We are so excited to be celebrating our first Athlete Spotlight of 2023, Katie Soucy.
An accomplishment like this doesn’t come without hard work and commitment. Katie was committed to her training program right from the start, and made time to get to her training session on a regular basis. Katie is a mom of a 3 year old and splits self care time with her husband as they both work full time jobs.
Getting out of the house and seeing other people after a year of relative isolation was important for her, and we couldn’t be more happy that she chose to join our community here at Wilcox.
Thank you Katie for being such a positive force within our community. Your positive attitude, kind demeanor and focused mindset contributes in meaningful ways to our gym culture and we just love having you in our community. We are so happy to inspire you each day and in turn to be inspired by you. Keep up the great work. We can't wait to celebrate the completion of your next marathon with you!
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We are so excited to be celebrating Martha Fogler and Irwin Gross as this month’s Athlete’s of the Month.
Irwin started off working 1:1 with Bree while he rebuilt his strength & confidence in the gym. Over time he transitioned back into group training while occasionally scheduling a 1:1 with Bree to refine some of his skills.
This kind of commitment is what allows Martha and Irwin to live their very best life in defiance of their age. They recognize that their commitment allows them to move like they’re decades younger, but they don’t take it for granted. They know that a body in motion stays in motion, and a body at rest stays at rest. They both intend to stay in motion for as long as possible and have so much still to explore and enjoy.
Kathleen initially started training with us through our free trial program in February, 2021, and didn’t join until October of that same year. Kathleen will admit that she didn’t think that she needed the help at first, but after a busy summer filled with family obligations she realized that she could use some extra support and accountability and reached back out to talk about giving it another try, and boy are we glad that she did!
And that’s why it’s so very important to put yourself first even when you want to put everyone else before yourself. If you don’t take time to take care of yourself you just won’t have the energy to give all that you want to give to everyone else, and Kathleen has learned that over the past year that we’ve known her.
Kevin joined us in January 2021 after completing PT for his 2nd back surgery. His physical therapist at Accel PT recommended that he join a gym where he could focus on building core strength, learn how to move without using his back improperly, and build strength overall.
As a father of two young children Kevin wants to be an active participant with his family, enjoying those opportunities to play with the kids, be active during family vacations, and enjoying time skiing as a family during the winter months.
We were so excited to see Kevin’s confidence in signing up for this challenge, knowing that he is feeling strong and confident about conquering the obstacles involved. He plans to bring his family to join him and we look forward to having him alongside the team and celebrating this next super fun accomplishment.
We are so delighted to be celebrating Mary Bouchard as our September Athlete of the Month. Mary has been training with us since the very beginning of the Wilcox Brunswick location back in January 2019 and we have just loved being part of Mary’s journey, and her a part of ours.
Like many of our clients she is a mother, a daughter, and a dedicated employee. She is committed to the people who she loves and to being the best that she can be in all aspects of her life. This means that life can get busy at times, causing her to be a bit less consistent for a week or two, but she always gets right back on track as soon as the other needs of her life are taken care of.
Having the opportunity to work closely with Bree 1:1 each week provides her with the space to push herself a bit further out of her comfort zone and continue to develop new understandings of how she can challenge herself.
We are so excited to celebrate Bill Keleher as our August Athlete of the Month. Bill started training with us in June 2021 and has made remarkable progress over the past 14 months.
While we love hearing how the way that the training program is designed is a factor in the longevity of his commitment, it’s really Bill who is to be credited for his success. Bill decided that it was important for him to find something that would work for him so that he could reach his goal of creating and maintaining a routine, and from the start has worked hard to be consistent. Over the past 14 months Bill has worked hard in the gym, listening to his coaches, and learning how his body moves. When he first started he experienced low back pain. As he gained more body awareness and understanding around how he was moving in exercises such as squats and deadlifts he quickly improved his form and noticed the benefits that these improvements have had on reducing any pain.
