“Several cups of tea will only get you so far, so this is where sport and business meet: an entrepreneur needs to be in decent shape. When you hit a roadblock, getting your body moving will help you to stay creative.” – Richard Branson
A few weeks ago I was grateful to coach six women who are all part of Brooklyn’s first Lululemon store. Their fitness backgrounds range from dance to yoga to triathlons, and with the exception of one, they never had a CrossFit experience quite like the one held at Columbia Street CrossFit(CSCF).
Lululemon and CrossFit are synonymous with building a community through various fitness-related outlets, which is a key element why both brands are so effective. They are strong components of connecting a group of people who use fitness as the catalyst to inspire others to live life with a purpose, by doing something once a daythat gets them out of their comfort zone (among other things).
Megan Dolce and Kaitlin Kerns, Store Manager and Assistant Store Manager of Lululemon Brooklyn respectively, are extremely involved in the fitness community in Brooklyn. They reached out to me to host a sweat session for their staff as a way to build camaraderie. Usually these sessions involve yoga or spinning, but considering that Lululemon and CSCF will be neighbors, we decided to incorporate a sweat session that wasn’t so traditional, held at the box.
I took into consideration that 80% of the women have never experienced CrossFit before and designed a team-building partner workout that didn’t involve barbells or climbing ropes or flipping tires.
The group was paired off and had to complete a set of 10 movements for as many repetitions as possible within a 10-minute time frame. The goal was not only to get a great full-body workout in, but also to encourage support from their partner by cheering them on through each rep and exercise.
Now, I can’t describe how they were feeling after the workout, but what I can say is how touched I was to know that they all expressed how great they felt afterwards. For me to create an experience that is unique to each person and each group that I train, to set their fears aside and to give them an outlet to feel indestructible, to feel AWAKE, to feel great is what I aspire to do every time I coach. Building a connection through fitness is the ultimate bond that I strive to create in each community I am a part of.
These women are all part of an exciting time for Brooklyn, and I have no doubts that the talents that each of them have will bring limitless opportunities for them to share their passions with NYC.
Lululemon Brooklyn + Columbia Street CrossFit