By Alan Shaw, Rhapsody Fitness Co-Founder + Head Coach
An Air Force pilot, a College of Charleston student and an MUSC nurse walk into a gym. Sounds like the beginning of a bad joke, doesn’t it?
Although people from a swath of backgrounds, professions and interests come to Rhapsody Fitness in Charleston, their motivations for joining a gym tend to be the same. From improving overall health to losing weight to building strength, we hear a fairly standard set of expectations at the start.
What they don’t expect is the potential for new connections and, ultimately, community.
This shouldn’t come as such a surprise because, despite coming from all walks, our athletes have five core qualities in common.
- They do not expect a quick fix or silver bullet – they know they will need to put in the work to get the result they want.
- They are genuinely happy, compassionate and social humans – no one is hiding in a corner or avoiding eye-contact around here.
- They are driven – not only driven to work but driven to learn and improve.
- They know they can’t, or just don’t want, to do it alone and are looking for accountability.
- They give. Give support. Give a push. Give a pep talk. Givers.
Use these characteristics to lay a foundation, and you have the makings for a delightfully close connection and a tight-knit community.
“Far more than a daily workout, these connections become a community and lifestyle that go well beyond the four walls of our gym.”
COMMUNITY
A big buzz word in the business of health and fitness, “community” gets tossed around like a wall ball. Even though it was a focal point for us when founding Rhapsody Fitness, I’m not sure I truly understood its depth and breadth until watching our community come into its own over the years.
While pushing them to pick up heavy things and move a little faster, I’ve had the privilege of seeing our members make some life-altering connections through Rhapsody.
I’ve watched a college student find the support and mentorship she needed to pursue Officer Training School; a high-end interior designer match with the marketing and brand mavens he leaned on to launch his business; unlikely and fierce friendships form; and, of course, love birds swoon over barbells.
I believe that as we “adult”, it gets harder and harder to connect. Seeing this mishmash of misfits find common ground and grow it into so much more than fitness warms my cold heart.
Far more than a daily workout, these connections become a community and lifestyle that go well beyond the four walls of our gym.
I’m not here to tell you that you have to do CrossFit to find your tribe, but I have come to understand that connection and community can be found in the most unexpected places.
Whether you’re new in town, need a fresh start or just want to spice it up, maybe getting sweaty with some strangers will become so much more than looking better in the mirror.
If you want to learn more about Rhapsody Fitness in Charleston and get to know our particular cast of characters, come on out to Sweaty Saturday. If you live in the Greater Charleston Area, your first class is on us.
