Fitness Warriors
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Fitness Warriors Add Partnerships and New Classes
Thursday, October 10th
Fitness Warriors Partner with Virginia State University to Bring Free Classes to the Community We are thrilled to announce an exciting partnership between Fitness Warriors and Virginia State University, bringing free, high-energy fitness classes to the university and the surrounding community. These offerings are part of our ongoing commitment to improving health outcomes in the…
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Fitness Warriors Celebrate New Graduates, New Classes, and New Recruits
Monday, June 24th
Exciting New Graduates: Fitness Warriors Class 12! Get ready to feel the energy, because on Saturday, June 15th, the Fitness Warriors program proudly graduated 12 dynamic new instructors. Each cohort of Warriors brings something special, but this group? They're truly exceptional. With a fresh training approach led by our new lead trainer, Ann Mary Bettenson,…
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A New Chapter for Sports Backers Fitness Warriors
Tuesday, September 19th
A New Chapter for Sports Backers Fitness Warriors: Welcoming Ann Mary Bettenson Change is an inevitable part of life, and it often paves the way for exciting new opportunities and growth. In the past year, the Sports Backers Fitness Warriors program has undergone significant changes that have reshaped our direction and mission. One of the…
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Fitness Warriors Welcome New Class of Recruits
Thursday, May 11th
This blog was written by Tiffany Copeland, Director of Fitness Warriors “Independent, Athletic, I been sweating. Doing calisthenics … I been working. Working on my fitness,”- Lizzo. Not only have these lyrics graced the speakers at our training sites, they ring true for the 11 tenacious women that make up the 11th class of…
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Superlatives and Awards Recognize Fitness Warriors Going Above and Beyond
Thursday, July 28th
By: Tiffany Copeland, Director of Fitness Warriors In late June, Fitness Warriors from across the region came together to celebrate the hard work and accomplishments of the past 12 months. Keeping true to the traditions of our Annual Warrior Nation Celebration, Warriors were honored for their continued work in the community and willingness to be…
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Fitness Warriors 10th Class is ready to make a positive community impact
Wednesday, March 16th
By: Tiffany Copeland, Director of Fitness Warriors Three months ago, 12 strangers came together at Westover Hills Community Center in South Richmond because they were inspired to make an impact in their community as aspiring members of Sports Backers' Fitness Warriors program. Training days for Fitness Warriors are a mix of physical fitness, education about…
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Fitness Warriors Now Accepting Applications for Next Class of Community Leaders
Thursday, October 14th
Application deadline set for November 12 RICHMOND, VA – Sports Backers is currently accepting applications for the next class of the Fitness Warriors program, which trains members of the community with talent, passion, and potential to be professional fitness instructors in neighborhoods with the highest rates of chronic disease. Those accepted into the program will…
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Fitness Warriors Celebrates Graduating Class, Gears Up for First-Ever Fitness Festival
Thursday, August 19th
By: Tiffany Copeland, Director of Fitness Warriors Sports Backers’ Fitness Warriors program celebrated another milestone earlier in the summer, graduating 13 new instructors on June 26, 2021. These tenacious individuals rose to the challenge during a pandemic to successfully complete their six-month comprehensive training program. From Zoom meetings…
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Fitness Warriors Prepare for Healthy Holidays and an Active 2021
Wednesday, November 18th
By: Tiffany Copeland, Fitness Warriors Program Manager 2020 has been a year like no other. Like you, all of us associated with the Fitness Warriors program have moved and stretched in ways we once thought impossible, but here we are. With one month left in the year, we’re preparing for longer nights, colder days, and…
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What It Means To Be A Warrior Today
Wednesday, July 22nd
If you look up the definition of a Warrior, you will find its meaning was “especially true in former times” and indicates a brave or experienced soldier or fighter. Read further and you learn that the word has taken on new meaning today. In fact, the word is now used to describe everyday people who…
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Fitness Warriors and the NEW Face of Group Fitness!
Tuesday, April 7th
By: Tiffany Copeland, Fitness Warriors Program Manager In this day of social isolation, group fitness has truly morphed and changed. Where we were once encouraged to get out and around others, we are now being instructed to stay home. Public health and safety depend on it! So when you can’t go outside…go inside. Take a…
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Fitness Warriors Celebrate Five Years of Impacting the Community
Friday, February 7th
By: Jacki Quinlan, Director of Community Outreach Sports Backers' Fitness Warriors program hasn’t been around that long; in fact we are only in our sixth year of operation. But a lot has been achieved during those first five years and we would be remiss if we didn’t take a…
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Group Exercise: Believe the Hype!
