Mission's New Year Motivators!
We get it. Making your health a habit isn’t easy so we’re calling in the experts for advice. Introducing Mission’s New Year Motivators…real people with real life $*&t revealing their tips and truths on how they make their health a habit ...no matter what. 💫
Meet Dara Green! 👋🏻
When this boss babe steps into a room everyone takes notice. Dara is a lethal combination of fit, fierce, fearless and FUN. She walks through life with a quiet confidence and unbridled kindness that makes her easy to love and tough to forget. If Dara was a craft cocktail she’d be the ultimate crowd pleaser…the perfect amount spicy and sweet.
🏠Mama to Sweet Vincent 👶🏾[3]
👩🏾💻Business Owner, IV Solutions: a digital agency with an emphasis on branding, digital marketing and development solutions.
✊🏾Co-Founder of Black History Now Port City
⭐️Commonwealth National Bank Emerging Leaders Board Member
When she’s not shattering a glass ceiling or slaying a class at Mission, Dara enjoys reading, hot yoga, and being a plant mom🪴!
Here’s how she manages to make it all happen plus squeeze in a daily workout…without breaking a sweat 💦 [outside the gym, that is]!
“I decided to make my health a habit 2.5 years after a really stressful and high risk pregnancy/labor & delivery. I really had just gotten my energy back and thought, hey I need to keep this up. We all know how stressful having a baby can be for any woman. Add high risk, NICU time, breast feeding, and postpartum depression in the mix and you’re now at another level of stress and exhaustion. I’ve learned that a healthier me is what will fuel me to be everything I need to be for my son, family, and ultimately my entire community. It’s what keeps me going and motivated to actually do the work. If I can commit 30-45 minutes to myself in between meetings and consultations, to work on being a better version of ME, the sky is the limit! I’ve never liked traditional gyms, it always felt like a chore and I ultimately would just get discouraged and stop going. Mission Fitness is definitely a hidden gem (gym) for me. There’s a level of accountability and encouragement when I go to a Pilates, cycling, row, core, or reformer class. I have a support system every time I show up to get my workout in for the day and that’s what makes it easy to just simply show up!”
Cheers to Dara! 🥂We hope her wise words and noble efforts inspire you as much as they do us!
Meet Raychel Larson. 👋🏻
Our most recent Fitmas Challenge winner and a perpetual double dipper in allllll the classes this gal stays in constant motion and keeps smiling while she’s at it.
👨👩👧 Mama to Chloe [16] 👱🏻♀️ + rescue pups Lola and Lucy 🐕🐕🦺
👩❤️👨 Wife of Randy
🧪 Full time chemical sales rep for Nalco
When she’s not slaying a challenge you’ll find this Mobile native walking the pups through Midtown or getting her hands dirty with a little DIY project at the house.
Here’s how she manages to make it all happen plus squeeze in a daily workout…without breaking a sweat 💦 [outside the gym, that is]!
“I decided to make my health a habit after 10+ months of no fitness activity at all. During that time we were in the process of selling our old house and buying a new one. With that transition came the unexpected expense of renovations + moving and then if that wasn’t enough…along came Covid. Throughout that time I just felt crappy. I wasn’t managing stress well. I wasn’t happy. I’d cancelled my gym memberships and realized I was spending all this time and energy and money renovating my home while putting my health on the back burner. I made a commitment to change that and came up with a plan. I knew I wanted to find a place that was close by my Midtown home so proximity couldn’t be an excuse for not showing up regularly. Over the next months I tried out loads of gyms but kept getting burned out on the redundancy of the classes. The more places I tried the clearer my priorities became for the gym I would call home. I wanted to find a gym that challenged me physically, offered a wide variety of quality, instructor-led classes and wanted it all housed in a positive environment. After trying out Mission I knew it was the right fit. Once I’d officially joined I began scheduling my classes a week or two in advance and plugging them into the calendar so life didn’t have a chance to fill in those time slots for me. Once I created the routine the benefits are what keep me motivated to continue. Today, I feel better. I can manage everything better. I’m a better mother. A better wife. A better employee. All because I prioritize my health.”
Well said and well done. This girl knows how to lay the hammer. 🔨
Meet Krissy McCullough 👋🏻
The 2020 Nappie Winner for Best Divorce Attorney this tiny powerhouse is the very epitome of brawn + brains.
