Making It Count: What Happens Between Fear and the Finish Line

What happens when life forces you to start over…
and you actually listen?

In this episode of Becoming Lotus, I sit down with Jessie Thomas, founder of Farm Girl Fitness—an anomaly in the fitness world and a space that has become so much more than a gym.

Set on an 88-acre farm, workouts take place in a converted barn, out in the fresh air, and within a community that values connection over comparison.

After losing her job during the pandemic, Jessie didn’t have a plan…
but she started anyway.

What began with four people, hay bales, and uncertainty has grown into something rare—a space where people don’t come to shrink themselves, but to expand into who they are.

We talk about:

• Starting before you feel ready
• Why fear is often the beginning—not the barrier
• The truth about competition (it’s you vs. you)
• How consistency quietly changes everything
• And why what you build in fitness carries into every part of your life

This isn’t just about workouts.
It’s about identity.
It’s about showing up.
It’s about becoming.

If you’ve ever thought “I don’t know if I can do this”…
this episode is your reminder that maybe you can.

📍 The next DEKA event at Farm Girl Fitness is May 3rd.
Come compete—or just come watch and feel the energy. You might surprise yourself.

Because it’s never too late to start.

Until next time—keep rising, keep blooming, and keep soaking it all in. 

 If this episode spoke to you, please share it with someone who might need to hear it and it would be greatly appreciated if you would  take a moment to write a review.
 Subscribe to Becoming Lotus so you never miss an episode.
📖 Explore my book I AM LOTUS and my life coaching offerings at tamaraoshaughnessy.com

  Instagram – @soakingitallin 

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:03

What happens when life forces you to start over? And you actually listen. A couple of episodes ago, I spoke about training for life, building strength for the moments that matter. And at the end of that episode, I shared that I wanted to start having more conversations with people who are doing exactly that. Living it, building it, becoming it. And this conversation is that. In this episode of Becoming Lotus, I sit down with Jesse Thomas, founder of Farm Girl Fitness, an anomaly in the fitness world and a space that has become so much more than just a gym. After losing her job during the pandemic, Jessie didn't have a plan. But she started anyway. And what began with four people, bales of hay, and a whole lot of uncertainty, has grown into a powerful community built on connection, consistency, and courage. And what Jesse reminds us all of is that this isn't just about fitness. It's about how we show up in our lives. The time and effort that we invest into our health, into our wellness, and our fitness carries into absolutely every aspect of our lives. So welcome to Becoming Lotus, Jessie. If you could share how Farm Girl Fitness came to be.