Wednesday, December 11th
By: Kofi Nimo, Fitness Warriors intern Do you feel as if you’ve hit a roadblock in your fitness journey? Is there a lack of motivation to get into the gym and get started on the path to a healthier, more active lifestyle? If you’ve answered yes to either of these questions, you’re not alone. Many…
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New Fitness Warriors Classes Expand Active Living Opportunities to More People
Thursday, October 31st
By: Tiffany Copeland, Fitness Warriors Program Manager The strength of Sports Backers' Fitness Warriors program is that we have an amazing group of community leaders that continue to show up weekly to provide active living opportunities to their fellow residents. They are dedicated to being true agents of change for the communities in and around…
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Fitness Warriors Celebrate Graduation of 7th Class of Recruits, Kick Off Training for 8th Class
Tuesday, July 16th
By: Tiffany Copeland, Fitness Warriors Program Manager At Sports Backers, we believe that Richmond can be among the most active cities in the country and we are working hard to make that dream a reality. A key part of that mission is Sports…
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From Participant to Warrior: The Fitness Warriors Journey
Thursday, April 18th
By: Elicia Gordon, Fitness Warriors 5th Class Graduate Who in the world would put me in charge of motivating other people!?!? No one in their right mind...or so I thought. It was challenging enough to try to keep myself motivated. But sometimes you decide to make a minor decision which ends up being life changing.…
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Fitness Warriors Now Accepting Applications for Next Class of Recruits
Monday, April 1st
RICHMOND, VA — Sports Backers and the Richmond City Health District announced the launch of the next class of the Fitness Warriors program, and the application period for those interested in joining the program is now open. The deadline to apply is May 4th, and the link to the application is available here: https://www.tfaforms.com/4728001. The…
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Fitness Warriors Hosting Annual 'Warrior Nation Celebration' on January 26
Wednesday, January 16th
RICHMOND, VA – With the Fitness Warriors program currently immersed in offering free fitness classes in communities around the Richmond region and a new class of Warrior recruits just starting their training journey, the program will take the opportunity to highlight community health success stories on January 26 at the annual Warrior Nation Celebration. The…
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Fitness Warriors: Sharing the Message and the Impact!
Wednesday, October 10th
By: Tiffany Copeland, Fitness Warriors Program Manager It’s an exciting time in the Fitness Warriors world! With over 53 classes in 37 different sites Fitness Warriors continue to touch communities all around Richmond and the surrounding area with Free, Fun, Inclusive classes for all!! Don’t take our word for it. Let’s hear from our participants.…
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Fitness Warriors: Putting Purpose Into Practice
Friday, June 15th
By: Kara Bacile "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…
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Fitness Warriors Now Accepting Applications for Next Class of Warrior Recruits
Tuesday, April 10th
Richmond, VA — Sports Backers and the Richmond City Health District announced the launch of the next class of the Fitness Warriors program, part of Sports Backers’ Keep It Moving community health initiative. The application period for those interested in joining the program is now open and the deadline to apply is May 6th. The…
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Fitness Warriors: Here We Grow Again!
Friday, March 30th
By: Candace Benn The Fitness Warriors program provides active living opportunities in our local communities on a daily basis through free quality fitness classes. The program continues to grow with the recent recruitment of Warrior Recruit 5th Class--and the addition of more Fitness Warriors brings an increase in classes in our communities that need them…
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A Night To Remember with the Fitness Warriors
Wednesday, February 7th
By: Destini Orr WOW! What an amazing Annual Warrior Nation Celebration we had on January 27 to celebrate our dedicated Fitness Warriors, along with their friends and families, host site organization leaders, and members of Sports Backers Board of Directors. Every face in the Robinson Theater Community Arts Center was filled with joy and laughter…
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This is how we Keep It Moving
Thursday, January 11th
Keep It Moving – it’s the name of our initiative that focuses on increasing opportunities for physical activity in underserved parts of our community and it’s exactly what we’ve been up to these days. We’ve made some changes to how we manage the Fitness Warriors program so that we can now offer year-round training for…
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Coach's Corner With Ricky Martin: Recollections As We Move Forward
Monday, October 2nd
By: Ricky Martin, Fitness Warriors Head Coach My daughter has to do a bio of her life for school. She remembers her first birthday totally different from what I remember. I recall her asking that everyone say surprise when she came into the room, orchestrating her surprise party. She just remembers having a surprise party.…
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Coach's Corner: Announcing New Warrior Captains!
