Happy New Year!!

My name is Elle and I have been a 212 member for almost 10 years. Growing up in Toronto, I was never an athletic kid. I abhorred sports. When I went to McGill, I joined a gym for the first time. It was fun, but I think all I did was step aerobics. No weights. From there, I joined various gyms in whatever city I was living in, but it all felt very transient.

Upon moving to Providence, my friend, Neile, told me about a gym she loved called 212. This was my first time using kettlebells and I was more than a little intimidated. People here were clearly strong. With the help of the incredible past and present trainers, I learned solid KB technique and form, and for the first time, saw myself building muscle.

At 212, I have found a community of diverse, interesting people also obsessed with lifting heavy, health & wellness. My Monday small group with Kerry and the ladies is always the best part of my week. I was scared of Kerry for the first few years- as he hovered over me, not smiling, inspecting my form. Now, I appreciate his attention and I smile-ish when he walks over, instead of the deer in headlights look I had before.

My gym crew pushes me to do things I would never have considered before such as a sprint triathlon/half-marathon, coming to the gym 5+ days a week and working out on vacation. Sean and Heather are also part of the 212 magic. Sean makes me laugh every time and I both love and don’t love his taste in music. Heather keeps us all organized and listens to me complain about the “bread run” and then promptly, tells me to get moving. And I have really enjoyed the new energy and styles Robb, Sean and Scott all bring to class.

The 212 gym and family are an integral part of my life that I revolve everything else around. Thanks to you, I am fit, strong & have made lifelong friends. And for that I am grateful. XO