SPEAKER_00 1:35

Yeah, for sure. So I always feel like my story is kind of in two parts: a before pandemic version of myself and an after-pandemic version of myself, which I think a lot of people can relate to actually. Whether we liked it or not, the pandemic inspired a lot of change in a lot of people. So the before pandemic part of my story is that I was working for a large fitness company in Canada from 2007 until the pandemic. I worked as a fitness instructor and a coach and a trainer for a long time and loved that job. That's what got me into fitness in the first place, and have a lot of good, happy memories of that. But it was very different from the way my life is now. I was working for a corporation and very kind of atypical kind of schedule every week. But then the pandemic happened and I lost my job like thousands of fitness instructors did. The company I was working for did not have anything in place to keep its employees by moving fitness classes online. So we were told to wait and see what happened. And I think for a lot of us, we all thought it was going to be a couple weeks, maybe two, maybe four weeks. And as time went on, we started to see, oh no, this is gonna last a lot longer than that. And so when the pandemic first happened, I had my own personal Instagram account and started doing little fitness videos and live workouts with people using things that we had in the house. And I look back on those videos fondly too. My cats make an appearance because they're in the house with me. But one day a friend of mine messaged me and she said, Jessie, you know you should really start like charging for this. You're giving away all this stuff for free. And I was like, ah, maybe, I don't know. And I just didn't think much about it. And at this point, now we're coming into late spring in 2020 and still no job back. And I'm like, I gotta start doing something. I've been out of work now for how long? And I need to take care of myself and take care of my family. We live on an 88-acre, what used to be a horse farm. Um, and I was walking around the farm one day with a friend of mine, and I said, you know what? I think I'm going to start running some boot camps once parks reopen, because some of us forget that parks were closed in March and April of 2020. And she said, Why are you waiting for parks to reopen? Why don't you just do it here? This is basically a version of a park. You have all this space. And I don't know, I don't think anybody would come out this way. And just to be clear, where our farm is located is about 10 minutes from three Maid towns. We're not so rural that we're totally out in the boonies, but I just didn't think that people were going to show up. And she said, no, I really think you should try. It's worth the try. So in June of 2020, we started running what we would call like boot camp style classes here at the farm. I could only have four people participating because the rules at the time were that you could only have a max of five. So I was the fifth. I was taking cash from people. I was writing down on a piece of paper who's coming next week. I was just really flying by the seat of my pants, and we were using what we had, which was like hay bales and tires. My husband had made some weights out of wood, like logs with handles on them. We used what we had because weights were crazy expensive and you couldn't even find them half the time. And I had some TRX straps that I threw off of some trees and we made it work. And before you knew it, like four became 10 as the rules changed, and then that became 15. And the summer went by, and we had created something kind of cool that was helping a lot of people to get outside and get off their couch and get off their computer. By the time we had hit the fall, September, my job still was showing zero signs of coming back. We had to figure out what to do. At the time, my parents, who owned the farm, said, We have an idea. Why don't you take the barn and turn it into a fitness studio? So at the time my family was in a transition with their business. We used to have about 40 horses here at one time. And we were in the process of slowly selling off what we had. And so the barn was sitting empty. And my dad said, if you don't use it, it's just gonna sit empty. So why don't you cut out the stalls on the one side and rework it and turn it into an indoor studio? Like you're gonna need a place to go because it's getting cold. Thankfully, my husband is very handy, so that suggestion was doable because of him. So that's what we did. We started working on that in the fall of 2020, and then it opened in November, early November of 2020. We had it open for a couple months in a really simple kind of way inside. Then shutdown happened again in January of 2021. So that was frustrating and hard because we had just invested in this, and sure enough, things got closed again. So we were still doing things online, but it for sure is not my favorite way of teaching fitness. I'm very much a people person and I need people in front of me. And I'm like, what are we gonna do? My dad had another suggestion. He said, Why don't you take uh this building we have outside called the Round Pen and turn that into a covered but open-air fitness facility, and you could work out there in the winter because you would pass all the bylaws because it's open air, but you're covered, so you could keep people out of the snow and the rain. And it meant making a few adjustments to the space. We installed some lights, we took the dirt out because dirt freezes, and we put sand in, and then we moved in tires and sledgehammers and tear extraps. And I said to the group, I know this sounds absolutely insane, but it allows us to be together and it gets us outside and off our computers. Come dressed warm, but we can make this work. And people showed up, and before you knew it, we had waitlists on Saturday morning. We had 20 people wanting to come work out in minus 10 weather in January and February. And that's a big reason why our business was able to keep going, was because of that. And so that's how our hashtag like friends in Fresh Air came about, was because if you have those two things, everything works out and everything's a little bit better. That got us through 2021. There was further shutdowns, and we kept those outdoor workouts in that location, but through all of that, we ended up still expanding and we needed to build a second studio, which opened up in February of 2022, and that got us to today. So now, knock on wood, no shutdowns since then, and we have about 125 members, eight coaches, and we're about to close off our membership actually, because we're reaching our capacity. So yeah, that's that's the short/slash long version of how we got here.

SPEAKER_02 8:52

So take me back to when you were laid off from your job and your mindset then. I love your Instagram, but your post the other day was it's fun to look back because you did show a picture of that first workout in the orchard, I think it was, that your mom took the picture of, and there were four people there, and you had to make sure you looked socially distanced. But what was your mindset in time that you were laid off? And did you ever envision what farm girl fitness is now back then?

SPEAKER_00 9:24

No, not at all. I was quote unquote content with my corporate job. I think I've always had an entrepreneur's heart and mind. Um, and so a lot of people have said to me, like, I'm not surprised this happened. I grew up in an entrepreneurial family. So my dad's been an entrepreneur since he was 18. And so that was normal to me. But to a degree, I liked for the time the comfort of the corporate job. Security, the security of it, and for the time it was suiting me. That being said, in the year in particular before COVID happened, there were things that were starting to, you know, hit me where I'm like, I think I might want more. And so when this happened, it was actually good timing in that sense. When the layoff happened, I think, like a lot of people, I was confused and then afraid a little bit, just with the sheer unknown. And even while running the business in that first part of the pandemic, that was a real hard part because we're trying to launch a business, but we couldn't plan. Every time we tried to plan, things got shut down or changed or rules changed. And so that was hard to let yourself dream. But at the very outset of the layoff, my mind did not immediately go to this at all. In fact, when people tried to suggest it to me, I pushed it off. Um, but I feel like that idea of necessity is the mother of invention. As much as I was nervous, I also knew that between myself and my husband, my husband's been an entrepreneur for himself for the last 20 years. I knew in my gut we would be okay. We would figure something out. That also I think speaks to like my friends and family in my circle, which is a group of people that were going to make sure that we were okay too, or that supported us with our ideas. So I guess if I was scared, I would say I wasn't scared for too long. Um, and that uh that's in in large part to the amazing circle I the support system that you had around you. Yeah, yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_02 11:41

So it's fair to say that if the pandemic didn't happen, farm girl fitness wouldn't be a thing.

