Body Pump

I had been working really hard on exercise, but it was mostly cardio, and I felt like I could benefit from some strength training. I lucked out in not only finding Achieve Fitness but also taking Body Pump classes taught by Holly Robey, a finalist in previous bodybuilding competitions. Holly looked like a fitness guru, but her voice betrayed her body build. She talked in a high-pitched voice that sounded like she had sucked in helium before coming to class. She ran body pump class for both men and women, but she had Tuesday and Thursday afternoon classes for women only. We were able to push ourselves harder when there were no guys around. I stayed in her class for quite some time and occasionally I would go to her private sessions in a gym she and her husband owned. Her husband was also a bodybuilder.

I developed a friendship with Gaynor during this time. She was a nurse in a Psychiatric Hospital and had come to the United States from England. We would often leave Achieve , and walk to the nearby Starbucks to chat before we both went home