I want to talk to you today about community. I have been told that no one joins your gym because of "the great community". That might be true, but you will not convince me that community is not a driving force behind the consistency and longevity of many of our athletes. Why? Because it is a place where we genuinely care about one another. We have a reason to come to the gym even when we aren't feeling very motivated to workout; which is often when we need it the most. Better yet, no one ever leaves feeling worse than they did when they came in. That's partially because of the biochemical response to exercise and partially because we have connected with other humans that know us and care about us. It's a pretty powerful tool in shifting how we feel.
This week has been a very hard week for many within Catacombs and throughout Durango. We have suffered losses that have deeply affected the most vulnerable within our community. As we struggle to understand and scramble to find ways to help, it lifts my spirit to observe both the quiet gestures of support between athletes as well as the channeling of stress, grief, sadness, or whatever one might be feeling into a barbell or a burpee. On one hand, it doesn't change anything. On the other hand, it changes everything.
Thanks for caring about each other. Community matters.