Member Spotlight: Vicky O.
1. What drew you to SPENGA?:
After many years of being a competitive athlete, I slowed down and wasn't sure how to be a 'normal' person after I stopped ice skating. I realized that after so many years of putting in 9 hours a week at the gym and 25 hours a week on the ice, when I didn't have to do that anymore I struggled to find a workout routine that I liked that fit my new schedule. I did some yoga and yoga sculpt, but even though I liked it, I wasn't able to get into a routine. I went to the gym by myself, but found I lacked motivation. Then the start of the pandemic threw me for a loop. Not only was the pandemic happening, but I also discovered a couple of lingering injuries were actually kind of serious. I knew I needed to stay active while taking care of my injuries, so I started off small by making a little (virtual) group at work. I sent out calendar invites to the members of my group for 5 minutes every hour for the first 4 hours of the day, and we all got up out of our desk chairs and did some kind of physical activity. That kind of escalated, and I found myself wanting to do more. I remembered at one point seeing SPENGA on Instagram when it was first opening, and decided to revisit the page in April 2021. It was so close to my house, and it seemed like something I could get into that would still allow me to participate despite my injuries. When I contacted SPENGA through the Instagram page, whoever responded was super friendly and got me scheduled for my first session. I discovered when I walked in that Carrie and I had something in common - the ice rink. With her daughter taking ice skating classes at the time and her son playing hockey, it seemed like it was a really small world. I think what made SPENGA 'stick' was not only that first experience, and the workout itself, but also the people I've met along the way. SPENGA people are all really great people, and the community helps me stay accountable for showing up every day!
2. Can you describe a specific moment at SPENGA that stays with you?:
I think being chosen as member of the month is going to stick with me! Aside from that though, the day I reached 100 sessions was also an awesome one... walking in the door to cheers from the staff for reaching 100 was a pretty cool moment.
3. What surprised you about SPENGA?:
I didn't expect how much I would like it. I worried about being judged by others working out... but quickly realized I didn't have to worry about that. Despite the fact that I walk out of SPENGA sore, tired, and sweaty, I usually have a smile on my face and have laughed at least once or twice during the workouts. I was pleasantly surprised at how great the instructors are, and how much they seem to care about the people that walk through the door. I always enjoy the quotes at the end of yoga, the reminders that I could be anywhere at 6am but I chose SPENGA, the suggestions of exercises to accommodate my injuries, and the reminders that the difficulty of a heavy weight or a hard exercise will only last a short time and we can endure anything for those few seconds out of our day.
4. How has SPENGA impacted your life outside of the studio?:
There is always some kind of goal to reach for in SPENGA. There are short-term goals... like getting through a workout one small step at a time or showing up every day... medium term goals in the form of an event that lasts a couple of weeks, and long term goals like increasing your sweet spot on the bike or being able to do that one thing with my feet in the TRX straps at some point in my life. I think that setting these goals, and working towards them, has made me physically and mentally stronger, and made me realize that I am actually capable of more than I think I am.
