Hi everyone! Coach Nick here. We are so excited to announce a new monthly series... “MEMBER SPOTLIGHT”. Each month we will highlight 1 member and talk with them about their personal lives or fitness journeys.
Our 1st ever “Member Spotlight” is on Danielle Ward! You may recognize Danielle from the 6:15am class. Danielle joined Graviton back in June of 2019 and has been working out here ever since. Graviton was not her first experience with functional fitness, she started back in 2012 when a personal trainer (and friend) opened their own gym and Danielle followed along. She has been doing functional fitness ever since (9 years) which is SO amazing!
Outside of the gym, Danielle is a full-time mom to her 3-year old daughter, Caoimhe. (The worlds cutest 3-year-old… according to the entire Graviton team). Caoimhe is no stranger to training either. Danielle even worked out the day she was born (not sure if that’s recommended by doctors?) and has brought her daughter along to many classes since. On a personal note, I am always fascinated by the early morning gym-goers. And Danielle is the epitome of a 6am-er. A dedicated, hard-working athlete who doesn’t make excuses! She shows up to the gym everyday even while she is busy raising a 3-year old. Meanwhile, I skipped a workout the other day because I stayed up too late watching Schitt’s Creek... Whoops?
Before becoming a full-time mom, Danielle worked as an occupational therapist. She also took an amazing “sabbatical” of sorts back in 2009 to volunteer in Peru for 3 months (at a school for kids with developmental disabilities). How amazing is that? Danielle also loves spending time outside and with family, reading, traveling (pre-Covid), and gardening!
Danielle’s favorite thing about Graviton is the friendly and welcoming atmosphere. She likes that there is still a bit of a competitive edge in class, while also being laid back. “Very comfortable,” she said. I couldn’t agree more. When I joined the Graviton team a few months ago, I was struck by how quickly I felt comfortable with the coaches and members. I have never experienced a gym as warm and welcoming as Graviton!
Danielle’s favorite type of workout is a “chipper” because she loves the wide variety of moments. Variety in movement is what Danielle loves most about training! Her favorite movements are anything we do on the “rig” and her least favorite movements are push-ups (take note Coach Henry… ). A goal that Danielle hopes to achieve as we enter 2021 is to work on her Weightlifting technique and efficiency. And of course, to avoid injury so that she can keep moving and coming to the gym every day!
Danielle’s advice to someone brand new to Graviton is “just keep showing up”. We talked about how important consistency is, even if you don’t feel like going ALL out on a certain day... showing up is the goal! In my opinion, Danielle is the perfect example of “showing up”. Not only is her Graviton attendance OUTSTANDING, but she is such a strong athlete. That can only be attributed to the fact that she puts in the work every day. Even as a busy mom, wife, friend, human… She carves out time for herSELF to show up at Graviton every morning!
- Coach Nick Davis