Meet Hannah Conry
What originally drew you to join DropGym?
I always enjoy working out in a group setting more than on my own. I had been getting by with my kettlebells at home, hiking, calisthenics, and yoga and I was really ready to be around people. We moved to The Rogue Valley only 6 months before lockdown started, so we barely had had time to get settled and get to know the area and people before lockdown. I was getting BORED working out on my own at home and really ready to be in community. I had heard DropGym mentioned a few times on some local Facebook forums and checked it out and was sold. An all women’s functional fitness gym?!?! Doesn’t get better than that. It’s been just over a year since my first class and I am thrilled that I took the leap to workout with a bunch of women I had never met before.
What’s your favorite movement? And is there a movement in the gym that has spoken to you or changed how you approach your life?
I really enjoy pushing and pulling heavy, loaded sleds! I had never done this before working out at DropGym, and I love it. It feels so good to push my body hard and go beyond anything I thought possible. No matter how heavy or hard something is I know that I have the power within me to make things happen.
Describe one memory where you felt the most like yourself and the most alive.
Just one?!?! I grew up as a dancer. Ballet started at 6, jazz at 7, hip hop and Irish Step Dance at 9, started teaching ballet at 12, you get the picture. The studio did a recital every year. When I was 17 I was in so many of the numbers that the program had to be spaced a particular way just to allow me time for costume changes! I even showcased my first solo choreography for a younger class I taught. Almost the entire program was an expression of my passion and hardwork. I had dedicated so much time and effort and had put my body through all it could take and this was the glorious culmination where I got to shine and share what brought me joy. Still makes me tear up a little remembering it. Today, when I embody my passion fully, it reminds me of that day.
In one year from now, what would you like to wake up thinking/feeling every morning?
How could life get any better than this! Adventure onward beautiful soul. Similar to how I wake up now with gratitude for the day ahead with each moment a dance of choices.
What’s the bravest thing you’ve ever done?
I have to give two responses, they go together. When I finished my bachelor’s (which is in finance) I was accepted to law school to continue my education in international business law. My father, a chiropractor, needed help for his back office as the person working that position had just quit. He asked if I would be willing to fill in for the summer. I was in charge of finances, accounting, marketing, patient exams, and patient education. I loved it so much that I didn’t go to law school. Brave thing number one. In fact I stayed working with him for 10 years! During that time I did my 500hr yoga teacher certification, became a reiki master, became a doula, and trained with a home birth midwife for 3.5 years. I was on track to become a midwife, I’d reached senior apprentice level, and decided I didn’t want to cut off care with my clients at 6 weeks postpartum. In comes brave thing number two-medical school with a young family in tow! I decided it was time to follow in my father’s footsteps and go to chiropractic school, the same one he went to (Western States is considered the most rigorous chiropractic program in the US). So from AZ I moved my family to Portland, OR to spend 4 years in medical school when I had been out of school for 10 years. It was hard balancing family and school. I even had to bring my kids to classes with me sometimes. My husband had a lot of traveling he was doing for work. It was a long 4 years and somehow I made it through with honors. I am so glad I took both of these brave steps that have lead me to the work I get to do now.
What are 3-4 things that describe the feeling of “JOY” for you?
1) My boys getting along, no matter what they are bonding over (this is rare as they are 11 and 13!).
2) Being with my husband-cuddling, chatting, preparing a meal, taking a walk, it doesn’t matter-he is my favorite.
3) Camping under a sky full of stars-bonus if I can smell the desert after a rain at the same time.
4) When a patient has been told “you’ll never…” or “get use to living with…” and together we make those statements no longer a part of their truth.
What’s one thing you’d want the woman working out next to you to know about you?
My disposition is quiet and subdued. I am an observer, I deeply analyze my environment and all the sensory input coming my way. I feel the burn and the push too, it just takes a lot to get noise out of me.
What’s a day in the life with Hannah look like?
I know it sounds cliche, but I really do wake up with a smile for another amazing day. Then I take the puppy out for a short walk and head over to DropGym (I am a 6am-er). Then home to get the kids and myself ready for the day. Take the kids to school and I head off to work. I see patients for 4-5 hours and then run home to take care of the puppy. Pick up the kids and then run errands. Meditation and yoga before taking the kids to TKD or piano. Cook dinner, family game, maybe a family show. Send the kids upstairs so my hubby and I can have a few minutes together and passed out by 10pm usually. Whew!
When you feel most safe, loved and like your true self, what are three words that describe you well?
Grounded, peaceful, adventuresome.