Friday, June 16th
By: Ricky Martin, Fitness Warriors Head Coach So this is me at the graduation of Fitness Warriors Third Class in January. I like this picture for the Coach's Corner this time because in the last one I was in workout gear during a training session. Yes it showed the hard work, but this one shows…
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Uncorked Half Will Help All RVA Residents 'Keep It Moving'
Wednesday, May 3rd
The Keep It Moving community fitness initiative is the official event charity of the Uncorked Half on May 6, and helps hundreds of area residents get active and prepare for events throughout the year through income-based training programs. Check out this Q&A with Candace Benn, who will lead pre-race yoga sessions at the Uncorked Half. Candace is a…
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Fitness Warriors Program Now Accepting Applications for Next Class of Community Leaders
Thursday, April 27th
By: Ricky Martin, Fitness Warriors Lead Instructor The next class of Fitness Warriors is about to get started and it is an exciting time for the program as its positive impact continues to grow. Since its inception in 2014, the program has trained 74 fitness instructors, otherwise known as ‘Warriors.' After completing the program, these…
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Fitness Warrior Mentor Spotlight: Taimani "Tee" Scott
Friday, April 14th
By Anne Crenshaw "Be the mentor you wish you had" - Anonymous, is a quote our Fitness Warrior Mentor, Taimani Scott, can relate to. She comes from our first class of Fitness Warriors, where she learned to succeed beyond expectations without any guidance from past classes. You can read all about her fitness journey…
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At the Uncorked Half, Run Your Race and Help Others Run Theirs!
Wednesday, April 12th
Jacki Quinlan is Director of Community Outreach for Sports Backers and the Keep It Moving community fitness initiative. Keep It Moving is the official event charity of the Uncorked Half on May 6, and helps hundreds of area residents get active and prepare for events throughout the year through income-based training programs. Every Spring, thousands of Richmonders hit…
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Fitness Warrior Mentor Spotlight: Molly McFadden
Monday, April 10th
By Anne Crenshaw To be a Fitness Warrior you have to have a passion for helping others and be willing to dedicate the time to learn the skills it takes to constantly improve. A great way to gain top-notch training skills is to learn valuable lessons from past Warrior graduates. We call these hard working "heroes" our Warrior…
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Fitness Warriors Graduation Ceremony Set for Jan. 28
Friday, January 27th
RICHMOND, VA - After spending the past six months immersed in training and gaining practical experience leading fitness programs in communities across the Richmond region, a class of 30 ‘Warriors’ will graduate on January 28th from the Fitness Warriors program. The program trains community members to become fitness instructors and is part of Sports Backers’…
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New Year, New Inspiration
Wednesday, January 11th
By: Theresa Caldwell, Fitness Warrior It’s the beginning of a brand new year and the end of what I’ve come to refer to as the "Eating Season.” It seems like every week from the end of October through New Year’s Day, someone with good intentions happily offers me something that defies whatever healthy eating plan…
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Fitness Warriors Mentor Spotlight: Adrienne Quarles-Smith
Monday, January 9th
By: Anne Crenshaw "A Mentor empowers a person to see a possible future, and believe it can be obtained." This quote said by a well known mentor, Shawn Hitchcock, expresses what our mentors do for our Fitness Warriors program. They work one on one with a fitness instructor-in-training, otherwise known as a Fitness Warrior, and give them…
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Exercise Makes A Difference for 'The Faithful Few'
Friday, December 23rd
From Sandra Alexander, Fitness Warrior I am in the 3rd class of the Fitness Warrior Program, and I teach two classes per week. The classes are held in the Church Hill area of Richmond on Mondays and Wednesdays, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The class size varies, and the largest class, so far, has…
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Fitness Warriors Mentor Spotlight: Terrica Woolridge
Tuesday, November 22nd
A mentor, by definition, is an experienced and trusted adviser. They are a key ingredient to the success of the Fitness Warriors program, part of Sports Backers' 'Keep It Moving' initiative, which trains community members to lead fitness classes in our region's most vulnerable communities. Mentors work one-on-one with Warriors to ensure they’re growing both…
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Fitness Warrior Guest Blog: Total Body Fitness For Women
