Fit to Print Volume 22, Issue 4 : December 2013 | Page 26
continued from page 24
and the members came flocking back, it
Cor: You were teaching, Cath, and I was
was really brought home to me, I think,
at the desk and I was overwhelmed. I
how strongly they felt about the place.
have both Jourdie and Kelsey with me
Steve: it seems like that happens a lot
behind the desk...
actually, even when there's no disaster to
Cathy: I was teaching my 1:00pm class.
deal with. That people leave and then
There were clearly times when we
come back to Fitness Incentive.
needed help but we really didn't know
Cathy: It actually happens pretty
who Laurie was. Just a really nice
frequently. People of course do leave.
woman who was always taking my 1:00.
But what we see is that often, when they
Cor: So I'm juggling Jourdie and Kelsey,
have a choice, they come back. Unless
there are customers waiting to be
they move away, or there is some other
helped, the phone is ringing, and Laurie
unavoidable reason, they experience the
is taking Cathy's class. I just looked
alternatives to Fitness Incentive that are
over at her and said "Can you help me?
out there, and they return.
Can you answer this phone?" And she
Cor: And there are the people who have
hopped over the low wall that
been here since the very beginning, who
separated desk from the floor and the
have never left. They have told
me that they have never even
been to another gym. Noreen
Wingert, Ann Schlesinger...
Jourdie: I hear it all the time.
People change jobs, move away,
and they come back to Fitness
Incentive. "I've tried every gym
available near my home, but I'll
drive the 45 minutes it takes to
get here and take these classes,
which are available nowhere
else."
Ken: And there are also those
who move so far away that it is
impossible to continue at Fitness
The Original: 6 Grove Place, 1984.
Incentive. But when they visit
the area, they are in touch! "I'll
be in town for two weeks. Can I
rest is history.
come?"
Cathy: She turned out to be a part of
Cathy: Sometimes people experiment.
the Lucille Roberts empire! We had no
They want to see what's out there.
idea!
They'll try another place. Most of them
Jourdie: I was just talking with Laurie
come back to Fitness Incentive, because
about this! She actually knew Lucille
whatever they're getting here is missing
Roberts and would visit with her in her
elsewhere.
home.
Cathy: Do you remember the practical
jokers?
Cor: Rosaria Broesler. Loretta Rosatto.
Laurie Salvo. They would prank me! On
one of my birthdays, Rosaria had her
husband, Larry, dress up like a gorilla. He
came up on stage grabbed me and carried
me away, running with me all the way up
the block. I had no idea it was him!
Cathy: They would pull the Hansel and
Gretel routine on Cor. They would scatter
little bits of litter, pieces of shredded
paper around the gym, knowing that Cor
would obsessively pick them up. They
purposely left trails that would lead her
all over the place.
Jourdie: When did Laurie Gilfedder start
at the gym?
Cathy: We were on Main Street...
26
Cor: And her husband has constructed
many of the Lucille Roberts facilities.
Jourdie: And when Lucille had a child,
she went back to the city, and Laurie
had her children and would not return
there. "I decided I wanted to stay
home," she said, " and that's how I
found Fitness Incentive."
Cor: But in the very early days, she just
pitched in because she wanted to.
She'd bring picnic lunches. "I'm going to
make a picnic for the girls," she'd say.
Cathy: It's another expression of the
difference between Fitness Incentive
and other gyms. People, and women
especially, connect to one another and
to the place in a special way. They
want to be here, and want to be
involved. Cor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x?%[??H ?\?XY[??H ????? ?] ?\? B??H[?? H [YHH]?\? ??? [??K???[???X? ?? ?H ??? H?\?? ??]\??[????[? ?XH\?[? \??\??[ ??[? ?x?&\?? ?Y??[?? ?]\? ??][??[????\ H ?] H?X?H ?ZY? ?B??\? ?[?\??Z[??[??YY??YY??\?[ [??\??[?\?B?\??\?Y\?H???Y]\??[? ?ZY ?[?I?H??[?? ??B?[??H[?? ?X?? ??YY^K???B??\?Z?K8?'[K?????)??'H?\????\? ?]?\?[ YX\??[? ?B?]?H[?Y[?? H?\??[????][?[??YY??YY ?^\? ?\??\?H [?HH [??H[?? ?X???Y]??]\?H [?H ?Z][??????Y\??? ?H ?\??X[?[?????[?H] H [YK[??H [??Y ?[??\?[???? ?B?XX?\?[?H [??H?\??\? [??[?[?K??????I??[?[??YX? H ??Y]?\???[?\??[??YH???[?I??]?\???] N??H\??H? ??H [?x?%[??\?H\?H ??X? H[?H? [H [? ?B?[?? \?H\?x?% ???[YH ??]?\??[??[?]?H ?]?? ?X[[?[?[???^\??\?[??][?H?X??Z[??H?]?\?? ??\??[?[ ?^H?]? ^H ?[?Y???Y][??[??? ??YH ?X\?? ]?\?\?H???Y? [H\?K[?[?H????\?\? ^H??[? ?] ^H ?\?H???[??????] ?? ?] ??Y??\?[?X??]?]?\??[??[?]?H[? ?] ?\\?]\?]???B?]?\?H?\??[K[?^H?[?[??] ?? HI?H ???Y\?H??\???\?B?]?K?? I?H ?Y? X??]] ??X[?B?[Y\?H?H^H???X?[? ?[ B?[?HH[???[?\?[?H?H?? ?]B??[? ?\?HH?]???X? ? ? ??[???]H[H\?H \????]?\?][??\?K?]X\? ?YK\?X??] ] ???][?Z]X[?Y?\?X\??][?????]?\??[??[?]?K?H ?\? \?H] H ?\?H?Y?[??[???x?&\?H ?Y?[\??? ?X?]? ? \?H Y?\???