SPENGA CREW Spotlight: Kellyn
I’ve always been active starting in my youth. I grew up playing baseball and doing gymnastics. I loved the team dynamic of baseball; working as a team, cheering each other on, winning or losing as a team. But I really liked the self-competition with gymnastics. Sure I was competing against others, but even if I didn’t win, I looked at it as a success if I successfully competed a new move or improved my score.
My whole family loved fitness, too. My dad worked out daily and played softball and golf. My mom is a runner and completed a few triathlons and other races when I was growing up. My parents always encouraged my siblings and me to get outside, be active, always be improving.
My greatest challenge was the year after Audriana was born, trying fit fitness in to my new and busy working mom schedule. It took me a long time to realize that it wasn’t selfish to take time away to take care of myself both physically and mentally.
My most recent fitness triumph was running the Ragnar race (a 12 person relay from Chicago to Madison). It’d been on my bucket list forever, and I finally found 11 other crazy people to join me! But, then life happened and I found out I was pregnant. I was really determined, though, and ran the race 19 weeks pregnant with Olivia. It wasn’t my prettiest race, but it was definitely the most emotional and amazing experience. And it will make for a great story to tell her when she’s older!
As an instructor, when I found SPENGA, I was in a funk. I was drawn to it because I’ve always been a big fan of spin and strength workouts. I liked the idea of yoga so I figured I could make it through 20 minutes! I think SPENGA was just what I needed to kind of refresh and refocus in my goals. I now love the variety of the workouts and the feeling I get when I finish a SPENGA workout. No matter how I felt when I walked in, when I finish my workout I feel strong, I feel refreshed and I feel beautiful. (I probably look like a hot, red, sweaty mess...but I FEEL beautiful!) I feel like the positivity of the SPENGA environment follows me out the door when I leave and I carry it into other areas of my life.
