Fitness Warriors: Putting Purpose Into Practice
By: Kara Bacile
Shout out to Warriors 3rd Class who showed up in a big way!
“Purpose, purpose, purpose, purpose, purpose!”
Purpose, the mantra of the Fitness Warriors 5th Class, was on full display this weekend at the culminating event for a new group of community fitness leaders who are ready to put their purpose into practice and start changing lives. Six months of training, studying, practicing, and teaching was capped off with a day full of reflection, sweat, and celebration at the Fitness Warriors 5th Class Crystal Ceremony. On Saturday, June 9th, 16 Fitness Warrior Recruits accepted their crystals, signifying their ceremonial transition from Recruits to actual Fitness Warriors and growing our Fitness Warrior family to a strong contingent of 105 trained group exercise instructors! Saturday’s Crystal Ceremony doubled as a Fitness Warrior Full Fam training day, meaning all Fitness Warriors were welcome to join in the celebration and learn the two modalities that were being demonstrated to our 5th Class prior to the Crystal Ceremony.
We were fortunate to have two Warriors volunteer their time to introduce the modalities of their expertise. Robin Jones, a Warrior from Class 2, introduced the art of Kick Boxing. Robin’s energy and passion shone through in her demonstration. Not only did she teach the Warriors a thing or two about Kick Boxing, but she gave advice on how to structure a group exercise class as well. Fitness Warrior 3rd Class member Rashanda Payne taught the basics of building a high intensity step routine to music. Rashanda’s step class is known for quickly burning off the calories, and she made sure her fellow Warriors felt the full impact of that workout before she left!
The highlight of the day came at the end, as the group took time to celebrate the culmination of their six-month training program. Each Warrior Captain brought up his or her Crew of recruits that they have mentored during the training process, and took a few moments to speak about each member before handing the new, official Fitness Warrior his or her certificate! Lead trainer Ricky Martin was also there to present the Warriors with their crystal, signifying their transition from Warrior Recruit to Fitness Warrior. The crystal Ricky chose for the 5th class was Amethyst. In addition to being a beautiful crystal, Amethyst has very powerful properties, including balancing emotions, encouraging selflessness, and bringing restful sleep to those who wear it. The 5th Class of Warriors can now proudly wear their crystals as they continue to selflessly serve their communities by combating inactivity in the most vulnerable areas of the Richmond region.
We would like to proudly congratulate the members of the Fitness Warriors 5th Class!
Warriors 5th Class:
| Kathy Brown | Elicia Gordon | Shirtiera Lynch | Eboni Washington |
| Michelle Blair | Kisha Holloway | Stephanie Palmer | Lindsey Washington |
| Willette Ellis | Clarence Hunter | Jayme Permint | Tiffany White |
| Josiah Gillison | LaCora Hurte | Quinn Quash | Valencia Williams |
This newly-minted class of Warriors will continue their service to various underserved communities throughout the Richmond region by hosting free weekly group exercise classes in areas with the highest rates of chronic disease. Poised with the confidence, training, and skills honed throughout the previous six months, each Warrior has fine tuned his or her own group exercise class, ranging from chair fitness to high-intensity interval training (HIIT), to best suit their class participants. With the graduation of 16 new Warriors, the Fitness Warrior program gained the ability to magnify its impact by offering more classes in the areas that need free exercise options the most! These 16 passionate Warriors are dedicated to expanding the opportunities for access to health and wellness programs for all folks in our community to be encouraged to Keep It Moving! Be sure to check out any of the FREE Fitness Warriors Classes throughout the Central Virginia area! Check out our complete class schedule to find a class near you.
