“I am a grandmother of six, ages 3 to 11! When I first was introduced to Clay Fitness several years ago, I was recovering from a serious illness that had debilitated my body, mind, and spirit. Though I had been physically active all of my life, it had been years since I had participated in an organized fitness program. Walking regularly with a friend has always been a favorite way to exercise; thus it was with walking friends that I began the search for a more dedicated and intensive fitness opportunity. While my specific goal was recovery, my friends and I had all had come to the realization that if we wanted to be fit at this point in our lives and beyond, we needed to be proactive participants.

For me, the warmth, as well as the professionalism, made Clay an easy choice. Hyam and her staff welcomed us, and they treated us as if we belonged! We all were eager to get started. At our twice-weekly sessions, we quickly came to know Callie as a gifted teacher, which was, to me, just as important as her excellent training skills. From the beginning, I could see how much she cared about my fitness experience. While we trained together, Callie coached us individually, continuously assessing our form and encouraging us to go beyond our comfort level. With Callie, each session was more challenging, and we looked forward to workouts that were never the same. When we began training, we were not looking for a boot camp atmosphere — thankfully Callie has a great sense of humor, and she made hard work (yes, very hard work) fun!

I have now trained with Callie for more than three years. Along the way to fitness, we have become good friends. Callie is thoughtful and observant, intelligent and knowledgeable and a great communicator and motivator. I have also come to understand what a truly fine person she is, and how much she cares about me.

A year ago, Jane, my training partner and dear friend, became ill with cancer. We had been together with Callie since the beginning, and clearly, Jane was our star! She was exceptionally strong and willing, and Callie took her to a very high level of training, a special achievement for them both. When Jane could no longer participate in exercise, Callie offered to go to her home to train. Sadly, Jane’s health steadily declined, and her mobility and strength became severely compromised. This past Spring, she died from complications of her cancer treatment. Her loss was devastating to us both.  During the summer, Callie and I began our sessions with a short walk — and talk — to warm up, and I think we found comfort in this time together. Today it was too cold to walk, so we resumed our full workout in the studio — it felt good to do so.

I love being a grandmother…and I love being fit! Thanks to Callie and Clay, my body is stronger, my mind is sharper, and my spirit has been lifted up.”