Everyone Has A Story
Everyone Has A Story
Everyone has a story … from the time you take your first breath, you begin to accumulate experiences and lessons. Your world is shaped by so many factors from family values and world morality, love and loss, prosperity and despair. Along the way you make decisions you wish you could change, but then your journey would look different in the end. You know that old saying, “Everything happens for a reason.”
I wasn’t always a CPT, but I was an athlete and an aerobics instructor back in the 80’s. I started my adult journey as a 3rd grade teacher at North Forest Elementary School in Williamsville. I taught for ten years and then took a break to raise my two boys, Zach and Nik. During this time I had moved full-time to Ellicottville and had separated from my husband. That’s when my story turned upside down.
I didn’t listen to my heart; instead I listened to others who convinced me to stay in a marriage that was not healthy. This marriage did finally end in 2009. I was homeless, penniless, and had 2 young sons to raise. Thankfully, I had the fortitude to gain my credentials to become a CPT in 2006 and had a small business with a few clients. I started my new journey in the 1887 building in a second-floor old classroom. I taught fitness classes in the old gymnasium. My client list grew and so did I. You can’t help but learn a lot about yourself and the world when you’ve lost everything.
Over the years I’ve changed locations, gaining more square footage and clients. I have had the good fortune to mentor some of the younger generation of trainers who are now their own gym/studio owners. I also have had a voice in our local newspapers writing fitness articles for the past several years. I am a strong advocate for fitness at every age but have always believed that one type of training does not fit all fitness levels. Every person has unique needs and most need very specific modifications for even the most basic exercise like a squat or plank. And as the years have accumulated and I have endured my fair share of age-related issues (arthritis, torn meniscus, and now a synovial cyst in my back), I realize that some of the extreme training methods I promoted were unnecessary.
Staying fit and healthy doesn’t mean abusing your body with tuck jumps and endless burpees. What truly matters is consistency and the ability to challenge yourself to get results. It is so important to move each and every day by taking a 30-minute brisk walk, add in some basic body weight or strength training exercises at least 3 times a week and eat a diet that is well balanced with plenty of hydration. Create a lifestyle that is practical and feasible, and your body will thank you for it. A consistent fitness routine will affect your mental and physical health. I know it helped me navigate my life’s journey and I have seen how it has helped countless others.
My story could be told in many ways. I could dwell on the past and all the struggles I endured to get to where I am today, or I can celebrate the strength these situations gave me. I know what happened during those tough times influenced me, but it certainly does not define me. My boys are grown and have become wonderful young men, my business survived the pandemic and is still thriving but smaller and more manageable. My story - like your story - will continue to come with its share of ups and downs, like fitness in our everyday lives, stay committed and be up for a challenge.
Kim Duke is a certified personal trainer and owner of Core Performance Fitness and Training, located at 55 Bristol Lane, Ellicottville, NY. Kim resides in Ellicottville where she raised her two sons, Zach and Nik. For more information about her studio visit her Facebook page or www.coreperformancefitness.com. Kim can be reached directly at 716-698-1198.
