Yesterday, Tradewinds Fitness officially turned 7 years old.
7 Years!
I am lucky to have been a part of nearly 2 of those so far. I could go on endlessly about the way Tradewinds and our athletes have changed my life. About how this job isn’t just a job to me, it is my life’s passion, my heart and soul poured out everyday. But I wanted the community to hear from our fearless leaders themselves.
Andy and Mary have built this community from the ground up. In some ways literally, in a lot of ways metaphorically. They are the reason we have a gym like this. A place to gather, challenge ourselves, celebrate our bodies and all they can accomplish, a place to cheer each other on, a place to laugh, a place to cry, a place to call home away from home.
Our gym is not the norm, our gym is special. Tradewinds is special. So let’s hear some of the things those two have to say about it themselves…
– What is your first memory at TW?
Andy: My first memory was when we were going around town to look at spaces to call our new home. We walked into 45 Crest Ave, Mary goes “NOPE!” and immediately turned around and walked out. Well we ended up taking a look at it again and this time I walked her through my vision for the place and she goes, “You know I think this could work.”
– What are you most proud of in regards to opening this gym?
Andy: I am actually most proud of two things. First all the lives that we have had the honor to be a part of and hopefully change for the better, even if it was a very small part. There has been almost 1000 people that have walked through our doors. Second is that we have been able to provide a space for people to share their love of fitness and even make a professional career out of it.
– What is one major thing you have learned in the last 7 years?
Andy: Haha, there’s so many. But if I had to narrow it down to the biggest thing Iv learned over the past 7 years, I think it would be that all too often we simply make up a story in our heads, which is usually worse than it actually is. So at the end of the day, the best thing any of us can do is just to make sure we communicate more and more openly.
– What would you want to say to our athletes about the last 7 years and what they mean to you?
Andy: Our members mean the world to me. Without them, without the team, Tradewinds wouldn’t be what it is. Our members have put trust in us to join them on their fitness and health journey, and I can’t thank them enough.
– Closing Owner thoughts…
Andy: 7 years has felt like the blink of an eye and yet somehow a lifetime. Tradewinds has changed and evolved a lot over the last 7 years. We’ve made plenty of mistakes, but we’ve also gotten a lot of things right. I wouldn’t change a single thing about where we have been or what we have done, because it’s all led us to where we are now. And I can’t wait to see what the next 7, 14, 21 years holds for Tradewinds.
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– What is your first memory at TW?
Mary: There are so many initial memories, however, the one that sticks out the most right now was the initial idea to start Tradewinds. I tend to resist change and lean towards the side of routine and comfort. I was excited and scared. I knew that I wanted to share how fitness and nutrition had positively changed my life. I knew I wanted to help other people. But I was worried about not being able to do the hard work to get there, worried about failure, about not being good enough, and worried about all the other uncertainty that might loom.
I remember the first time someone told me how we changed their life. I cried. Every day I try to remind myself about how much courage it took to step outside of my comfort zone to start something so big and so new, and how that courage to take action has had a positive affect on so many lives. To this very day I am still excited, but also a bit scared sometimes, but definitely less than before. What keeps fueling me each day are the wonderful people I get to work with and all the different people we get to help.
– What are you most proud of in regards to opening this gym?
Mary: First off I am most proud of our team of talented, kind and ambitious individuals. Since day one, both myself and Andy always agreed we wanted to build a team of individuals who were even more ambitious than ourselves, but also who cared as much as we do, and we 100% believe we have exactly that right now.
Secondly, I am most proud of how many people we have all had the chance to help in different ways. Whether it was for a short period of time or their time with us is still ongoing, it’s incredible how many people have walked through our doors and have walked out feeling happier and healthier in many ways. We are so much more than just a physical space with varied workouts. We are a place for growth and connection. For courage and empowerment. For overcoming hardship and self-doubt. We are a place where people discover their own potential both physically and mentally. I am so proud of all of that.
– What is one major thing you have learned in the last 7 years?
Mary: Everything starts from within. You can train in fitness 6 days a week, have your nutrition completely dialed in and feel like everything in your life is going great, however, if you don’t take the time to do the tough work on understanding yourself; your why, your values, and the vision you see for yourself and your life, almost all of that external work can start to feel like it is never enough. The way you talk to yourself and about yourself can make all the difference too. Knowing yourself and your values allows the other areas of your life to have meaning and purpose. Knowing yourself allows you to stay connected to your goals when things get tough or motivation and focus start to sway, your values will keep you on track. No matter what life throws our way, truly knowing myself and leaning into it has helped me in so many tremendous ways. This doesn’t make the hard stuff any easier, but it allows me to process the things that happen at a level worth just the right amount of energy and not pull too much from the things in life that bring me joy.
– What would you want to say to our athletes about the last 7 years and what they mean to you?
Mary: It’s been hard work, it’s constantly changing, sometimes it pushes me to my physical and mental limits, but just like the tough stuff we can experience in our fitness and nutrition, putting in the time and the work has absolutely been worth it. Creating and maintaining this space for other individuals to grow and connect, a space that I also continue to grow and connect within, has been incredibly life changing in more ways than I could have ever imagined. Every individual who has walked through our door has had some meaningful impact on the trajectory of my life, on my purpose, even if just in a small way, and I will always be grateful for the time we got to share together on this journey.
– Closing Owner thoughts…
Mary: So many things in life are out of our control, so we must focus on what we can control and the impact we have on others. Be impeccable with your words. Don’t take things personally. Try not to sweat all the small stuff. Don’t make assumptions. Be patient. Be kind. Feel your emotions. Forgive quickly. Don’t just show up, be present. Always do your best.