SPEAKER_00 11:47

I don't think so. I really don't. I I could see or I can envision that maybe I would have gone on to do something else, but the part of the other reason why the pandemic actually helped us launch this is because we were filling a need and a gap that nobody else was at the time. So if we had tried to launch this before the pandemic, I think we could have made a go of it, but our competition was basically shut down for over a year. And so we had people coming to us because we were literally one of the few people that were doing anything outdoors. Some gyms were doing stuff outdoors, but it was often in parking lots in the back, like beside the dumpster, literally.

SPEAKER_01 12:32

Right.

SPEAKER_00 12:33

And so we were offering what people needed at the time, whether they knew it or not, which was fitness and wellness and movement that was for your mind as much as your body. And so the pandemic was good in that way, where it was compelling people to uh be aware of what movement can do for them beyond the body. So what we noticed in particular during the pandemic was, you know, people were so stuck inside, and that was starting to wear on them, on top of the stress in the world. And so we would say to people after class, stay as long as you want, hang out. I'm gonna go home. I got stuff to do, but if you want to hang here with your friends, we would set up some chairs and we just said, please, this is a place for you to visit. And we had mothers and daughters that grown daughters, but they were living apart and they were living in condos, so there was no place for them to go to like see each other. There was no space, there was no socialization, there was no connection. And we realized that we were quickly, that was also the thing that was making us different was that we wanted to be a place for people to connect with others, connect with nature, and really connect with themselves. Connect with themselves, absolutely. Yeah, yeah. So the pandemic was to the right timing for that. Looking back, although it had its hard parts, it actually was good in a way too.

SPEAKER_02 14:00

So, even back then, did you have people that showed up to the classes that had never done fitness before?

SPEAKER_00 14:07

Yes, actually, a lot. So that was the other thing that we started to learn as the pandemic went on. And I think any business owner will say this the way you start, the group you think you're helping when you start a business, and the group you end up helping sometimes like evolves over time. Yeah. Because ultimately, any business, if you're starting, you should be filling a gap somewhere in the market, like you should be helping somebody with some something, right? And at first we did just think it was just about fitness, but we started to realize as people came to us that one of the things that they liked or the appeal was that we weren't like a typical gym.

SPEAKER_02 14:46

You were an anomaly.

SPEAKER_00 14:47

Yeah, yeah. We had, in particular, mostly women, we're not women's only, but let's face it, women are the majority of our market, coming to us at age 40, 50, early 60s, saying, I haven't worked out ever or in a really long time, and I know I need to do something. And because it was an overwhelming and intimidating and dark, and and I could talk for a whole hour about this. If you look a lot at gym marketing, it is dark and typically very masculine. Now, I pride myself our business not being overly feminine. Yes, farm girls in the name, it's named after me, that's why. But we just had a lot of women that were like, I don't want to stand in a place with a bunch of mirrors. I don't want to be weighed when I walk in the door. I don't want to try to be sold a$10,000 personal training package that I actually didn't want in the first place. There was a lot of things still wrong with our industry that a lot of people were just like, I don't want that anymore. And the pandemic in our culture of even the last 10 years is headed even more that way, where people know what they want and they know what they don't want. I call it like the Starbucks generation, where if I walk into a Starbucks, I am ordering a grande iced coffee, half sweet in a tall cup or a venti cup. You know what I mean? Like specifics. People want what they want, and they're not afraid to say that anymore. So there is a growing group of people in the fitness wellness world that are not willing to put up with what typical big box gyms have been shoving down their throat for a really long time.

SPEAKER_02 16:35

Is there any other gym that's similar to Farm Girl Fitness?

SPEAKER_00 16:39

Because it's in the world, yes. In the world around us, no.

SPEAKER_02 16:44

Yeah, it's so unique.

SPEAKER_00 16:46

Yeah, there are other places that I have since discovered. There's a really great one in the UK. There's a couple spots that I follow in the US. The concept of having a space that's partially indoors and partially outdoors is not uh new, actually, by any means. But even aside from the setting for the workout, that concept that I just mentioned about just treating members a little bit differently and the space and the look and the feel a little bit differently, that's still pretty rare from what I can see. And I think that's just because a lot of people either don't see it as a piece of the market that is valuable or think that they just have to do things a certain way because that's what the big guys do. Like a lot of businesses, in order to be quote unquote successful, will mimic what they see, but that doesn't necessarily uh get you what you want, especially if you're trying to stand out in a busy market. So I think it's still a growing thing, but I think the more people business owners try to make that a priority and show that it can be successful, I I think more people will get on board with that.

