An
Owner's Story:
I never dreamed that I could change someone's life. At least, I never dreamed it before I opened my Contours Express club. In the few years since we've been open, I've watched the transformation of so many women that I've lost count. I'm telling you, it's an amazing thing to watch a woman come into the center for the first time - low self-esteem, very little eye contact, and extremely unhappy with the way she looks and feels. Then, to see that same woman three weeks later, walking in smiling, head held high, talking with new friends, and finally feeling good about herself, is a thrill almost beyond compare. There have been several examples during my period of ownership, but the one that stands out the most is Miss Saundra.
Miss
Saundra first walked into my club on a Wednesday afternoon,
about three weeks after my Grand Opening. She was very
quiet, significantly overweight, and had little self-esteem;
but she was determined to make a change. I asked her the
question I often asked prospective members when they walked
through the door: "What is it that made you come into my
club today?" She replied, "I've always been heavy and it
seems like I'm always tired...and I just want to change." I
can still remember that look of determination in her eyes.
She was ready to improve herself and she wanted to start
today! After going through a free workout, I asked if she
was willing to commit thirty minutes, three times a week,
to help become the person she wanted to be. She replied
simply, "I'm
more willing than you'll ever know!" As it turns out, she
was right.
Our
clubs are set up so that each member completes the exercise
circuit twice per visit and is in and out within about
30 minutes. Miss Saundra wanted to do more. When she came
to workout, sometimes she would complete the circuit three
times. And let me tell you, she worked hard! She would
complete her workout and be exhausted, but I could tell
that it was beginning to make a difference in her life.
She seemed to be interacting more with other members and
once I even heard her make plans to see a movie with some
of them. There's no way that would have happened a month
earlier!
After a few weeks, I went on to open my second club, and
didn't see Miss Saundra again for a while. One evening, while making a late visit to my first club, I walked in and she was in the back stretching, having just completed a workout. She saw me and motioned for me to come back there. I walked back and said, "Hello, Miss Saundra, how are you doing tonight?" She said, "I'm doing great and I want to tell you something. I've always worn a size 24 dress, but I want you to know that I got up on Sunday morning and put on a size 16! I've lost 39 pounds, 44 inches, and I just want to say, "Thank you!" She then proceeded to give me the biggest hug I've ever gotten in my entire life. That's when I truly realized that I wasn't just changing women's bodies; I was changing women's
lives!
Multiple locations, Florida
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