TAKE GOOD CARE FITNESS TEAM
i was forced to teach my first group fitness class in 2018. my trainer at the time was going out of town and i asked who would be subbing her class while she was away. "you are", she said. so, i did (and best believe i did it SCARED...more like terrified). but that was all it took; i fell fast. not even a month later i had 2 regular classes on the studio schedule. then 3. then 4. and then i was managing the group fitness department.
i practiced my little fitness heart out on the side while working a full time job. i got certified in personal training in 2019. it was becoming clear i needed to find more ways to share the movement philosophy i had cultivated and fiercely believed in...so i started take good care fitness on april 2nd, 2021. i quit my job of 12 years smack in the middle of covid on august 2nd, 2021. i trained out of my basement for 6 months. i got invited to relocate my business by my condo association...and i had 30 days to do it. after a heartbreaking almost-done-deal fell through on the 'studio that almost was' in winooski, i rented a cute little ~ 1000 square foot studio in the south end of burlington - we moved in april 10th, 2022. and here we are...training, building an amazing community, getting stronger, and evolving ever since!
i do this because there is nothing quite like the feeling you get when you experience someone finding their strength, their confidence, and their community. as we all know, the 'fitness space' can be wildly exclusive and polarizing. every day, the family at TGCF is doing the work to change this. and i couldn't be more honored and proud!
when i'm not at the studio - i absolutely LOVE being home. i love walking my dog. i write a to do list (yes, on paper) every single morning. my fave brewery is zero gravity. i'm always reading a thriller novel. i despise receiving the "thumbs up" emoji as a text response. i absolutely THRIVE in the vermont summers...and hibernate in the vermont winters. i find a lot of joy in going to bed early. i keep a pretty small circle and spending time with friends and family is very important. i will always say yes to charcuterie and wine...especially at salt & bubbles. i'm an english major. i'm an only child born on april fool's day. i'm very afraid of snakes and pretty afraid of planes (snakes on planes is out of the question). i love a good trash TV moment. i ran a half marathon once and now i just run for fun. i like most of the exercises other people hate (bulgarian split squats. eccentric anything. chin ups.)
i love to move my body and i REALLY love to share movement with all the other bodies in the TGCF community!
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-hilary rooney
she/her
owner / personal trainer
meet hilary
photo by ryan haywood
photo by ryan haywood
meet ryan
he/him
personal trainer / group fitness instructor
Like a lot of people I have spent my entire life struggling with weight and the stigma attached to being bigger. I would go through bouts of diet-misery trying to become 'skinny', which is a truly unrewarding endeavor IMO and honestly, not even the optimal strategy for health and longevity.This all changed in 2022 when I thought, "hey, what if I just lean into what my body has always naturally wanted to be, and put my effort into getting as big and strong as possible?". So instead of dieting, I wanted to focus on fueling the work to get the most out of each training session.That's when I found Hilary and TGCF! I needed a safe space to train hard and not worry about feeling self conscious—and the results have been life altering! I discovered a love for strength training and the TGCF community, so much so that I was motivated to get my own certification in personal training, which I completed in 2023 through the National Academy of Sports Medicine.My goal is to help folks make this shift towards building instead of losing, something that has been transformative to me personally. I'm passionate about figuring out how to bring enjoyable and effective movement to those who might not consider themselves 'athletes'.When I'm not training I'm working as a software engineer, being SUPER lazy at home (I rest real hard y'all), learning about training, spreading the gospel of protein, or making pizza and drinking beer! Can't wait to see you in the studio!!
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-ryan haywood
meet pemi
senior snuggle consultant / director of pawsitivity
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pemi rooney is the cute & mighty floof around the studio. she can be found most often causing mayhem on saturday mornings at the weekend TGCF collectives.
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GET TO KNOW PEMI:
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breed: golden doodle
name: pemi
will respond to: pem, pooms, poomy, poomers, beautiful angel, perfect angel, sweet angel, sweet boo, boots, booty, tammy marie
sign: fiery aries, just like her mom (birthday 4/4/2018)
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LIKES:
ball
cheddar rockets​
peanut butter
grammy
jocelyn
ryan
general naughtiness​
walkies
belly rubs
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DISLIKES:
her harness
the cat existing in her home
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-snugs & kisses, pemi rooney
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