Meet Shelby Maddox

What originally drew you to join dropgym?

My mom was a member before I was, and in the midst of all the 2020 chaos I joined her for a class via zoom and 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, and the space they created genuinely felt like a sanctuary I didn't know I had been in search of. I was so eager and so very hesitant to join at first, but I cannot imagine my life if I hadn't.

What is one part of yourself you really love and one part you want to have more self compassion toward?

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 feel like you don't realize that kind of thing is happening while it's happening. I still have a lot of work to do until I am the woman I want to be, but I'm just glad about how far I've come. With that I am learning to have compassion for my past self. She was all over the place.

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?

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

One movement that has changed how I approach life would have to be the day we did the sandbag hold. Lu had us just hold a sandbag one day. She didn't tell us how long we would be holding the bag, she very strategically got me to take my watch off and then we just held the bag until we couldn't. Once we dropped it we did some lunges and then picked it back up and continued the hold. I tried to resist from looking at the clock, but at some point I glanced over and she had taken the clock down which made me laugh to myself. We ended up holding the bag for about 30 minutes I believe. Now whenever I think I can't do something I remind myself of that day because if someone had told me that I was going to hold the bag for a half hour I probably would have just said no. And 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 one memory where you felt the most like yourself and the most alive.

I took a trip to the coast by myself when I was about 19, spent half the day on the beach looking for sea glass and the other half in the antique shops. On the drive home I had the windows all the way down and the music all the way up and screamed and sang from the bottom of my stomach until I had nothing left. 

Are there any fears you’ve had to overcome on this journey at dropgym?

So many fears. I am still working on the fear of failing. I think it stems from the fear of being weak, which that fear has been totally obliterated recently. So many women I admire at the gym that are so incredibly strong themselves have verbally told me how strong I am which is just so amazing, and has caused some major fangirl moments for me. Its just so freakin cool when someone you admire to be strong tells YOU that YOU’RE strong.

What’s one thing you’d want the woman working out next to you to know about you?

I want them to know that I'm happy they showed up and I love that we get to watch each other get stronger. And if I'm pissed off, it's not at anyone-I'm just fighting with myself so just let me do my thing I'll be alright.

In one year from now, what would like to wake up thinking/feeling every morning? 

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 myself. I'm trying to teach myself that I can only do what I can do and that is okay.

What are you most proud of yourself for facing in the gym?

Showing up.

Sometimes it's hard to just show up, but in the more recent months I 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 lace up my socks and crocs and get my body moving. I never regret it.