Before the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team took the ice against the hated Soviets, unaware of the miracle that would occur a few hours later, coach Herb Brooks started his pregame speech with seven simple words: “Great moments are born from great opportunities.”
Every time I take to the stage to lead my tribe of BodyPumpers, that is one of many inspirational thoughts that stick in my mind, mainly because we have a great opportunity to create life-changing moments, whether they are on the floor or on the stage.
Those words were certainly in my head in late September, when I stood on the BBAC stage one last time with Deb, who was a great teammate and an even better friend, to lead our regulars in one last workout before I moved across town to my current home, Union Street Athletics.
The biggest thing that Les Mills pitches in all of their classes is the “One Tribe” movement. No matter where we teach, we are leaders in the fight against globesity, or obesity, and nothing embodied that spirit more than on that September morning in South Brewer, which ironically is where I grew up. So I guess you could say my Les Mills roots are home-grown, if you will.
It certainly was an emotional yet fun day, saying goodbye to those who had taken my classes for over a year, and had watched me grow as an instructor. But the new challenge was something I was ready to embrace, mainly because I wanted to teach more classes, and the move was the right situation for myself and Alissa.
As was stated above, we are “One Tribe,” and while my former teammates are just that, they were extraordinary helpful in launching my career off the ground. That experience has translated over to where I instruct now, and while it can be tough for an instructor to make that transition, I found it to be easy. After all, it’s the same music and same moves, but just different peeps 😀
I keep in touch almost daily with my old participants and teammates – you know who you are – and are proud to call them, along with my current teammates and participants, a huge part of my BodyPump tribe. We, as instructors, do what we do for YOU. It’s not all about us, it’s about you. Embrace the opportunity that you are given, and use it to create your own great moments, whether its losing a few pounds, going up on your weights every other week or becoming an instructor yourself.
I know I sound like I’m dating myself in this post, but a whole lot of thanks go out to Wendy and Sherry for the great opportunity you have given me. If it weren’t for you guys, I wouldn’t have enjoyed all these great moments. And if I find myself cueing “again” too much in classes (those of you who enjoy ‘Miracle’ will know what I’m talking about), feel free to make me do some push-ups after class 😛