Hi! I’m Marel. I’ve been a member of 212 for about 4 years now. I’m a graphic designer by profession, so my career has basically involved being very still and staring at a computer screen. I’ve never considered myself athletic, as I couldn’t care less about most sports - I was the art school kid. But I always have liked working out and being active and I figured with how sedentary my career is, I better at least be a regular gym rat if nothing else.

I had lived in Rumford with my husband for many years prior to joining 212. I always was aware it existed, especially when I would swing by Seven Stars and hear the loud music, shouting, grunting, clanks of metal and the smell of sweat and chalk. “No thanks,” I rolled my eyes and said to myself, content with whatever big box gym I was a member of at the time.

I’ve been a member of just about every gym in the area and every fad workout trend there is. (Curves For Women, anyone? *facepalm* *cryface*)…kickboxing gyms, yoga memberships, cheap gyms like Planet Fitness, or pricier ones like Healthtrax. In fact, back in the day I used to go to Bally’s and that’s where I first met Kerry and Colin. I would take Kerry’s boot camp classes and it was always nice to hear his words of inspiration after a very tough a$$ whooping.

Fast forward to 2017 and I finally walked through the doors of 212. I was just sick of going to my regular gyms and getting on a machine for 45 minutes like a hamster on a wheel. I also got tired of gyms being this chore that I “had” to do even though I wasn’t enjoying myself that much. I was also lonely there and kept my head down to focus on my workout and get out ASAP. I guess the reason it took me so long to check out 212 is that I convinced myself it wasn’t worth the higher price, and that it was basically CrossFit (cause let’s face it, CrossFit enthusiasts can be… a lot.) I was pleasantly surprised to be completely wrong. 212 is worth every cent and I haven’t looked back since. Before joining, I considered a 20lb dumbbell heavy. Now I use those when I’m going light! The classes are awesome, not CrossFit but you learn all the same techniques plus more. Plus they have so many options for you to customize the gym to meet your needs. Alicia’s Drop 2 Jeans Sizes Challenge is absolutely amazing (and her music is always on point), Sean’s deadlifting small groups are great for some killer booty gains, and Kim’s HIIT classes will leave you begging for mercy and wondering how a “3, 2, aaand 1” countdown can possibly last so long.

I was so impressed from the beginning that all the staff knew my name and everyone else’s. I was always greeted with a smile and everything about the vibe felt genuine, not forced or corporate or creepy. I know I’m not the most outwardly friendly person - ESPECIALLY in a gym environment, where I have been hard-wired for years to have the whole “headphones in, no eye contact, this isn’t where you chat with randoms” mentality- but when you get to know me, I’m always down for a laugh. I can now say I’ve made some good friends here including all of the staff. It really does feel like family and they will be there to help you with any injury or struggle you might be having, all you have is let them know what’s going on.

My most recent struggle was a major surgery I had in March of this year where I was told I wouldn’t be able to lift anything more than 5lbs with six full weeks of rest. Um, excuse me? How was I going to survive this- working out keeps me a sane human? Well, I connected with the team and we laid out a plan for me to do some hard lifting in small groups with Sean in the weeks before my surgery. During my downtime I paused my membership but 212 was so kind to check in on me, and right when I was cleared to return I did the Superhero challenge to gain my strength back. I was able to do the challenge starting at where I was at at the time, which was pretty weak, and finished with more muscle mass than I’ve ever had! Nothing is impossible. As long as the staff knows what’s going on, they can work with you and you’ll figure it out together.

There is so much more I could say about 212, like the fact that the team pulled a miracle during the pandemic and did not let us slip away into a hole of junk food and depression. When I think about the effort they made to not only give us daily online classes, but to also build a gym outside in a parking lot at 5:00am during 25 degree winter weather… And I actually used it!??

Damn, I guess I’m never leaving.