March is Women’s History Month, an annual 31-day celebration of women’s accomplishments and contributions to our world. What began as a local celebration in Santa Rosa, California – Women’s History Week – in 1978, eventually became a movement lobbying for national recognition. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter issued the first Presidential Proclamation for National Women’s History Week. Then, in 1987, Congress designated March as Women’s History Month, which is also introduced annually by Presidential Proclamation.
Adventure Fitness Athletic Club would like to take this opportunity to commemorate great women in fitness — from those at our gym in Thornton, Colorado, to others throughout the world who have inspired us to live healthier lifestyles and achieve our goals.
To all of the incredible women at our gym and in our community, we wish you a very Happy Women’s History Month!
Susan Schaffner, Owner of Adventure Fitness Athletic Club
Let’s begin our celebration of great women in fitness by recognizing Susan Schaffner, the owner of Adventure Fitness Athletic Club.
A Colorado native, Susan’s fitness journey began in 2005 when she had bariatric surgery. During that experience, Susan realized her love for helping people live their healthiest lives.
After working as a physical therapist aid and assistant to personal trainers, Susan accepted the role of Bariatric Support Group Leader as part of the Rose Hospital Buddy Program. She also became a Nordic walking instructor and certified personal trainer.
Then, in May 2017, Susan became the owner of Adventure Fitness Athletic Club. This was a big step toward realizing her dream of helping as many people as possible through their journey toward better health, fitness, and wellbeing.
“This gym is my life’s passion and I want everyone to not just be a member, but to be part of our family,” Susan said. AFAC stands out from other gyms because of Susan’s devotion to welcoming every member regardless of age or ability, and making them feel at home.
In addition to providing members with a friendly and sociable environment at AFAC, Susan has also earned many fitness credentials to help herself and others live their healthiest lives:
- National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) Personal Trainer and Group Instructor
- Certified American Nordic Walking Association (ANWA) Personal Instructor
- Bariatric Support Group Leader Certified with Bariatric International
- ACE Group Personal Trainer
- Indoor Spin Certified
- Power Plate Certified
- RAD Mobility 1 and 2 Certified
- Cross Core Instructor
- Cyro Innovation Cryotherapy Certified
- Certified SmoveyVIBROSWING® System Coach
But Susan’s devotion to building the best gym in Thornton doesn’t stop at her certifications. She has also filled AFAC with a wide range of strength training, functional training, and cardiovascular equipment like free weights, machine weights, trap bars, stretching machines, a climbing cave, bouldering, auto belay climbing walls, battle ropes, treadmills, ellipticals, rowing machines, and resistance sleds. AFAC also offers a long list of classes – some of which Susan teaches herself – including spin class, pickleball, boot camp, kickboxing, Tabata, POP Pilates, and barre classes.
AFAC even provides body composition assessments to help members track their fitness levels, as well as recovery tools like our hydro massage bed and cryotherapy chamber.
During the challenging era of COVID-19, Susan and AFAC led the way toward providing the cleanest and safest gym possible through constant sterilization and strict compliance with CDC guidelines.
Susan is a constant source of encouragement and inspiration to the members and team at Adventure Fitness Athletic Club. Because of her enthusiasm and leadership, we know we can achieve and exceed our fitness goals!
Our Team at AFAC
Adventure Fitness Athletic Club has several other amazing, inspiring women on our team who motivate us to live healthy lives every day. Help us wish a Happy Women’s History Month to:
- Jamie McGehee — Jamie is a personal trainer at Adventure Fitness Athletic Club. She has lived in the Thornton area for most of her life and is a wife and mother of two teenagers. Being an active person from a young age, Jamie wanted her children to grow up in a family that values exercise. She has been a fitness instructor for over 19 years and her favorite workouts are POP Pilates and dance fitness. She loves sharing her passion for fitness and showing others how working out can be fun.
- Jennifer Doe — Jennifer is our yoga instructor at Adventure Fitness Athletic Club. She is passionate about helping her students bring peace and balance to their lives through yoga and meditation. She completed a 200-hour hatha yoga teacher training program in 2020 and she also uses yoga to bring healing and support to survivors of sexual and domestic violence.
- Ashlie Dollarhide — Ashlie is our front desk attendant and social media manager at Adventure Fitness Athletic Club. Originally from Fort Wayne, Indiana, Ashlie moved to Colorado from Orlando, Florida. Ashlie has always been interested in sports fitness and is working on her degree in Colorado so that she can pursue a career in physical therapy.
Other Famous Women in Fitness
History is filled with courageous, creative women who left an enduring legacy in the fitness world. Here are just a few of the many influential women with incredible achievements in health and sports.
- Margaret Abbott — Margaret was the first woman to win an Olympic event, and she won it in a male-dominated sport, the women’s golf tournament at the 1900 Paris Games.
- Jean Nidetch — After struggling to lose over 70 pounds, Jean realized firsthand the lack of support for people trying to shed weight. That’s why she founded Weight Watchers in 1963.
- Katherine Switzer — In 1967, Katherine became the first woman to officially enter and run in the Boston Marathon, and she did so by hiding her gender and not revealing her full first name when she registered.
- Judi Sheppard Misset — In 1969, Julie came up with Jazzercise as a workout that combined dance, strength training, and resistance training. Beginning with just one class of 15 people, Jazzercise is now practiced worldwide in over 30 countries.
- Venus Williams — Along with her sister, Serena, Venus Williams has become one of the most famous women in tennis, winning a whopping 49 singles titles on the WTA tour and four Olympic Gold medals in the sport. She has also fought for, and won, equal prize money for female tennis players.
Stay Fit All Year Long at Adventure Fitness Athletic Club
Adventure Fitness Athletic Club would like to thank the many women at our gym and in our community who work so hard to help us live healthier, happier lives. We are here to support you in any way we can in your efforts to reach your fitness goals. For more information about Adventure Fitness Athletic Club and how to join, visit us or contact Susan at 720-849-0245 or susan@adventurefitness.club.
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