May 2016

Kirby has been with us since the beginning and was the only one showing up at 5:30 am for a lot of those first classes. She constantly works hard and leads by example, we are lucky to have her at our gym! Congratulations to Kirby for being the Athlete of the Month for May!

Please tell us about yourself. My name is Kirby. I moved to the valley about 10 years ago. Shortly after moving here I met my husband, John, on a blind date and we have been married for almost nine years. I stay at home with my kids, Colbran (7), Garrett (6), Ethan (4) and Ryland (4).

When did you become a member at Defiance West? I have been here since day one. April 2015. What made you join Defiance West and why do you do it now? I was a member at Defiance Strength and Conditioning in Glenwood Springs before my last pregnancy. After the twins were born I never made it back—until Defiance West opened. It felt so good to get back into the gym. Now I come for the same reason I did then- it gives me dedicated time to focus on myself daily.

What were your thoughts after your first workout? I am SO glad to be back!

What is your athletic background? I was a high school athlete, volleyball and track. Since then I haven’t really done anything consistently.

What is your favorite movement or workout? Double-unders, but bike sprints are a close second.

What is your least favorite? Pull-ups What has been your favorite or proudest moment since joining? I finally am able to do unmodified push-ups in the workouts! It’s been a long time coming.

How has Defiance West changed your life, lifestyle, and level of fitness? Most importantly, I feel so much better since coming to Defiance West. In the last year I have regained most of what I had “lost” fitness-wise from when I left four years ago. As I said before, being back in the gym has given me time to focus solely on myself for a few hours a week. I always feel much more centered and calm after being at the gym. My family benefits from that as well. Defiance West has built such a great community in the last year that in addition the work-out I also get adult interaction, and for all of you with kids, you know how important that is!

What are your fitness goals for this year? There are a few things that I was able to do four years ago that I still haven’t been able to do since I’ve been back and it would be nice to finally do them again. My pullups need work and I still have 5 pounds to go to get my strict press back to where it once was. In general though, I just want to keep getting better and feeling better.

What is something most people don’t know about you? I coached volleyball for six years and I really miss it.

What advice would you give to people looking to get started at our gym? Don’t be afraid to try and trust in your body’s ability. Stepping outside your comfort zone is always a little unnerving, but Cory has done such a great job of making everyone feel welcome at the gym. He gives the members the support they need to meet their goals.

I am still amazed at how many times after I complete a workout I say to myself “wow, I can’t believe I finished that”, it really is awesome what we are capable of if we just try. That being said, I struggle with several chronic injuries and sometimes they limit my movements, however, I have never felt that I can’t come workout because of them (I have a bad ankle, so running is out for me…hence my love for bike sprints!). Cory does a great job of making sure that I never miss out on the fun.

For me it was so important to make the commitment to get back to being active for myself, but also for my family. Whatever your reason is to come to Defiance West, it is a great place to be.