One Fitness Event Changed Zoe's Life: The Butterfly Effect
- Meg Anderson
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Written by Pink & Powerful member Zoe Frantz
"I planned to attend Sweat & Sip for one reason only: to support a friend from college.
I hadn't worked out consistently in three years and was terrified of what this workout would entail. Meg, my friend who was running the event, promised that the event would be beginner-friendly and have modifications, but as someone whose only form of exercise over the past three years had been walking, I wasn't convinced. I entered the gym that said "Got
Fat? Get Fit." and was even more scared. How would someone like me fit in here?
The hardest part was walking through the door. It sounds cliche but it's true. Once I walked into UltiMET Fitness, I was greeted by a bright and graffitied environment filled with encouragement and butterflies. The coach was energetic and Meg had chosen a playlist of all pop girls to workout to.
And she was right, the workout WAS beginner friendly (and I was a true beginner). We started with a warm up and then moved into a workout that was quick and fun. Each exercise was not only thoroughly explained, but was followed with MULTIPLE modifications. It was there that I did my first pull up since eighth grade (with assistance from bands) and I was HOOKED. I left the workout feeling empowered, energized, and blown away by what my body could do.
I spent the next week trying classes for free at UltiMET, to see if it was truly the fit for me. I had never even heard of CrossFit, much less gone to classes, but I quickly fell in love with learning new things and pushing my body to its limits. I was stronger, both mentally and physically, than I ever knew.
I have lived in South Side for almost a year and had no clue that UltiMET Fitness was down the block. Without Sweat & Sip, I never would've had the courage to walk through those doors and try a workout for the first time in three years. Thanks to this event, I've been a member of UltiMET for three months and can confidently say it has changed my life. It's not about losing weight or looking better, it's about challenging myself everyday to be just a little bit better. I'm getting stronger, improving my lifestyle habits, and with that my mood and energy levels have improved.
I am forever grateful to Meg for hosting the first Sweat & Sip event and creating an environment that was inviting for women and beginners to try something new. This is your sign to go to the next Pink & Powerful event, because it truly could change your life.
The Butterfly Effect
Walking into UltiMET Fitness for the first Sweat & Sip event, I never imagined how much it would change my life, or the lives of those around me.
I left the first Sweat & Sip event feeling empowered and energized. It was a high I wanted to feel again, so I signed up to try the free week of classes at UltiMET. From there, I got a membership and started going to CrossFit three times a week.
I became addicted. There's no other way to put it. I was amazed with what I could push my body to do and the feeling of accomplishment after each workout. I had to share it with everyone I knew. My friends learned that I was no longer available Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 4:30-5:30PM and my parents came to expect a phone call from me after each workout class as I raved about what I lifted and the exercise circuit I completed.
You can imagine my surprise when, after a month of attending UltiMET workout classes consistently, my dad said that he was going to start touring gyms. My dad, similar to me, hadn't worked out consistently in three years, outside of daily walks. He had been retired for about six months at this point and was clearly feeling lost and without a purpose, not dissimilar to how I felt when I found UltiMET. Our phone calls after my workout classes
switched from me sharing about UltiMET to his recounts of touring various gyms.
Inspired by how much I loved having an instructor and a different workout everyday, my dad decided to get a membership at the Hockessin Athletic Club, where he could take a variety of classes. He started out with cycling classes, aqua aerobics, and yoga before he settled on Body Pump, a version of CrossFit similar to what I was doing 400 miles away! Since he joined the gym, he's been going at least three days a week to these workout classes. He's met new friends and is trying new things. We look forward to our daily phone calls where we can now both share our workouts and improvements!
Without attending the first Pink & Powerful event, I never would've been introduced to UltiMET and started working out consistently. From there, I never would've fallen in love with working out to the point where it influenced a family member to join a gym and begin exercising regularly again. Not only has Pink & Powerful changed my life, but through the butterfly effect, it's changing the lives of those around me."
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