July 2016

Congratulations to Hedi Barath for being our Athlete of the Month for July. Hedi makes it to the gym 5-6 days a week and always pushes herself to do her best. She out lifts most of us and does a great job of motivating others to work as hard as she does. We are lucky to have her at our gym!

Please tell us about yourself.

I’m 51 years old and grew up in Oswego Il. My mother died in 1976 so our (my sisters and I) lives became quite chaotic after that. I think that’s why, now that I’m older, I prefer simple. I have a High school diploma. I took 1 business class in college and decided college was too scary. I never did anything athletic except for gym class in high school. Oh, and a year or 2 of soft ball.

When did you become a member at Defiance West?

June or July of 2015.

What made you join Defiance West and why do you do it now?

I like to eat so I need to keep exercising, and I love Cory and Cierra.

What were your thoughts after your first workout?

I’m pretty sure I was impressed.

What is your athletic background?

I started working out in 2011 at the age of 45, but no exercise prior to that.

What is your favorite movement or workout?

I like the kettle bell swing.

What is your least favorite?

Wall balls and thrusters.

What has been your favorite or proudest moment since joining?

Learning how to do a CLEAN correctly.

How has Defiance West changed your life, lifestyle, and level of fitness?

I feel that I’m a little more confident. I can perform tasks at work a lot better than I could.

What are your fitness goals for this year?

My breathing, while working out, is not very good so Id like to work on that.

What is something most people don’t know about you?

A lot of people don’t know that I was married once and I love to laugh!

What advice would you give to people looking to get started at our gym?

I tell people that it’s a lot of fun and that there’s a lot of awesome members and that Cory and Cierra are the best coaches.

“I am honored to receive AOTM for July. Prior to Defiance West my work out consisted of coffee curls every morning (haha.) Maybe that’s where I got my biceps? Seriously, I really appreciate everything about Defiance West. I look forward to coming to the gym everyday and I love the members. The members are not only great work out partners but I also consider them like family. A huge thank you to Cory and Cierra for being the amazing and encouraging trainers that you are. You motivate us all each and every day and help us all strive to be the best athletes we can be. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.”