10 Years of Dragonfly: Meet Meredith

This year we are so honored to have SEVEN more women hit a huge milestone! They celebrate their 10 year anniversary at Dragonfly this year!

We'll be introducing them to you and getting their perspective because we, of course, think they are amazing!

Next up is Meredith! Meredith is funny, hard working and always great to have in class!

Here's more about Meredith:

What originally brought you to Dragonfly ten years ago? There were a couple of different reasons. I was very inactive, my only exercise being walking my dog and fieldwork for my job. I was also struggling to do my job. A year before I started at DFT, I had fallen down my back stairs, ripping my tendon and taking some of the bone with it. A year after the injury I was having difficulty walking on uneven surfaces, having shooting pains throughout my ankle. I recognized I needed to change. I was about to hit my mid-30s and knew I needed to begin to take my health seriously because my body wasn't going to magically get better the older I got. And here I am, stronger at 44 than I was at 34. How amazing is that? 

Is there anything that strength training has taught you or given you that you weren't expecting? Strength training has taught me I am not as accident prone as I always thought. My coworkers used to talk about "Doing a Meredith" that would be randomly tripping or falling and pulling muscles, spraining ankles/wrists, or just plain hurting yourself in a ridiculous yet spectacular way. I used have excuses for why I was like this: I'm clumsy, I have weak ankles that like to roll, I need to pay more attention, etc., etc. Turns out, the benefit of having strong abdominals, legs, ankles, arms is that when I do trip I'm able to stabilize my body and either stay standing up or maneuvering in a way that I'm not hurting myself as much. I'm still clumsy, but the amount of times I have pulled/sprained an ankle or wrist has drastically reduced itself in the past 10 years. 

What is the number one thing that helps you stick to your fitness routine? Probably the fear that if I don't come to class Missy will track me down and demand to know where I am :) Seriously though, its the DFT community. In the time I have been at DFT, I have met some of the most amazing people. They are always welcoming, encouraging, and supportive in not only your fitness goals but in your day to day life. You can't attend a class without giggling and joking with others despite the fact that you are doing moves that make you feel like your arms or legs are going to fall off the next day. Its such a positive environment that helps not only your physical but also your mental health.  

What separates your experience at Dragonfly from other gyms/workouts/things you've tried in the past? I joke about Missy tracking me down, but honestly, if it wasn't for that accountability, I wouldn't have stayed with DFT for as long as I have. I can be very lazy and very easily fall out of my routines. Knowing that DFT won't let me do that without forcing me to account for my decision helps immensely. But its also more than that. DFT cares about each members fitness goals, journeys, and creates a community to help make that happen. It is not a "I'll just take your cash, I don't care if you show up" gym. All of the instructors actually care about the members. This is shown in not only always asking how everyone is doing but also the regular asks of what could change at the gym so everyone has a better, more positive experience. 

What advice would you give to members who are just starting with us? Be kind to yourself and celebrate your wins. Your fitness journey will have ups and it will have downs. Some days, just showing up and making it through class is the win. Take that win and celebrate it because if you only focus on what you are not accomplishing, you are missing all of the things you are accomplishing.