental health as a young adult. I worked on trying to change my appearance, and also realized that competing in a sport as an adult is empowering, exciting, fun, and motivating. Having a race on the calendar that was a little daunting gave me something to work towards and kept me training even on days when my motivation waned a bit.
Eventually, having sustained a few running related injuries, I discovered strength training. I started out lifting to prevent injury from running, but eventually realized I liked lifting more than running. I started competing in powerlifting, and then strongman.
From Basement Trainer to Gym Owner
At the same time, I was growing frustrated with my work in mental health and feeling like I couldn’t help people in the way that I wanted to. I started to consider working in fitness instead. My own movement practices and approach had evolved quite a bit through the years, but the thing that stayed constant was moving my body regularly, challenging myself to new things, and working to reach goals.
The work I put in (especially in the weight room) helped me feel strong, empowered, connected to my body, and able to tackle things outside the gym. I learned I could achieve more than I might anticipate, given that I put in the time and the discipline to work for it. I wanted to help others reach this transformation.
In 2018, I got certified as a group fitness instructor and started teaching a few classes alongside my work in the mental health field. In 2020, I got certified as a personal trainer, and started doing virtual personal training sessions from a small room in my basement. My husband helped rearrange the room to set me up for video sessions, mounting a large TV so I could see my clients more easily.
Then, in 2023, Katie (the original owner of Power Plant Gym) asked me if I wanted to take over. Like I said, owning a gym was never in my five year plan, but I loved PPG so much, I didn’t want to see it cease to exist, or to change in drastic ways. I had been training with PPG since around 2021, and the gym was an important part of my journey in strength.
Every day I get to watch people do impossible things, and I never take that for granted. From a CrossFit athlete finding her grip on an Atlas stone to a second grader pulling a truck, these moments remind me why I’m here. Owning Power Plant Gym wasn’t on my roadmap, but being part of a community that celebrates every step feels exactly right. If you ever wonder what you might discover about yourself, our doors are always open!
