Huge congrats to our Athlete of the Month for May 2025… Mary Purinton! Way to go Mary!
Mary has been such a joy to have at Tradewinds for the last 2.5 years! She works closely with her personal Coach, our very own Mary and the pair have achieved great things in the gym together. Mary puts in the hard work that is needed to make progress. She is patient, she is focused, she is enthusiastic, all incredible qualities to bring to our community! We have loved seeing Mary progress through the years and know that she will continue to do great things in the future. She is also incredibly kind and supportive, a true friend to others in our community which is something we could all use. Mary is such an integral part of our community and an inspiring role model, thanks for being you Mary!
TW: Where are you from?
Mary: I grew up in East Greenwich, RI. Biggest Little State in the Union!
TW: What do you do for work?
Mary: I am a Quality Assurance Professional in the Biopharma/Life Sciences industries. This means that I help make sure that the drugs patients take are safe and effective. I recently started my own consulting company, and I am excited for this next chapter of my professional career.
TW: How long have you been at Tradewinds?
Mary: About 2 ½ years.
TW: What motivated you to try Tradewinds?
Mary: Mary Bomila posted on Facebook to welcome busy moms to Tradewinds because she is certified in pelvic floor exercises. This caught my eye, because after the birth of my daughter it was something I wanted to focus on, but never found the time or motivation to do so. She also posted at the perfect time, as I had recently accepted a new position, and I had promised myself to use part of my pay raise to get back to exercising regularly. I knew I had diastasis recti that had never healed, and I always had issues with my core not being strong enough to sustain good back health, so this was another area of focus I wanted to work on. I had a knee injury and a shoulder injury I had been trying to address with physical therapy, but I was ready for a holistic all body reset.
TW: Did you have a fitness background prior to starting at Tradewinds?
Mary: I am a former high school and college athlete and had worked with athletic trainers during college and after through various gym memberships.
TW: If you could program your dream WOD, what would it be?
Mary: First of all, I do not “dream” of programming a workout of the day, that’s why I like working with Mary! The exercises I like the most are core focused, like opposite leg lifts, dead bugs, supermans, and arm exercises with weights, and ring pulls. Mary has built my confidence to do step ups and lunges for my legs, as we have worked hard at rehabbing my knee so that I am not scared to do leg strengthening exercises.
TW: What would your dream meal be?
Mary: Lobster, filet mignon, grilled asparagus and dark chocolate-covered strawberries!
TW: What is your proudest accomplishment since joining Tradewinds?
Mary: My proudest accomplishments are that I have increased and kept my core strong enough that my chronic lower back problems have been virtually eliminated. I am also extremely proud that I inspired my husband to join Tradewinds, and he is also thriving in the community environment of group classes.
TW: How has Tradewinds helped you in your everyday life?
Mary: Tradewinds has helped me to commit to a regular schedule of exercise, even if it is only one day a week. Focusing on strength training, as well as stretching and flexibility helps me get out of bed in the morning and start my day.
TW: What do you like to do outside the gym?
Mary: Nap. Seriously, there is never enough time to get enough sleep as a busy working mom! However, I also like to putter in my garden, go sailing and read books, as well as coach my daughter’s soccer team.
TW: What is your favorite song to workout to?
Mary: Anything with a beat that I can dance to – I love the playlists at Tradewinds, I am constantly asking what remix is playing as I dance in between my reps! For walking, I have used the Blue Crush movie soundtrack for years, with my favorite song the Cruel Summer remix.
TW: What’s one thing you’d tell someone who is curious about trying Tradewinds but not sure if they could do it?
Mary: Tradewinds has a lot of options for the type of coaching and accountability you are looking for. The variety of personal coaching, small group classes and larger WOD classes means there is an option to motivate you in whatever style of exercise you are comfortable with. There are other great reasons for liking Tradewinds and the community they have built, with charitable outreach, periodic fun “team challenges” and book club, to name a few.
AOM Closing Thoughts… I am so glad I decided to invest in myself and my physical strength. I am so much stronger now since I started working with Mary, and the physical therapy benefits I have gotten out of the workouts has been extremely beneficial. I am proud of myself for continuing to stick with the workout style that “works” for me. As I mentioned, I am not a “exercise class” person; I thrive under 1-1 coaching, which is a focused 30 minutes which makes it feel like a workout is manageable with my schedule. In between coaching sessions, I work on stretching and flexibility exercises to combat the long hours at my computer or in my car driving. Mary is also very supportive and will always give me “homework” or exercises to focus on when I am traveling if we won’t see each other for an extended period of time. The amount of support and camaraderie I feel when I walk in the door keeps me coming back to Tradewinds, as much as the rapport I feel with Mary. This nomination as Athlete of the Month is very much appreciated, and I thank all the coaches for the hard work they put into Tradewinds every single day. Lastly, special thanks to “Mary #1” who always encourages and pushes me in our workouts, making me realize I am (physically and mentally) stronger than I think I am.