Badass Of the Week: Maria K.

People come here for the workout, and they stay for the community. We are incredibly blessed to have AMAZING people in our crew. One of those people is Maria, our badass of the week! Maria crushes in the cycle boutique, and has fast become a staple around here on 2nd ave. We have so much love for Maria, read her interview below to find out why!

1/ What was your favorite way to move as a kid?

-My favorite way to move has always been on two wheels- nothing better than cruising on a bicycle!

2/ What landed you in Minneapolis?

-A lottery- quite literally. I was born in Bulgaria and my parents won green cards to move to America in a lottery drawing. After selling/giving away all of their belongings and saying goodbye to our entire family, we moved here in June 1998 with pretty much nothing to our name. Unfortunately, the only person we knew in America lived in this super cold state named Minnesota so here I am; which I am ultimately grateful for because it led me to the Firm.

3/ What brought you to The Firm for the first time, and what was that visit like?

-My best friend bought a Groupon yoga package for the Firm and had been coming and continuously asking me to come to a class with her. Honestly, I hesitated because I was incredibly out of shape and had never been super into fitness. On March 29, 2017, I did a yoga class with Kristin R. and nearly died because it had been awhile since I had worked out. That then kick-started my free week, which led me to Somer’s spin class. I went into that class thinking, “I got this, I bike long distances”. Well friends, I was terribly mistaken. I felt like I had no idea what I was doing. But then I came back for another class, albeit a month later, and each time the movements became easier for me. I began to fall in love with all the people here, which led me to continue coming to classes. Throughout all of my initial visits, I was incredibly impressed with how friendly and nice everybody was and how much fun they were having working out!

4/ What keeps you coming back to us over here on 2nd ave, and how has that affected your daily life?

-The people, the music, the energy. This place is composed of some of the most beautiful souls and people that I have ever met, which I am proud to call my friends. As someone who has always struggled with their weight and getting motivated to engage in physical activity, I am proud to say that this place has led to a complete and total lifestyle change for me and has prompted emotional, physical, spiritual, and mental growth. It has allowed me to grow in self-awareness and ultimately work towards being the best person that I can be. The Firm has become my sanctuary and I am so grateful for the way it feeds my soul.

5/What is one thing you want everyone to know about The Firm?

-There is something for everyone here. Just come once, I am certain that you will be back. This place is truly the embodiment of a community that is built upon diversity, pride, passion, and love. We welcome you with open arms!

We LOVE you Maria! Thanks for being such an epic part of our crew! ❤