Several years ago Rachel McCord was just recovering from her battle with an eating disorder, learning how to improve her physical and mental health. “Recovering from my disorder myself has made me more aware of the struggles with body image, food and fitness, that many men and women have, even if they haven’t been diagnosed with a specific disorder,” she said.
McCord realized her dream after experiencing how mental and physical diseases could affect a person. She wanted to help people learn to live healthy and fit — to learn to love their bodies. “Fitness is simple — find what you love and do it five to six days a week,” she explained. “My goal is to offer a class that fits that description for everyone.” In the summer of 2011 she and her business partners, Debora Zaglul and Prageeth Hettiarachchi, launched “The Kentucky FitClub.”
“Our studio has been dedicated exclusively to group fitness classes since August of 2011,” said McCord. “The very idea of starting a fitness studio in a location known far and wide for its ballroom dance lessons, classes and parties, as well as wedding and event planning would have been a branding nightmare to most. The studio itself is also just miles away from one of Lexington’s largest gyms and several smaller establishments.”
The space was developed in a space with the largest sprung dance floor in Lexington, perfect for Group X classes. “My goal in creating the TurboKick Chick classes at The Kentucky FitClub was to provide a non-threatening studio environment dedicated solely to group fitness and loving the skin you’re in. There are no fancy treadmills, stair climbers or bench presses — just a staff dedicated to helping others get fit through fitness, nutrition and support.”
By November 2011 the Kentucky FitClub had grown and pushed McCord and her partners to expand the facility. “My partners expanded our space into a private yoga room with atmospheric lighting and temperature control solely for my PiYo classes,” said McCord. “In order to cut down on cost, we did much of the demolition and construction ourselves, including the sprung floor. While preparing to lay, what should have been a triumphant last board into this floor, Prageeth’s hand was caught in a table saw. After a trip to the hospital and several hours of surgery, he would be okay, but lost a finger. Seeing him suffer through this was challenging, but also inspiring. He never shed a tear, got down or let his attitude affect the environment of the studio. The way staff and students all pitched in without being asked to finish the space, comfort Debora and Prageeth during their trial, and keep things running smoothly, was deeply touching.”
The studio specializes in TurboKick, PiYo, Hip Hop Hustle, To The Max and Zumba Classes. “The keys to our studio’s success include, our dedication to quality over quantity, our attention to detail in our facility and service to our clients, our employment of social media for personal and free advertisement and our students who love classes and are committed to spreading the word.”
With a small staff The Kentucky FitClub has had to work hard daily to maintain the facility and push members toward their goals. “Keeping the facility up to our quality standards is a daily task that is accomplished through the hard work and discipline of everyone on staff,” said McCord. The staff has monthly meetings to determine how each instructor is providing for clients and how they can continue to improve. “Our staff is also trained to use social media to be accessible to our clients, keep up with their lives outside of fitness and maintain accountability and integrity to their professional fitness goals.” -CS
By Tyler Montgomery
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Rachel Zabonick-Chonko is the editor-in-chief of Club Solutions Magazine. She can be reached at rachel@peakemedia.com.