👨👩👦 Mama to Fiona (7) 👧 + Graeme (4) 👦🏻
👩🏼💼 Founder of Empowered Family Law
🥦 Co-Chair of the Lawyer Wellness Committee for the Mobile Bar Association
⭐️ Leadership Mobile [Class of 2021]
🏃🏻♀️Co-Creator of Girls C.A.N. [Confidence Athletics Nutrition]
Champion of the people and advocate for all things noble + healthy + worthy, Krissy puts her energy where her heart is. A beast in the courtroom + doting mama at home she wears allllllll the hats like the boss [babe] she is.
Here’s how she manages to make it all happen plus squeeze in a daily workout…without breaking a sweat 💦 [outside the gym, that is]!
“I truly began to make my health a habit when going through a divorce. I wanted to find a healthy way to cope with the stress and uncertainty over that difficult time. That was 4 years ago. Since then, I’ve made my daily workout a priority. That time has become sacred and as non-negotiable as showing up for work. Now, exercise and meditation are automatic. Creating the foundation of the routine is important but it’s also not a static process. During the peak of the pandemic I joined Mission Fitness. It was there I learned that variety is key to staying on track and finding continued enjoyment in exercise. Mission truly transformed and elevated my exercise experience. The positivity, the variety and the novel approach they take to fitness is unlike anything I have ever experienced. Going to Mission is a pleasure. It’s a refuge. It’s a light. The space, the people, the owner…all make it so.”
☺️☺️☺️ If you need us, we’ll be right here just blushing + beaming.
![#1 Meet Ashley Ludwig 👋🏻 our resident rowing guru [and soon to be Ride instructor!]](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/50ea45_cf131eaf69994af3bb78127b47a1f5a2~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_980,h_1158,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/50ea45_cf131eaf69994af3bb78127b47a1f5a2~mv2.jpg)
Meet Ashley Ludwig 👋🏻 our resident rowing + ride guru.
👨👩👧👦 Mama [of Baron👦🏼+Daisy👶🏻] 👰Wife [of David] [insert Handsmaid jokes here] 👩🏫Teacher at UMS And a hoot and a half any day of the week 🤣…but really. Get on a text thread with Ash immediately and thank us later. To say she’s busy is an understatement, yet somehow she manages to make life with two littles + a full-time and a fun-time job look easy. 🤯 Here’s how Ashley manages to make it all happen plus squeeze in a daily workout without breaking a sweat 💦 [outside the gym, that is]!
👉🏻I make my health a priority by setting realistic, attainable goals for myself. Between working full time as a teacher, and juggling two kids, I set myself up for success by simply committing to 30 minutes of exercise each day. With the right routine, 30 minutes is really all you need to get an effective, calorie-torching workout! With [Open Gym ]at Mission, I can select the time of day that fits best with my family AND work schedule! I love an exciting and longer class with my Mission besties but it’s super helpful to have the option of a pre-planned workout and convenience of [Open Gym] when life gets in the way.👈🏻 You can put Ashley’s tip to the test in her 30 minute express Ride class every Friday at 5:45am! Have a little longer? Check out her back to back Iron+Core class on Mondays at 5:45pm + Ride30 at 6:30pm!
Meet Helena Smith 👋🏻 This OGD mama is raising 4 children, 5 chickens [RIP #6 Shia LaBeouf] and currently training for a[nother] marathon. So, in a nutshell Helena is just out there slaying life on the regular…like nbd.
👨👩👧👦 Mama [of Riley👦🏼 + Violet👱🏼♀️ + Lucy👧🏼 + Ezra👶🏻]
👩❤️👨 Wife of Christopher [Ashley] Smith, local karate buff + owner of Endurance Karate Center
🏃♀️+🚴🏼♀️ Avid runner + cyclist…[her dance, squeal, scream, dance again…ahem…reaction to Mission’s bike announcement was priceless.]
Here’s how she manages to make it all happen plus squeeze in a daily workout without breaking a sweat 💦 [outside the gym, that is]!
