2020 sucked. But not always. And not everything.
As we get ready to begin our journey into a new year with new challenges we thought it appropriate to look back on the bright spots of a year that most of us are happy to put in our rear view mirror. First, Golden Ape as a business has survived. While many gyms around the country have sadly had to close their doors permanently, we are thankful that we had the systems in place to pivot when needed. We learned some hard lessons along the way but it has made us more resilient and stronger than ever! Golden Ape is here to stay!
It has been a privilege to watch so many lives change inside our walls. We’ve had over a dozen people lose more than 20 lbs in 2020 and even had a person hit their goal of losing over 100 lbs. And while weight loss isn’t everyone’s goal we have also seen body composition changes, mind set breakthroughs and friendships forged.
At the outset of the COVID outbreak we shifted two gyms exclusively to online training so we were all able to keep up our fitness despite the unprecedented situation we all suddenly found ourselves in. Black & Brewed was the largest it has ever been and one of the largest fitness competitions in the state. It could not have happened without the selfless work from the over 75 volunteers from our GA community who gave up an entire Saturday to make sure the event was a success.And even though our community social structures have been very limited we still managed to conquer the Hulk again, host a WOD & Wine, escape from a virtual Escape Room, suffer through Murph, take a group hike, rent out an entire movie theater, have our annual WOD-o-Ween, enjoy a tie dye party, host a girl’s Hocus Pocus and a men’s poker night, add a PR bell, host a sellout Powerlifting Meet, celebrate with pancakes and pajamas for Christmas, and make new friends!
While it was bittersweet to sell the Huntsville location, We have never been happier. We get to work together everyday now in our hometown. We smile and laugh a lot. But the most important thing we wanted you all to know is that we love you. We probably don’t say that enough. We consider it our great privilege to get to spend a small part of our day laughing with you and helping you reach your goals.
2021 is going to be a great year as we look forward to some new changes, new friends, and new adventures. Get ready, the future of Golden Ape is very bright!
In health,
Coach April & Coach Scott