I have always had a health-conscious mom. I am biased, of course, but she’s set a great example throughout my childhood about eating right and exercising. She showed me the importance of finding fun ways to stay active. We didn’t exercise much together though. She played tennis. I hate tennis. I started playing rugby. My mom showed no interest in full contact chaos.

Then, she started going to Katherine’s class at UVAC. After a few months of hearing her rave about how much she loved it and complain delightedly about her post-workout soreness, I decided to see what the fuss was about. Expecting barely to break a sweat, I huffed and puffed for an hour. The next day, we compared sore muscles.

I’m 23. I’m probably not allowed to tell you how old my mom is, so I won’t. Yet, working out with her is completely exhausting. I’m pretty competitive: after Katherine demonstrates the next circuit, I wait until Mom chooses her kettle bells before picking up slightly heavier ones. I try to squeeze an extra couple push-ups into our set. I honestly get a better workout trying to keep up with my mom than I do working out with my rugby team.

Working out with my mom is humbling. She frequently shows me up, and our friendly competition brings out my best effort. It’s inspiring. She is living proof that I have many more years of fitness left to look forward to. It’s fun. We definitely have a good time. I couldn’t ask for a better workout partner.

Alex, Kim and Kira 1998

By Kira Kelley UVAC Member