Judy Sullivan makes fitness personal
by Meghan Grady
Judy Sullivan, owner of The Gym, LLC on Diamond Hill Road in Woonsocket greets customers to their workout wearing a vibrant smile and stylish athletic gear. Her friendly welcome makes members feel at home. She opened The Gym in 2008, with the support of twenty or so individuals that she exercised with at another health club. “We decided to do it on our own. We wanted to be customer oriented and make our health club user friendly for people,” she explains.
Sullivan was raised by her father along with her four sisters and brother in Concord, New Hampshire. “We were always extremely active,” she recalls. “My Dad would wake us up at 5:00am every morning for calisthenics and then bring us to the YMCA for swim team before school.” She remembers being involved in a variety of sports as a young woman, “My siblings and I knew how to ski and golf. We were basketball players and cheerleaders too”. Sullivan jokes, “I tried gymnastics but remember tumbling over a whole line of people so that didn’t last long”.
Sullivan first became interested in personal training while working as a fitness instructor in Virginia. “I started at an old Jack LaLanne health club. Then, when we moved to Rhode Island, I taught classes at Women’s World. It allowed me to stay active, in shape and to be a full-time mom,” she says.
An average day in Sullivan’s life starts when her alarm goes off bright and early. “I wake up at 4:00am and open The Gym at 5:00am for running groups. Sometimes I teach a 5:45am class but return home to make breakfast for my youngest son who is a senior in high school. Then, its back to The Gym for the 9:15am class or to play with the kids in the little gym. I do a lot of my cleaning in the afternoon so I don’t have to do it at night. My afternoons are filled with personal training clients and socializing with members.”
Sullivan smiles as she talks about the environment at The Gym, “People will sit at the counter, have coffee and chat. Its a close knit group of people who support each other. You want to show up for the run or workout class to see your friends”.
When asked about her role as a personal trainer Sullivan says, “I’m blessed because I love what I do. I never feel like I’m going to work because I love my job. As a personal trainer you have the influence to enable people and push them beyond what they think they are capable of. I had a client who didn’t think he could run and now he is able to run miles. It is nice to see people progress and move on to working out on their own”.
Sullivan explains, “I’ve always been a promoter of yoga because it helps with all aspects of life. It helps you connect with how you are feeling and understand what is going on with your body”. Sullivan explains goal settings is a key focus at The Gym, “Its not about how you look or how much you weigh. We don’t even have a scale in the building. It is about if you can meet your goals and do what you want to do”.
At The Gym, youth can use the facility starting at age thirteen if they are accompanied by an adult. “As a parent, if you don’t take care of yourself, your children will know. We are role models for our kids. Its nice to see parents working out with their kids. At a young age, it allows them to share time and form a bond,” she says.
Sullivan believes there are connections between physical activity, exercise and increased self-esteem in young women. “It’s tough in today’s society because young women are so inundated with images and pictures. It would be better if we could go back to the basics and focus on health. It is disheartening at times.”
When working with young women, Sullivan feels it is important to, “keep it relaxed and fun, make sure they are comfortable and know what their exercise options are”. She often offers kickboxing and yoga classes at local high schools. “Exposing young girls to different forms of physical activity makes them say, ‘Hey, I could do that!'”
photo by Agapao Productions