SPEAKER_02 18:04

Yeah. And you're fulfilling a very big need for a niche market. Like you said, the majority of your members are women. So who are the people that come to Farm Girl Fitness? I've mentioned your Instagram before and I love the story that you did the other day that all stories are welcome. And that's what this podcast is about. We all have stories and we can learn from each other from sharing those stories. So your post the other day was all stories welcome. And everybody who's coming to Farm Girl has a story. Whether they're going through something, menopause or perimenopause or going through divorce or a pregnancy or something they're dealing with. Who are you seeing come through your doors? And how is Farm Girl helping them to navigate what they're going through?

SPEAKER_00 18:56

Yeah, so our typical member is female, ages 45 to 55, to get really specific. Usually a professional, usually a mom, and someone who's at a stage in her life where chapters are changing, both for herself, but for the people transition, both for herself, but also for the people in her life. So it could be that her kids are at an age where they've gotten older and they're starting to change, and so therefore, their need for her is starting to change in their life too, which can be tough. She's also probably got parents that are aging, and she's starting to see what's happening with them and the need that they have to be fit and well and mobile for not just longevity of life but quality of life. Quality of life. She may also be at a spot in her life where she's been in the same job for a while and she feels like she needs something else. On top of it, then you add in, like you're talking about peri- or post-menopause, huge change in somebody's life. So it's a woman who also is getting to again that spot where she's, I know what I want and I know what I don't want, and I'm willing to pay more for the thing that actually works and actually makes me feel good. So do we cost more than a big box gym in our area? Absolutely, we do. But we're also nothing like a big box gym. Our average person, their number one concern is not price, but is quality. So going back to how the studio and the place itself helps people with that, part of it is being very intentional with our marketing and our messaging, because it's something, to be honest, very important to me to make sure that all people are seen in our images and in our marketing.

SPEAKER_02 20:57

That comes across clear.

SPEAKER_00 20:59

Thank you. That means the world's remote this.

SPEAKER_02 21:02

And yeah, and that is one thing that really stands out to me about your Instagram. That message comes through loud and clear. Your posts are about your members, and it's about the members showing up that they've done 500 classes or they've done 200 classes. It's not just one person holding up that sign, it's many people holding up that sign, and there's a community around them. And what that means is that person showed up 500 times for themselves. The marketing that you do that appeals to me because it's the everyday person, it's the everyday athlete, and they're choosing not only their physical health, but their mental health as well.

SPEAKER_00 21:46

Yes. And that's the part that a lot of big box gyms get wrong is for the longest time they would only show images of what they thought people wanted to be. What they thought people were coming to them for. Well, it's that idea of walking in and without being asked in a consultation, somebody is saying, Oh, can I weigh you? Can we do a fitness assessment? And it's like, no. I had a lady on the phone say to me, Are you gonna weigh me when I come in? And I was like, Oh my gosh, no. But that's what people are used to. And so big box gyms think they're appealing to that desire that they think everyone has, which is to shrink yourself. When actually what people are really looking for is to be happy and to feel good and to feel strong. And it's that idea of feel. So for a lot of big box gyms, they will every once in a while show a person in quote unquote a larger body to tick the box to say, see, we have everyone, but they actually don't have everyone because they now have two extremes, perhaps, and they miss out on all the people in the middle. And so going back to like how the space makes people feel better, you have to lead with that from your marketing to your website, your social media, but then also when people walk in the door. So if you do all this work in your marketing to make it seem like you're a place for everyone, but then when they come in, they don't feel that that doesn't work either. And so that's part of the reason why we don't have mirrors, we don't have skills. Our coaches do not talk about calorie burning class, we do not talk about earning your Christmas dinner, we do not talk about just things in relation to your body, but we go out of our way to make sure that people connect with other people, that people see their progress and all the different ways that looks. There's a lot of different things where we try to help people along to see their value beyond just the body that they were born into. And that eventually rubs off on other people, and then the members start doing that for the newbies that come in. It's not always just us. That's how you know when you you've really got it, is when they're supporting each other that way.

SPEAKER_02 25:49

There was somebody that posted the other day they were just walking in the door of Farm Girl and they're going to my therapy, like doing this for myself, this is my therapy, and some other stories. What is one word that describes Farm Girl fitness? And people are saying it's community, it's therapy, it's inspiring. It's not just a gym. And yeah, makes me think that's what we want. What is that quote? Some of the strongest people aren't the ones that can lift the most or lose the most amount of weight, they just don't quit on themselves. Those are the strongest people.

SPEAKER_00 26:24

Yeah. And it's about consistency. Consistency is always the unsung hero. So that's actually the biggest thing that I'm after in trying to help somebody because I know that whatever they want, it's on the other side of consistency, whatever it is. And we always say if your goal is to lose weight, I'm not telling you that's a bad goal, but what I'm saying is that there's other things that need to be worked on in order for that to work. And so encouraging people and giving people a place where they want to come back to and they miss it when they're not here, then the rest will take care of itself. Because if they're here, then it'll all work itself out. So that's always been the goal.

