Molly Carta - 

I had started taking Spinning classes in college as a way to stay active and maintain my physical abilities and fell in love with it! Having Cerebral Palsy effects my balance, so I can’t ride a real bike, but the spin bike was the perfect alternative. I became a member at Core Club in 2013, shortly after moving back home after graduation. From the minute I walked through the doors, I knew I had found somewhere special and some pretty special people too. One of the first cycle classes I took with Janice, my bike wasn’t comfortable for me to ride. I was embarrassed to have to ask for help and interrupt her mid-class, but she didn’t even pause. She picked me right up off the bike and put me on another one. There are not many instructors, or many gyms, that would “take a chance” on a person with a disability in my experience, but this has never been the case for me here and it’s why I love the time I spend within the gym walls. I often need help getting my own equipment for classes and not one person has ever hesitated to ask if I need help. In fact, now most don’t even ask and just take it upon themselves to help.

The support from everyone at Core Club has pushed me to accomplish so many things I never thought possible for myself. I became a fitness instructor because of that support and because of the confidence I have built throughout the past five years. Recently, I competed in a virtual adaptive fitness competition and made it through the regional round, missing the finals by two points. This was something I never would have done in years prior, but knowing I had so many people cheering for me, including Deb’s unceasing assistance with whatever the next crazy workout was, made the journey all that much more fun and rewarding.

Every time I walk into a class, I know I am home and I feel surrounded by family--family who has helped me, and watched me, as I have become a stronger version of myself both physically and mentally. Not every day is sunshine and rainbows, but I have never once felt like I regretted a minute at the gym. While the physical gains I have seen over the years have been nothing short of amazing, it is the mental strength that I never expected. The gym has taught me to love a body I once viewed as broken, and that is a gain above any other.