👉🏻I make my health a priority because it’s important to have time everyday to focus on ME! It’s so easy to get lost in our families’ schedules and forget about keeping our own bodies and minds healthy. I look at my workout as time to focus on myself, to clear my mind and to build strength so I can keep up! Some days it’s so hard to find the time but I make sure I find it whether it is a class at Mission, a quick run, or hiding in my bathroom.🤪 BTW, we have AMAZING childcare at Mission, so bring your kids, spend sometime with YOU and make some great friends in the process.👈🏻
Listen to Helena. Check the mommy guilt at the door and let Helena spoil your littles at Mission’s Kid Zone every Wednesday 8:45 [CoreRow] + 9:45 [Pilates]!!!
Meet Skylar Nelson 👋🏻 This queen of the side-hustle is a realtor by day + hostess by night and yet somehow always has time for a heart-to-heart over a cortado [with oat milk] or glass of wine [of any shade]. Despite some major health set-backs she hustles as hard in class as she does in life.
🤝 Realtor at Keller Williams
🍽 Hostess + Waitress at Dumbwaiter Restaurant
👩❤️👨 Forever love of Beau, renowned videographer + photographer.
🌎🐕🐈 Advocate for mother nature + all things four-legged.
👍🏻 And Uber or die for her peeps.
Here’s how she manages to make it all happen plus squeeze in a daily workout without breaking a sweat 💦 [outside the gym, that is]!
👉🏻“I make my health a priority because my workout not only builds my muscles - it also builds my mind! When I walk into Mission I know that whether I take a 55 minute Pilates class or a 30 minute express class, I will leave feeling better than ever! Committing at least 1% of my day to fitness is crucial for my physical AND my mental health!”👈🏻
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Looking for a workout buddy or bestie for life? Skylar will be your huckleberry. And you’ll be all the better for it.
Meet Margaret Vidmer Hutchison, 👋🏻 resident rescuer of our lobby’s peace lily and multiple challenge winner, this gal is a Mission fixture. 👨👩👧👦 Mama of Louise 👱🏼♀️[also a Mission member!] and Little Lyle🙎🏼♂️ 👩❤️💋👨 Wife of Big Lyle, VP of sales at CPSI 🎣⛷👩🌾 Lover of all things outdoors. 👋🏻 Acquainted with [or related to] every soul in Mobile county. 😲 And the holder of Mission’s class attendance record [800+ classes and counting!]. We don’t play favorites around here but if we did Margaret would be top of the [short] list. As a client of Mission’s owner, @abarrebelle for nearly a decade, she’s been a ready + willing guinea pig, for alllllll the ideas, more time than we can count. Sooooo thanks [and also sorry] for that, M. 😂 Here’s how she manages to make it all happen plus squeeze in a daily workout without breaking a sweat 💦 [outside the gym, that is]! 👉🏻 “I make my health a habit so I can enjoy the things I love the most for a lifetime. Gardening with my dad, skiing with my teenagers or biking for miles on my cruiser are things that are possible because Mission helps keep my body strong, healthy and fit. Being surrounded by the energy and positivity at Mission makes coming to class something I look forward to and the outreach into our community is something I am very proud to be part of…how many people can say that about their gym?” 👈🏻 Listen to Margaret. She makes all the sense. 🙌🏻
Meet Nikki Morgan 👋🏻
Currently, holding the top spot in our Health Habit Challenge, this tiny powerhouse gives her all at work, home and the gym and somehow makes all that effort seem, well…effortless.
👨👩👦 Mama to Andrew (13) 🙍🏻♂️ and Murphy (5) 🐕
👰 Wife to Kevin, civil engineer at Mott MacDonald Engineering
🏦Institutional Trust Consultant at Regions Bank
When she’s not slaying a challenge [or the world] you can find Nikki with her toes in the sand or cheering on her favorite sports team.
Here’s how she manages to make it all happen plus squeeze in a daily workout without breaking a sweat 💦 [outside the gym, that is]!
👉🏻“I make my health a priority because it’s a huge stress relief in my day. Everyone needs a timeout to stop, take a deep breath and have a moment to recharge. I achieve this by booking my classes each week on my calendar just like it is a meeting therefore it is scheduled into my week and I have no excuse not to go. And the great thing is that if I am having a busy week, I can go first thing in the morning or at night, there are classes at all times of the day! Just getting in that 45 minutes a day is exactly what I need to destress, reset and makes me focus more at work, makes me a better wife and gives me the energy to keep up with my teenager and his sports schedule. Mission has definitely made a huge impact on my life!”👈🏻
We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. Preach on sister friend! 🙌🏻