SPEAKER_02 27:08

Yeah, fitness becomes a part of who you are, becomes part of your identity, and how it makes you feel becomes part of your identity. Yeah. Let's get into DECA. So, how did you come to DECA? How did you get to the U.S.?

SPEAKER_00 27:27

DECA kind of came to us.

SPEAKER_02 27:29

Okay. DECA kind of came to me too.

SPEAKER_00 27:33

I think that's the case for a lot of people. It's not that you were searching for it, but it found you. And so we had a member who knew about it and was interested in it and introduced us to a couple people which a lot of people may know in the DECA world, Dave and Rye Claxton, who had been a part of Spartan World for a very long time and had discovered and participated in DECA stuff in the US. And so they had a bit of experience in that. And long story short, we were able to reach out and say, Are DECA, are you bringing this to Canada? Do you have any interest to do so? And they did. So we expressed interest in that and ended up becoming the first Canadian DECA affiliate with the help of Dave and Rye Claxton for sure. Their support of the program, the brand, the races, their knowledge of all that, and just if for anyone who's met them knows, they just truly want to help people. They just love helping people succeed and seeing things like this flourish and grow because they know it has the ability to help so many people in so many different ways. So we joined, we became an affiliate in 2022, the summer of 2022, ran our first event in the fall of 22, and on average run now four events, DECA Strong events, every year.

SPEAKER_02 29:02

So for those people who don't know what DECA is, how would you describe it? And what do you think it gives people? Because I know for me when I first heard about it, I had heard about High Rocks, but never looked into it. And then when I heard about DECA, it does seem very intimidating, even though I am athletic but not in a sport, I don't do sport. But for someone even with an athletic background, it was intimidating for me to do my first race.

SPEAKER_00 29:34

Yeah. So the simplest way to explain what DECA is it is 10 stations of functional fitness that are measured by either reps or distance done in the same order wherever you participate in a race and it's timed. So if it takes you 20 minutes or it takes you an hour and 20 minutes, it is your time and your race at the end of it all. And that's what's called your DECA mark. And so the reason it works in particular, DECA strong, which is 10 stations of that functional fitness with no running in between, it is a great way to get people, whether they think of themselves as athletic or not, whether they think of themselves as competitive or not, to get them to sign up for something that can kind of push them out of their comfort zone. Most of the things that people sign up for to be in, you know, inspired to train are races, as in road races, as in running. And let's face it, as we get older, running becomes more difficult for a lot of people. As a girl with a recovering torn meniscus and who was told by okay, great, I was told by orthopedic surgeons in her early 30s that she was going to need knee replacements at some point in her life. Running is just not for me. I have done half marathons, I have done triathlons, but you get to a certain point, it just gets tougher. So the DECA strong race in particular, that has no running in between, allows a lot of people to get in and try something because the movements themselves are also simplistic in nature to be able to understand and to execute. Because the moves are the same at every race, wherever you go, it also allows people to train easier and it just has a lower barrier of entry because we're working with basic things like push and pull, squat and lunge, ski, bike, row. It's things that even in a fitness class, I can teach somebody how to do fairly simply without a lot of complications. So it's it's been a great way to get people into that world and giving them the feeling of signing up for something, training for it, getting the metal around their neck, working towards it, getting the t-shirt, wearing it with pride. Yes. It's been really cool to see so many people get to experience that.

SPEAKER_02 32:01

Yeah. I always say that you're making memories, right? And you're making you're making your life count.

SPEAKER_00 32:08

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 32:08

Yeah. So DECA in Canada, that's one thing I've noticed. I mean, I've only just come into it in the fall, but it seems to not be as big in Canada as it is in the rest of the world. Is that changing? And how do you see DECA growing in Canada?

SPEAKER_00 32:28

Let's put it this way. I hope it is for so many reasons. I think there's so much room for growth in our country. And I also think there's a lot of room for growth because of things like HIROCs. So some people will think, and this is a lesson in business, some people will think that competition is always a bad thing, and they will pit HyROX against DECA or Athics against HIROCs or these different hybrid, what we call hybrid fitness races in the world. But actually the success of one or multiple actually supports all of them. They're all a little different, but they have a general appeal to a similar group. And what we've noticed a lot in the last year, in particular, with HyROX having come to Canada now, is that we've got people who are saying, you know what, I signed up for a HyROX, I loved it, but I'm looking for something else to do because HyROX only happens in Toronto once a year. And it's hard, let's face it, for Canadians to pick up and travel to the US in particular multiple times a year. It's expensive. So they're looking for something else the rest of the year. Or they couldn't get into HIROX, and so they want to do something else. We've got people who have started with DECA who now are trying to do HYROX events. Like they're all kind of working together, actually. And people are seeing the communities that are coming out because of these races. So, from like a business perspective, I would tell any business listening, if you're looking to tack this on or become an affiliate of some of these things, this can be so good for your community. We've seen amazing results with our community because of this. The people who race, but also the members who maybe they don't race, but their friends do, right? And them supporting their friends. It's just been a really great mix that way. So I think a rising tide can raise all ships. And hopefully, um, as HyROX continues to grow and DECA continues to grow around the world, I am hopeful that there is more to come with more affiliates coming on board all the time. So we'll see how that goes.

