Hello everyone!
Welcome to another edition of our Member of the Month series, where we feature some of the amazing people who are part of our Loyobo FIT family. We think it is important to share their stories to help inspire others and to celebrate their amazing accomplishments!
This month, our member is Mark Kennedy, who is one of our VIP members. Mark quickly became a rising star in our Family after joining us in February – quickly earning his 50 class bracelet at record speed! He is always a source of humour, laughter and joy in our classes and can always be guaranteed to make friends with other members quite quickly.
It has been an incredible privilege to be a part of Mark’s journey and to watch him gain confidence in class, and to see the huge leaps and strides he has been making towards his goals!
This month, Mark, we celebrate YOU! We are so grateful that you found our studio and have embraced the Loyobo way of life with loads of gusto. Thank you for being a part of our family and for sharing your story with us!
How long have you been coming to Loyobo FIT and what initially inspired you to try a class?
I started in the first week of February this year. I had picked up a Loyobo business card at the Robusta Cafe. For some reason the pic of Courtney leaping in the air caught my eye. My winter was poor for both nutrition and exercise. Too much of one, not enough of the other. I travelled to Trinidad to visit friends in January and I was the opposite of beach ready. I felt I had reached the bottom of my fitness barrel. I checked out the Loyobo website while still in Trinidad, contacted Courtney by email for a meeting from Trinidad. I had no idea that I was on the verge of discovering my fitness solution. Over the decades I was not a complete couch potato. I taught Physical Education classes as a teacher, coached and played soccer until recent years. I like to hike and walk my dog.
What are your top 3 health and fitness goals?
Get down to a healthy weight (progress has been made, but the work must continue), improve posture and reduce my blood pressure. Ok, too serious – banish my beer belly and man boobs, improve my balance so that I can launch my senior citizen pro soccer career and dance like nobody’s watching…
What is one of the challenges that you have faced in your health/fitness journey? What have you found most helpful in working to overcome it?
My knees have encountered their share of sports injuries and my doctor has warned that I have arthritic knees. So squats and lunges are challenging as they spark some inconsistent knee pain. Overcoming it seems a long journey, but I don’t shy away from those exercises, might keep weights light or just do with body weight. Hoping that overall improved leg strength will help ease things.
How has your life changed since becoming a member of Loyobo FIT?
Autograph requests, magazine covers, tv and movie offers, endorsements and cocktail party invites. Other members have assured me that all this is fairly standard.
What is your favourite memory or achievement of your time at Loyobo FIT?
Having my sister drive down from Shelburne twice to Zumba the morning away…. As for achievements, I think it is best to always value highest the one that is still to be reached.
Mark has earned his 100 class bracelet and is SUPER close to getting his 200 one, too!
What advice would you give to someone just starting their health and fitness journey? Don’t delay, think big in participation terms, try a variety of classes until you find your comfort zone, make an effort and sweat.
What is your favourite class and why?
I am not very good at choosing favourites. I attend a lot of classes and see the good qualities in all of them. The best class is always the one I have just completed, the worst class is always the one I am trying to motivate my creaky old body to get started into…
What is your favourite inspirational quote?
“Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure you, it’s much more serious than that.” – Bill Shankly
What is your favourite healthy snack?
Olives, in a martini glass, but olives are healthy, right?
What is your biggest dream? Two dreams – become the head coach/gm/president of Toronto FC AND/OR create and direct Guelph’s first pro soccer team.
Anything else you would like to share?
I think that the joy of Loyobo is the combination of the highly motivated and encouraging instructors AND the great people who are there to exercise along with you. A great sense of healthy purpose combined with a sense of community. I also enjoy the walks from home to Loyobo and back…
Congratulations Mark! You deserve this moment in the spotlight as we celebrate the awesomeness that is YOU. THANK YOU for always being such a shining light at the studio and for making us smile/laugh on a daily basis! We are so proud of you and are so grateful to have you as part of our Loyobo Family!
Feeling inspired? You could be our next Member of the Month! Try a class today with our 30 day trial for first time participants! Use the code “Birthday” to get the pass for just $30+tax from August 10-16, 2019, as part of our One Year Celebrations. And make sure to say hi if you see Mark around the studio!
See you all again soon!
– Courtney
