04/03/2025
From Judgment to Acceptance: My Workout Story - Sad Story Happy Ending
A few months ago, I found myself at a crossroads. For over two years, I trained at a small boutique gym here in Salt Lake City. It was great—until it wasn’t. After the election, something changed. Suddenly, I felt like an outsider. The energy shifted, the warmth was gone, and I found myself in a place where I no longer felt welcome.
The craziest part? I never talk politics. No one actually knows where I stand, yet somehow, assumptions were made. And maybe those assumptions were wrong—but either way, I was being judged for something that was never even a conversation. And as it turns out, I prefer not to be in a gym where the trainer only wants one type of person who believes one type of thing anyway. That’s not who I am, and that’s not the kind of environment where I thrive.
Not long after, I stumbled upon Orangetheory Fitness in Holladay, Utah. It’s actually a four minute walk from my new house! I walked in, met the team, took a free class… and was hooked. No judgment, no politics—just people from all walks of life, pushing themselves to be their best. This place has transformed my fitness and my mindset. I go about three times a week now, and I truly feel like I’m in the best shape of my life.
The difference? Acceptance. Here, it doesn’t matter who you are, what you believe, or where you come from. Everyone is welcome. And when you surround yourself with people who lift you up rather than tear you down, amazing things happen.
Here is a pic of me on the bike mid-workout—this is what putting in the work looks like!