SPEAKER_02 34:51

Another thing I notice is that not only is it not big in Canada yet, but it's the older demographic that aren't really represented, which is what I would like to get out there. The people that listen to me are the perimenopause, the menopause women and men, actually. So that's talking about evolution. This podcast was originally for evolving and reinventing yourself and mostly geared towards women, but I have so many male listeners who benefit from these stories and what we talk about. So male and female, it seems like that our age group is not very well represented.

SPEAKER_00 35:33

So I will say this it is and it isn't what you see at a singular event that doesn't necessarily give you the whole snapshot for what's happening across the country or across the globe. So I'll give you an example. If you were to look at the global leaderboard right now, I do in the Teams groups in particular that are a little bit like so the teams meaning two people racing together, it's about their combined ages, right? So that could look a lot of ways. You could have a 20-year-old racing with a 60-year-old, and you you wouldn't know that until you saw them.

SPEAKER_02 36:16

I taught and I are in the 100 to 119.

SPEAKER_00 36:20

Gotcha. And I'm in I'm in the 80 to 99 group with my partner who's a few years older than me, and I'm turning 45 this year. So if you look at some of those age categories, actually, there is more people than you think when you compare it to like the 20 somethings or even the early 30 somethings, and I'll give you another example of that. At World Championships last year, some of the most stacked and fullest age groups were the 80 to 99 and the 100 to 119.

SPEAKER_02 36:57

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 36:58

And if you looked at the Teams groups that probably had like the 20 somethings, not a lot of them. But it was the older age groups that actually had more people come out and participate. So that also speaks to the type of race that Decca Strong is in particular. To be clear, Decca Mile, you have 160 meters of running in between each station. Decca Fit, you have 500 meters of running in between each station. Still more achievable for a lot of people than trying to run a full kilometer in between each station, right? So it is appealing to that age group that's like, I still want to compete, I still want to do something, I want to have a goal, I want to have a community, but I don't want to beat up my body so bad with intense perhaps running training, right? So some events will have a much younger crowd, some events will have an older crowd. It's a little bit different every time, but keep looking at the global leaderboard and pay attention to the difference in timing, like how tight the competition is with timing, where it's like it's seconds apart.

SPEAKER_01 38:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 38:18

Whereas in some of the younger age groups, the gap is much bigger. Their times are faster, of course, but their competition is farther apart.

SPEAKER_02 38:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 38:27

We've learned a lot, needless to say, from the first one to this one. But one of the things I've come to learn is to watch people's faces when they come in on event day. Yep, there's people, so two parts. Like one, we have a ton of people who are here every single time. There's people that live an hour, two, three away that I get to see two, three, four times a year because of this. And it's fantastic to have that side of the community too. But we have a lot of people who come for the very first time. And you can tell when they walk in, they have a look on their face. They're just nervous in general. They maybe don't have a support group with them, and they just have a look, a little bit of fear. And let's face it, it's the unknown that is typically the number one reason why we feel scared of something, right? If we have more education, more information, more confirmation, it tends to make us feel better about the new thing. And so I tend to keep eyes for who is new. I introduced, I like to introduce myself. I just like people to know that I'm the owner. If they have questions, feedback, comments, I want them to know the face they can come talk to. And I'll say to them, Have you ever done this before? And we have a lot of people who show up who literally will say to us, I don't know what I signed up for, or you know, my friend made me do this or whatever. And they don't even know what the tentations are, might not even know what the rules are. And we try to educate people on that before they come because it makes their experience better. Uh, it makes it easier on them and the judges if they have that. But we just try to answer questions for people and give them some tips. And you can see the fear kind of go down a little bit, but also it's part of the reminder of like these random people that you've never met before are all here for you. Yeah. Your judge, who has no idea who you are, really wants you to finish, and they're gonna do everything in their power to make sure that happens and letting them know that that they're gonna be fine, like they will be taken care of. And it's so great to see those people. That's actually my favorite bit of the weekend. Like it's great seeing people who can just like fly through this stuff and are amazing athletes, but the people who we remember and have really good stories about are those people who didn't think they could, but did anyways and then go on to do really great things.

SPEAKER_02 41:01

That's what it's about, right? It's about showing up for yourself and it really is you against you, me.

