Chris started teaching fitness when she lived in Ohio and was looking for a “free membership and child care” for her 2 sons. Her first job was working at a YMCA on the racquetball courts with no mirrors. When her husband,'s Craig, job moved them to Michigan, she showed up at the doorstep of BL. I happened to be working the desk for the previous owner but told Chris I could actually pay her more if she worked for me down the road at World Gym where I was running an aerobics program (fyi in 1996 this was $8/class vs. $15/class). When I purchased BL in 1997, I brought Chris and a handful of other teachers along to teach for me. Believe it or not, when Chris first started teaching for me I had to give her feedback on her class that she needed to make her class more fun and let more of her personality come through. Little did I know how much personality was packed into this little 5’1” fireball, and, of course, now her Wednesday morning Weight Training class is the most popular class on our fitness schedule. For the first few years, Chris just taught classes at BL but little by little I started giving her more responsibilities until I got to the point where I would only go on vacation the one week a year she assured me she would stick around and run the place (when her boys were in football camp). Shortly after that I made her a business partner and we have been running the business side by side for nearly the past 2 decades. Her one stipulation in working at BL was that she could come and go whenever she wanted. I agreed, knowing that she was such a huge asset (and now from time to time she even takes me along with her on some of her getaways.) Speaking of which, Chris came to me in 2000 asking me to sign some paperwork about her income so that she and her husband could apply for a mortgage on their cabin. I was blown away that they were buying a cabin 2 hours north of the bridge and told her I can’t believe you are ever going to get use out of that. Fast forward 23 years and her and her family and friends get up there several times a year (in fact I’ve actually been there 68 times…yep I’ve counted.) It’s a little piece of heaven. This is where we 4-wheel from and where Chris and her husband snowmobile from which Chris is often heard saying is her “most favorite” thing to do. Other things you might not know about Chris is that she was the Homecoming Queen of her high school, she was a cheerleader (I know…shocking), and she also answers to the name Tina (yep it’s true!!). She loves chicken wings and is a big OSU fan (don’t hold that against her.) Another one of Chris’ happy places is hanging out with her family. She has one son that literally live 5 houses down the block. Their family is often seen scooting down to visit Bubs and Pop Pop on their golf cart or riding on a motorized cooler (yep it’s a real thing). Her other son and their family (the Alaskans) are headed back to the area soon but Chris and Craig have gotten several trips out to visit them all of which have been chock full of amazing, Chris-loving adventures.
Chris…26 years. Hard to believe!! Thank you for balancing my emotional brain with your logical brain. Thank you for saying No when I shouldn’t have said Yes. Thanks for playing good cop, bad cop. Thank you for even holding on to my belt loops (wine weekend story…ask us about in the Link). Thank you for “WORKing, SWEATing, and PLAYing” alongside me every step of the way. It’s been quite an adventure. Couldn’t have done it without you!!
I’ve had such a great time highlighting all of our teachers these past few months but now I guess it’s time to tell you a little bit about me.
Most of you already know my BL story…but here’s a cliff note version for those who want a recap. Purchased BL in 1997 for $4800 (bet you didn’t know that), had previously been primarily a stay-at-home mom of 3 daughters (give or take teaching a few step aerobics classes at the previous BL and leading nutrition seminars for different corporations), have now owned BL for 26 years and still going strong!! Even before owning BL though I’ve liked to stay super busy…in fact my mom always had to limit my after school activities as I wanted to do it all. At one point I was in acrobatics, tap, jazz and baton. I was a gymnast for 12 years and a cheerleader for 6. After I had my 3 daughters, I just diverted my busyness to their activities. I volunteered at school, at church and was even the first female president of our subdivision. My childhood LOVE for dance has carried into my adult life and even my busyness. I will often be heard saying…” There’s always a reason to dance.” Dancing landed me a spot on the stage with Kid Rock a few years back, a part in a country line dance music video that was pitched to Toby Keith and resulted in a titanium rod being pounded into my shin to repair my broken leg (best described as an extreme Polka dancing incident). So it will come as no surprise that Zumba is my favorite class to teach at BL. I also love outside activities….girlfriend hiking trips, 4 wheeling at Chris’ cabin and boating around our lake are some of my favorites. My husband, Dave, and I met at Frankenmuth high school (thus the polka dancing). Classic football player/cheerleader story but we actually met in jazz band. Fast forward to today and we now have 3 daughters and 5 grandchildren. Hanging out with our family is one of the things that presently brings me much joy. I especially LOVE time with my 3 daughters…we collectively call ourselves “The Brown Eyed Girls.” I also LOVE my friends…traveling with my girlfriends has added such a richness to my life and I look for every opportunity to do so (ask my hubby!). And then there’s my BL family. BL kind of fell in my lap. It wasn’t some grand plan that I envisioned but I am so very grateful that my livelihood morphed into a combination of so many things I am passionate about. I love that my journey has opened up doors to allow so many others a space to be fit, to de-stress, and to learn about nutrition (oh yea my “real job” is as a Registered Dietitian/MSU grad/Go Green!!). But most of all I love that this brick and mortar we call BL has provided us all the space to come together, to support one another, and for many of us, to make lifetime friends. Thank you all for being part of this wonderful community, for continuing to support me and BL for years to come, and for allowing me to do what I know I was born to do!!