Wednesday, November 16th
By: Taliah Muhammad, Fitness Warrior I am so honored to be a Fitness Warrior. This wonderful program, which is part of Sports Backers' Keep It Moving initiative, allows me to impact my community through fitness, which is one of my passions. When applying for the program, I remember being asked what community I would serve…
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Coaches' Corner with Ricky Martin
Monday, September 26th
By: Ricky Martin Sports Backers has its finger on the pulse of where wellness is headed in our region. Their partnerships with the Richmond City Health District and other leading organizations - from Hopewell to Henrico, Petersburg to Chesterfield, and everywhere in between - make for a wide reach…
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Announcing the 2016 Class of Fitness Warriors
Wednesday, July 20th
The Fitness Warriors program, which is a part of Sports Backers' Keep It Moving initiative and now entering its third year, kicked off on July 16th with an orientation at the Downtown YMCA. In attendance were 34 of the region’s most community-minded individuals, now collectively known as the 2016 Class of Fitness Warriors. They went through…
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Global Running Day for Kids Run RVA!
Tuesday, May 24th
On June 1st, otherwise known as Global Running Day, people from all over the world will put on their running shoes and hit the pavement, trail, or treadmill to support running as a way to enjoy an active lifestyle. There are 146 countries that are participating this year, and of course the United States is…
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Lack Motivation? Get Back To "The Why"
Tuesday, May 3rd
Written by Montina McElroy, Fitness Warrior - Class of '15 As we entered into this year of 2016 and a new season of life, we began the preparation of resolving that which we wanted to make better in our lives. Often times people included that they wanted to be more kind, friendlier, less stressed, more…
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Fitness Warriors Gearing Up For Next Class To Start
Wednesday, April 27th
Over the past two years, Sports Backers’ Fitness Warriors program has trained over 40 community members to become group fitness instructors. These Warriors, as they have become known throughout the Richmond region, have been leading free weekly fitness classes in the communities that need them the most. Beyond those weekly classes and the countless hours…
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Things to Consider Before Running in RVA
Tuesday, March 8th
When I’m getting ready to go on a run or head out for a race, I undoubtedly have a few things I need to think about before I can get a successful run in. Most runners do. For instance, we have to consider the weather and if we are wearing the right layers to accommodate…
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Kids in RVA Need YOU
Thursday, December 17th
Ever thought about how you can make an impact on the lives of kids and young people in the Richmond region? Do you have a passion for active living or are you looking for the next thing to do in the world of running? Perhaps you are looking for a New Year's resolution that you know…
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Coach's Corner with Ricky Martin: From a Mission to a Movement
Wednesday, November 25th
Hi! This is the Coach Rick from the Fitness Warriors program. Our second season of offering free fitness classes in the communities that need them the most is now in full swing. We are building a movement that is improving the health and lives of people across the Richmond region. This has been an inspiring and…
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Call Federal Marathon Junior - Making Running Fun For All
Monday, November 16th
By: Kaitlin Baker From the moment Kickeroo kicked off the race to the end of the festival, there was a sense of excitement and fun in the air. On October 24th, over 900 kids participated in either the half mile or the 1 mile run at the Call Federal Marathon Jr., an event which was…
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Kids Run RVA Run Clubs – How Do You Plug In?
Thursday, August 27th
If you are reading this blog or are subscribed to our blogs (Not subscribed yet? Click here!) then you likely already know a little something about the importance of being active. And thanks to Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move initiative, there has been an increased focus on the need for kids to get at least 60 minutes…
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A lesson learned from Mr. Carter
Friday, July 31st
MEET MR. CARTER Samuel Carter that it is - a Richmond resident for the entirety of his 74 years and the most recent winner of the Anthem Foundation 150 Minute Fitness Challenge. In early April, Mr. Carter took on the challenge presented by Sports Backers. He set out to attain at least 150 minutes of…