SPEAKER_00 41:08

And that's really hard for people because and I see this a lot even just in running a fitness business. There are there's a lot of people who have a real aversion to anything that sounds like competition.

SPEAKER_02 41:22

And especially when you throw in the word race.

SPEAKER_00 41:24

Yes, and they get, I don't want to say get their backup, that's not the right expression. That's not for me. And I'll say, No problem, can you tell me why that is? And sometimes they can't, but often if they can, it's because they're literally having flashbacks of like being picked last for dodgeball in middle school, or being made to be on the cross-country team and like knowing they were gonna come last, or having a terrible experience with like a gym teacher. So true. Seriously, like we're talking grown-ass men and women who are making choices to not participate in something because of something that happened in grade five. And so the word competition, is it a competition? Yes, but it's a competition with one's self. Is there a global leaderboard? Yes, there is. Is there a world championships? Yeah, but like it's it's like all these five 10K races, people see that all the time. Sign up for those. It's like less than 1% that's actually trying to win the thing. The other bunch of people are literally just looking to finish, right? And so people can kind of grasp that with a running race, but for some reason they struggle to think of it with this. And so one of the biggest questions I get is like, well, what's a good time? Right, what should I be aiming for? And I'm like, no, no, no, no, no, we're not having that conversation, we're not doing that.

SPEAKER_02 43:00

Like, I just you just want to finish the race. That was my first race, right?

SPEAKER_00 43:06

Yes, like like you're what is good, and I'm using air quotes again, like in relation to what? Like you in relation to like a 20-year-old who's done this 10 times already. Like, what are you what are you looking for? And often they're not they're asking that because they want to finish and somebody say that was good. Like they need like that outside kind of confirmation because they've never done something where just finishing is more than good enough. Like enough. That is the win. It's enough, you're enough. Whatever you can do is enough. And and I just love that's one of the other things I love is getting to see that mindset shift in them, where now it's not about well, where did I place? Like people will finish, it'll be Tough. They'll be breathing out of their ears, as I like to say. But as soon as they're done, they're like, Oh, I want to do that again. And they're like, Okay, I think I can do better on the skier, and I think I could do. And instantly you see them trying to make like a plan, and they have like a fire lit under their ass to go and be better for themselves. That was totally and like that's awesome to see. Like that is so, so great to see because now they're on their way. Yeah. Like they don't need my words anymore. Like they're fine because now they get the point of it.

SPEAKER_02 44:33

It's inside them. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 44:35

Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 44:36

So what advice would you give to somebody listening who's never done fitness before, who's never done a race before, who maybe is one of those people who didn't get picked for dodgeball about getting into fitness, about getting into DECA or hybrid racing, or just checking out a gym.

SPEAKER_00 45:02

Yeah. So I'll start with like getting into fitness. One thing I say a lot to people is we live in an amazing time in the fitness industry in 2026, and that there is a thousand and one ways to do fitness right now. Even in like the 80s and the early 90s, it was like, oh, you're a woman, come do step aerobics. Like that was it, you know, and those days thankfully are long gone. And if you want your fitness to be hiking, if you want it to be swimming, if you want it to be tai chi, if you want it to be jujitsu, if you like there is so many things, and I I'm gonna highlight women again in particular. There's so many things and that have zero barrier. Like you get to do whatever you want to do.

SPEAKER_02 45:56

You get to.

SPEAKER_00 45:58

Um, yeah, you know, and it's like go find, go try all the things until you find the thing that lights you up, and the thing that your partner likes to do, or the thing that your friends like to do that might not be the thing that is for you. Keep going until you find the thing that lights you up and feels like joy and excitement when you get to get in the car and go do it, because that's the thing that's gonna pull you through. When it comes to trying things like a race, like maybe like signing up for a DECA or something like it, one of the big things I would say is A, it's natural to be nervous. I still get nervous before every single race. And I race a few times a year. I've gone to world championships twice. Like, I I feel nervous. I feel nervous before I teach a fitness class, and I've been teaching for like, what is it, like 17 years now? I still get nervous for that. There's nothing wrong with that. So don't let nerves be the thing that tell you it's not a good idea. It's just nervous energy, it's just a different type of energy. But the other thing is like educate yourself. So when I'm coaching people and they say I'm scared, I say, Great. Can you be specific about what you're scared about? Articulate what you're nervous about. And this I find is a game changer for people because fears it left in our head remain true. Always. If we keep them in here, they will always be true and they will live on. But as soon as you try to dig deeper, they tend to dissipate. It takes the power away from it. So either it takes the power away, exactly that. So either have somebody like you let yourself be coached when somebody asks you that question, or do the homework yourself and literally write it down. Write down what is it you're afraid of, and then write down what is my feeling, but what is the facts? So the feeling can be afraid. Great. What are you afraid of? I'm afraid of hurting myself. Okay, why are you afraid of hurting yourself? I'm afraid of hurting myself because I hurt myself once like 10 years ago doing something, and I don't want to go through that feeling again. Valid feeling. Meniscus. Awesome.

