I first joined Melrose Boot Camp in the fall of 2006.  I had been through a lot of stress and upheaval over the prior three or four years and it showed.  Among other things, both my parents passed away at much too young an age – and what was most difficult for me was watching my father’s health deteriorate over time with his acceptance of “just getting older.”  I knew that wasn’t the future I wanted for myself but needed something to give me a jump start and help me regain control.  For years I had an on again off again relationship with one gym or another but nothing stuck for any real length of time.  I saw an article about Melrose Boot Camp in the local paper and decided that to give it a try.  I did an initial one month session then continued for several more.  It did what I needed it to do – kicked my ass while showing me what I could accomplish.  As it turns out, what I could accomplish was WAY more than I thought.
As with many things, life got in the way as my young son started school and I couldn’t make the meeting time work.  I moved on to other indoor options for the next couple of years.
Fast forward to early 2010 – I was bored with the typical fitness classes and was thinking about how to give myself a better challenge.  I bumped into a friend who joined MBC because of how I had raved about it and told me that there were now more class times -- I was thrilled that there was a new class that worked with my schedule and joined up again.
I’ve been going straight through since then – I love being outdoors and not needing any equipment; I love not having to think about what I have to do; I love that the workouts are different every day; OK, I hate running, but I’ll do it if Joy tells me to.  MBC has provided me with a great group of friends, a great way to start the day and has helped me get and stay in the best shape of my life.  At age 51, I feel and look better than I ever have and I’ve taken on physical and mental challenges that I never would’ve thought I could 5 years ago.  I want to be able to do what I want for as long as I want without physical limitation – and with Joy & Melrose Boot Camp I have no doubt that I’ll do just that.

We at Joy Yoga recognized #GivingTuesday by presenting a check to Mayor Dolan for the Melrose Emergency Fund.  The money was raised through our gratitude yoga classes. Proceeds from our Thanksgiving classes enabled us to make a $300 donation.  Please consider joining us in helping our neighbors in need this holiday season.  A special thank you to Vanessa Roman who inspired this second annual donation!
Pictured are Karen Gabler, Joy Fay, Mayor Dolan and Vanessa Roman