It’s stories like this that inspire us as a trainer team! We are committed to helping our clients move in their daily lives without pain and without limitations. At the end of the day, the results that our clients see are due to their own hard work and commitment, and Bill is no exception. Way to go Bill! We are so proud of your progress and love working with you in the gym. We look forward to many more years of success stories. He was aware of how he was moving his body and lifting the fish, pivoting on his feet as he passed them down the line, which resulted in no pain and no need for recovery days.
This month we are celebrating our Athlete of the Month - Barbara Piccirillo. Barbara joined the Wilcox Community in February, 2021 and then when she was ready to up the ante with her focus on nutrition she joined the KickStart program in March, 2022.
As she has gained more strength & balance she has increased her confidence in the movements that we do in the gym allowing her to continue to push herself to places that she never expected in her health & fitness. Earlier this spring Barbara joined the KickStart program. It’s not unusual for people to join our training programs and need to break down each piece of the commitment to their overall health & fitness long term. We talk a lot about the value of making small, incremental improvements over time, setting our clients up for success with long term and sustainable lifestyle change. For Barbara she wanted to focus on getting consistent with her exercise program, attending sessions 3 times a week.
Our June Client of the Month is a woman who is always working on getting better. Kathleen Kelley is such an incredible example of someone who recognizes how the ebb and flow of life’s responsibilities can impact one’s ability to be consistent with health and fitness, but that doesn’t stop her from working on it every day!
As they say, the first step in getting better is to acknowledge the situation, and this is what inspires me about Kathleen. She quickly recognizes when she’s off course and the impact that this has on her ability to live her best life…and for Kathleen her best life is when she can be giving to others. Kathleen cares deeply for her family, and she’s a total giver. She takes care of everyone! Even the Wilcox Trainer Team! Katheen is an amazing baker and cook and she’s often bringing delicious, organic - whole food goodies from her kitchen to share with us. She’s one of the most generous and caring people that I know. And when we give, give, give it’s so easy to lose sight of what we need to do to take care of ourselves so that….we can keep giving. Kathleen embraces the importance of taking care of herself, even though on some days she may give more to others than she gives to herself, which can tip things temporarily out of balance. When I spoke with Kathleen recently she reflected upon the reality that when she stays on track with her commitment to a healthy lifestyle she has more energy, she’s more positive, and she sleeps better. And of course, when we have more energy, feel more positive, and are fully rested we have so much more of ourselves to give. Kathleen’s acknowledgement of how her healthy habits benefit her….and how straying off course leads to feeling like crap, sleepless nights, and lack of energy inspires her to get back on track ASAP. Sometimes it may feel like the gap between getting off track and getting back on track feels like a chasm, and that’s because time seems to slow down when we aren’t feeling our best. It can make us feel like we’re not getting back on track fast enough, but what is important is that we dig deep and find the reasons for getting back on track, and do it as soon as possible. Kathleen consistently shows up to the gym, and with each visit she arrives with a big smile on her face ready to not only give herself that time to take care of herself but also with all of the generosity in her heart that she gives to the others who are in the session with her. Her positive energy is contagious. She works hard and has fun doing it. The more she sweats the more she smiles.
And boy are we glad she did! Every day Kathleen learns something new that will benefit how she feels and how she can live her life feeling her very best, and right alongside her we learn something from Kathleen that inspires us to be our very best too.
We just love working with Kathleen and we couldn’t be more happy to celebrate Kathleen as our client of the month. This month we are so happy to be celebrating Julie Wagoner as our Client of the Month!
Osteoporosis causes bones to become weak and brittle, so brittle that a fall or even mild stresses such as bending over or coughing can cause a fracture, so this is a serious condition. Luckily, lifting weights can help protect your bones and prevent osteoporosis-related fractures. According to WebMD and other sources, studies show that strength training over a period of time can help prevent bone loss -- and may even help build new bone.
The split stance is a movement that we use in the gym to help us connect to our normal gait patterns, and bring awareness to compensations that impact how we move and eventually lead to injuries. Committing to health and wellness has so many remarkable benefits, and Julie shares how she is recognizing many of these benefits after just 6 months in our training program.
