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Hazel and Kimani

drayner — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:58:50 GMT

“I have to reel her in; she’s out of control. Sometimes I have to tell her not to do something.” This is what group fitness instructor Kimani Fowlin says to me (with a chuckle) when I ask about her good friend Hazel Moore’s work ethic. “What does reel her in mean?” “It means stop her from taking more than three group fitness classes in one day.” Yes, even though Hazel is 68 her exercise regimen is more demanding than those of folks less than half her age (I start to understand this when she shows me the bruise on her arm earned in a recent Pole Dancing class). But, this she assures me, wasn’t always the case.

Hazel’s journey started about a-year-and-a-half-ago on a flight of stairs, one that she couldn’t finish walking up. It was then and there – gasping and unable to gather the energy to move any further – that she decided she’d had enough of being obese. So, on the advice of a doctor, she joined a gym – something she’d never done before – and began to use it.

Prior to their having met, Kimani had seen Hazel putting in time on the treadmill and always thought she might benefit from experiencing a more engaging kind of exercise. Once the two had built a rapport, she convinced Hazel to give her Tread and Shred class a whirl. “I hated that class; I didn’t know what I was doing,” Hazel tells me laughing, “But I hung in there.” And, in hanging in there, a switch was flipped; even though she didn’t immediately fall in love with the experience, she was enlivened by the challenge. I’m going to get this, she told herself. And she did.

Over the next few months, not only did Hazel become a regular fixture around 90 John Street, earning the affections of staff and members alike (and the nickname Mamma Hazel); she tried just about every group fitness class there was to try. And, the weight began to come off. To date she’s lost a staggering 130 lbs. For her, the weight loss is gratifying but it’s become about the people she meets and the experiences she has. And, her attitude remains unfailingly positive: “I try everything. I don’t do well in everything but I try it.”

Needless to say, Hazel’s open-minded attitude, courageous spirit, and incredible weight loss have served as inspiration to those around her (no one more so than Kimani, who, borrowing a page from Hazels playbook, embarked on earning her MFA).

“She just has that spirit of, You know what, I love life and I’m going to try new things”, Kimani says, “She surpasses even some of the young people.” And, in a characteristically self-effacing way, Hazel laughs off this bit of praise, adding, “I just feel good that I’m changing my life.”

Lian and Kyra

drayner — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:58:34 GMT

Lian Tal is an everyday gal, one who’s discovered that not only does she enjoy pole dancing – as both a sport and art form – but, it is, in actuality, her life’s passion.

She made this discovery about two years ago during a workout rut. She’d been taking Pilates and Yoga classes for sometime and felt that the challenge was gone. Finding a new avenue for exercise was proving difficult though: A dancer by training – though not vocation – she wanted a workout that was on par with the kind she was used to.

So, it may just have been dumb luck that she happened to pass by the group fitness studio at Crunch Union Square while instructor Kyra Johannesen’s Pole Dancing class was in session. Because, gazing through the windows she became entranced and her mind burned with one question: What the hell is this? She resolved to find out. The following Monday Lian was in her first Pole Dancing class. She loved it immediately and knew from the start that she’d found something that would become a big part of her life.

And it did, as now, many, many Pole Dancing classes later Lian is something of a pro. She earned her bona fides by competing in the US Pole Dancing Federation’s 2008 National Championship (it’s first-ever championship), a competition that saw 100 women from across the country whittled down to twelve finalists (of which Lian was one) who then went on to vie for the title live in New York.

Lian didn’t win the competition but it was competing alone – and having been asked to compete, a thing that was an honor in and of itself – that served to strengthen her commitment to pole dancing. So much so that she’s now turning her passion into a means of putting food on the table and opening her own studio. And, Kyra, the instructor who became both her friend and mentor, will be there to offer input and advice every step of the way.

When I sat down with these two women I asked each of them just what they would say to someone thinking about trying a class; both were equally emphatic and concise: “Just do it!” implored Lian; “Come!” urged Kyra. I also asked Lian specifically what she would tell someone that her Crunch Pole Dancing experience had done for her and she was more effusive: “I feel like it’s changed my life. I’m 33 years old and I’ve never been in better shape. I feel super strong. I feel like I can do anything. It’s changed my life; my life will never be the same.”

David and Roya

drayner — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:57:02 GMT

“When I used to run, that was my identity” Crunch member Dave Pinto tells me. “I loved to race.” Sadly, Dave was forced to give up racing during college when he injured one of his knees. But, amazingly, at 44, after a hiatus from which he never thought he’d return, Dave is back in track shoes. It’s a return that’s roots can be traced to a conversation with Crunch personal trainer Maria Rutter.

The conversation had been about nutrition: Dave was an 8-year veteran of semi-regular exercise and had worked with trainers before but, with a naturally trim frame, he had never paid much attention to what he ate; and, perhaps because of that naturally trim frame, none of those trainers had ever clued him in to its importance. He was now starting to put on weight and Maria explained that, with both exercise AND diet, she could help him take it off. The two began working together shortly thereafter.

Using dotFIT as a resource, Maria put together a sensible diet plan for Dave, teaching him about basic nutritional concepts in the process and giving him the tools to make sound choices on his own. In tandem, she devised a circuit and strength training workout regimen meant to build both his power and endurance. The results were stellar: 12% body fat shed in only 8 weeks! And, not only does Dave credit Maria’s program with helping him to slim his waistline, he also believes it’s what’s allowed him to return to running, having built up the small stabilizers around his injured knee.

“He’s just alive after he did that Bay to Breakers” Maria tells me, referring to Dave’s first race in decades; his smile suggests this isn’t hyperbole. And, there have been three races since, each one seeing his overall time improve. “I never thought I could run a sub 6-minute mile for 3 miles at age 44” Dave beams. When I ask him if he has any advice or words of inspiration to offer he does not hesitate: “No matter how old you are, no matter what kind of shape you are, anything’s possible. It’s having a goal and having that direction.” “Make sure that you’re ready and make sure that you’re committed because if you are you’re going to see results”, Maria adds. Indeed, you may see results you never expected.