Pam Marshall
On a beautiful fall day in November, 30 members of the FIIT group—Friends in it Together—gathered at Oasis Pool to celebrate another successful fall challenge with instructor and inspirational coach, Christy O’Gara.
This group began as a 7 a.m. exercise class in the PebbleCreek fitness center years ago before COVID-19 changed everything. The group pivoted to outdoor classes until that wasn’t even possible, and then to Zoom classes. With all classes and gyms closed, Christy’s loyal students bravely followed her into this new format. After nearly three years, the group agrees that this format works. We’ve discovered virtual gym space in our homes where we have a choice of doing the class live at 7 a.m. and connecting virtually with our exercise buddies, or later in the day. Now extracurricular activities and vacations don’t have to interrupt our exercise routine because we can do class remotely via recordings sent out after each class.
While the group started with membership made up of PebbleCreek students only, the group has expanded to include students from 20 states, Canada, and even Amsterdam sometimes when Christy’s sister, Ann, joins us remotely.
Christy previously taught classes two days a week at PebbleCreek, but she now challenges us with workout classes four days a week on Monday (HIIT), Wednesday (Total Body Conditioning), Thursday (Core and Stretch 30), and Friday (Strength Building). Christy not only saved our sanity during COVID-19 by having a safe space to be four days a week, but many of us feel that we’re in better shape because of COVID-19. Imagine that.
Christy has been certified in the fitness industry for more than 35 years. Her classes offer a variety of workouts including functional fitness for physical, but also includes mental, nutritional, or spiritual themes to balance our lives. “People are my purpose” is one of Christy’s mantras, and she lives up to that by making herself available offline to celebrate our successes or comfort us when we are going through a hard time.
So, how do I get into Christy’s class? If you hear a student like me extolling the virtues of “Christy, Christy, Christy,” just ask for an invite to see if her class is something you might enjoy. PebbleCreek residents who are interested in learning about Christy’s classes can email me at [email protected]. You can contact Christy directly at [email protected]. You won’t regret your decision.