MEET SHELBY MADDOX | WOMEN OF DROPGYM

WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO DROPGYM?

My mom was a member before I was, and in the midst of all the 2020 chaos, I joined her for a class over Zoom. I really liked the style of workouts they were programming, but I think what ultimately sold me on this crazy place was the two women running it.

Lu and Shantell were on my team before I was on my own team, and the space they created genuinely felt like a sanctuary I didn’t know I had been searching for. I was so eager, and so very hesitant, to join at first, but now I can’t imagine my life if I hadn’t.

WHAT IS ONE PART OF YOURSELF YOU REALLY LOVE, AND WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHOW YOURSELF MORE COMPASSION?

I’m really starting to love who I’m becoming. I had to break down a lot of internal walls, which was not easy. I don’t think you realize that kind of thing is happening while it’s happening.

I still have a lot of work to do before I become the woman I want to be, but I’m proud of how far I’ve come. Along with that, I’m learning to have compassion for my past self. She was all over the place.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOVEMENT? HAS ANY MOVEMENT CHANGED HOW YOU APPROACH YOUR LIFE?

My favorite movement is hitting objects with other objects. It just feels sooo good.

One movement that changed how I approach life was the sandbag hold. Lu had us hold a sandbag one day, but she didn’t tell us how long we would be holding it. She very strategically got me to take off my watch, and then we held the bag until we couldn’t anymore.

Once we dropped it, we did some lunges, picked it back up and continued the hold. I tried not to look at the clock, but at one point, I glanced over and saw that she had taken it down, which made me laugh to myself.

I believe we ended up holding the bag for about 30 minutes. Now, whenever I think I can’t do something, I remind myself of that day. If someone had told me beforehand that I was going to hold a sandbag for half an hour, I probably would have just said no.

That’s kind of how life is. You never really know what you’re going to end up having to do. You just do it.

DESCRIBE A MEMORY WHEN YOU FELT MOST LIKE YOURSELF AND MOST ALIVE.

I took a trip to the coast by myself when I was about 19. I spent half the day on the beach looking for sea glass and the other half in antique shops.

On the drive home, I had the windows all the way down and the music all the way up. I screamed and sang from the bottom of my stomach until I had nothing left.

HAVE YOU HAD TO OVERCOME ANY FEARS DURING YOUR JOURNEY AT DROPGYM?

So many. I’m still working on my fear of failing. I think it stems from a fear of being weak, although that fear has been totally obliterated recently.

So many women I admire at the gym. Women who are incredibly strong themselves have told me how strong I am. It’s amazing and has caused some major fangirl moments for me. It’s just so freakin’ cool when someone you admire for her strength tells YOU that YOU’RE strong.

WHAT IS ONE THING YOU WANT THE WOMAN TRAINING NEXT TO YOU TO KNOW ABOUT YOU?

I want her to know that I’m happy she showed up and that I love getting to watch each other grow stronger.

And if I’m pissed off, it’s not at anyone, I’m just fighting with myself. Let me do my thing; I’ll be all right.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO WAKE UP THINKING OR FEELING A YEAR FROM NOW?

I’d like to feel content. My days have been pretty busy lately, and I still feel like I should be doing more for others and for myself. I’m trying to teach myself that I can only do what I can do — and that’s okay.

WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF FACING IN THE GYM?

Showing up.

Sometimes it’s hard to just show up, but in recent months, I’ve started telling myself, “I’m not going for me right now. I’m going for future me.”

For some reason, that makes it easier to put on my socks and Crocs and get my body moving. I never regret it.