Amazing! We are so happy to be part of this fitness journey with Julie. It’s not just about getting strong in the gym. It’s about the impact that it has on daily life, allowing you to do everything that you want to do in life, free of limitations! That sounds amazing, doesn’t it? I want this for everyone, but I also realize how hard it is to get started in a program. It can feel really intimidating to get started in a fitness program, especially if it’s something you’ve never done before. I think you’d be surprised by how many people struggle with making that first step, but I want anyone reading this to know that we’re here to support you every step of the way. Our community is so unbelievably supportive and will help you feel welcome from the second you walk through the door, and our trainer team meets each person where they are, providing individualized guidance and support in the gym so that you can train with confidence.
Julie offered up some encouraging words for anyone who is contemplating this same worry. "I was nervous to start too. However, I knew that given my osteoporosis, I really had to give my bones a reason to stick around and that meant strengthening my muscles. The nice thing about the Wilcox Wellness model is that each person can adapt to their own fitness level and special considerations. The direct coaching from the trainers helps to improve form and therefore results. I tried the two-week trial to start and that gave me an opportunity to overcome my fear of beginning again". And we’re glad you did Julie! It’s been such a pleasure working with you, watching your incredible progress, and celebrating all of your accomplishments with you! We’d love to help you reach your goals too! Join our Free two-week trial just like Julie did. It’s a great way to make that first step with no long term obligation, and I’m confident that you’ll be glad that you did. For more information visit www.wilcoxwellnessfitness.com/gift. This month we are excited to be celebrating Melissa Wedge as our Client of the Month. Melissa first began training with Wilcox Wellness & Fitness in Bangor where Mike & Paige Wilcox originally started the business. In 2019 Allison Hopkins opened the Brunswick location of Wilcox Wellness & Fitness with the support of Mike & Paige. Coincidentally, the opening of the Brunswick location coincided with Melissa and her husband Will’s move to the Brunswick area to be closer to their grandchildren. At first Melissa split her time between Brunswick and Bangor, and after their home was built in Brunswick she joined the Brunswick Wilcox Community full time. Moving can be an incredibly stressful time, and to add an extra twist to Melissa’s move, she and her husband were also building a house and managing a business in the Bangor region. The commitment that Melissa made to herself, and to her overall health & fitness was admired by the Wilcox team right from the start! Melissa remembers getting started at Wilcox in Bangor and feeling like she was just getting established when she and Will began their transition to Brunswick. Despite how hectic it was commuting back and forth Melissa knew that regular training was the key to her success.
There’s a lot to look forward to at camp this summer, knowing that she has the energy to play with her grandchildren and most importantly….keep up!
At Wilcox Wellness & Fitness our mission is to inspire you to enhance your life by forming healthy habits that you can sustain for a lifetime. Sustainability is key to lifestyle change and Melissa, like many of us, has experienced that first hand. For her it can be easy to slip into an all or nothing mindset. She has done well in the past following strict nutrition and training programs, but hasn’t found them to be sustainable long term. Melissa continues to work on her biggest obstacle of feeling confident in relaxing her expectations and embracing a mindset around making good healthy choices the majority of the time, and not allowing the less frequent choices to indulge to slide into additional “bad choices”. Melissa works on this area by continuing to be gentle with herself, reminding herself that fitness is a journey and a lifestyle, and continuing to practice mindful indulgences without feeling like these occasional choices have ruined her progress. We just love how honest Melissa is with herself and with us! Lifestyle change is a journey and it takes a lot of practice. It’s not easy committing to health & fitness habits, but it’s also not easy to face chronic health issues, lack of balance and stability, or worrying about injuring yourself when you play with your kids or grandkids.
We are so proud of you Melissa! Thank you for being a part of the Wilcox Community and for being such an inspiration to us all. Keep up the great work!
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AuthorHi! My name is Allison Hopkins and I am the owner of Wilcox Wellness & Fitness in Brunswick, ME. I am excited to bring WILCOX to Brunswick and share in my passion for living a great life through health and fitness. Archives
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