SPEAKER_02 48:24

Meniscus tear.

SPEAKER_00 48:27

You know. Do you think there's anything you could do differently this time to ensure that doesn't happen again? Do you think coaching or support or education could help you to not make that happen again? Yeah, I think that would probably help. So, like the feeling is one thing, but the reality is another. The reality is just because you hurt yourself before is not a guarantee that you hurt yourself again. The reality is you hurt yourself before. That might have been because of lack of knowledge and understanding, like just kind of jumping into something and not really knowing much about it. So the reality is get support, get coaching, get training. Get your questions answered, and you will be able to determine what is possible. I'll give you another example. One of the biggest fears people tell me about DECA is they'll say, I don't want to jump on the box. I can't jump on the box. I say, good news. Nobody's asking you to jump on a box. Nobody jumps on the box. If you watch, go to World Championships live stream, and go see if any of the elites jump on the box during their elite run. No, they don't. Oh, really? Yeah, you don't need to, but I can't step up on the box. Awesome. Did you know that you can crawl over the box? That that's an option? It is, yeah. Oh, well, that changes things. Now I can do it, you know? And so that idea of just being open to like learning and understanding will just go such such a long way. And here's the thing DECA might crawl over the box. Yes, girl, you can crawl. As long as, yes, as long as your toes direct touch over the box as you're crawling at some point, both feet on the floor, both feet on the box, both feet on the floor, the crawl works. And you'll see people like touch down too while they do that. Yeah, it's super accessible. And so whether it's deck or or something else, just it's the same kind of principle, like find the thing that lights you up inside and that you love, ask questions, and come out to an event. Like if you see us or anybody else post an event, um, like it's not like there's tickets for coming to watch. So on out and just check it out and see what you know it's all about.

SPEAKER_02 50:46

So the next event at Farm Girl is in May. Yeah, May 3rd. So people can come out then. Do you ever go to the other DECA events at other gyms?

SPEAKER_00 50:59

Yeah, sometimes. And a lot of it has to do just with scheduling and things like that. There's two other main affiliates within an hour, one's half an hour to the east of me, one's about an hour to the west. Different ones will host different events. So, for example, just because of the size of our space, we don't host any DECA mile events, but the other two affiliates do. So that's where a lot of our members will go to do their mile events. And so if we can, we'll go to cheer them on some of those ones too.

SPEAKER_02 51:32

Yeah, there's no DECA affiliates in the Niagara region. But there should be. There should be. Okay, any final thoughts or words of wisdom for our listeners?

SPEAKER_00 51:45

I think whether like it's in the business side of fitness or the personal side of fitness, the reason why people get so passionate about talking about it is because it literally changes people's lives. It changes the trajectory of their life. And so if you're listening to this and you're like, oh, you sound like my friend who's obsessed with running triathlons, or oh, you sound like my friend who, you know, wants me to go to this gym or whatever. It's because probably it's it's changed their life for the better, and they just want you to feel the same way. And again, that's because they found something that works for them. And so maybe that's the same for you, or maybe it's something else. But there is a sense of joy and satisfaction that comes from doing hard things. Always. Um, and I I'm not a mother, but I think mothers can agree with that too. Raising your family, raising your kids. There's a lot of struggle that goes into raising a family, but what's your overall sense and memory of that? It's joy, you know. Uh, if you've ever signed up or gone through something tough that you thought you couldn't do, and then you do it anyways.

SPEAKER_02 53:03

Challenge yourself outside of your comfort zone. Totally. Honored yourself.

SPEAKER_00 53:08

Yes. And each time you do one of those things, it just raises what you thought was your ceiling for your max. And then all of a sudden you start to look at things differently. You go, you you sign up for trips that you wouldn't have done before. It rolls over into so many other aspects of your life. And that's been really cool for me as a business owner to see that, how that's affect affected people, whether it's through competition with DECA events or whether it's just taking charge of their life and their wellness here through the studio. You see people that are in their 40s, 50s, 60s that are going out and exploring the world and and doing brave things, all because of what they learn when they're in the studio. And it's not learning about how to do a bicep curl, it's about learning to show up even when you don't want to. It's about learning. Yep. Yeah. Yeah. That you get what you want, you get what you focus on. And that's really the special part of this.

SPEAKER_02 54:10

Yeah, I say it's the investment that play pays dividends for life.

SPEAKER_00 54:14

Absolutely. Absolutely. And you know, when I meet people in the studio for the first time, I say, like, do you have a goal in mind? And I said, Give me something more than just losing 10 pounds. Like, I want you to think about something that six months from now, like you doing something that you might not have done before. What would be the thing you would like to do that you can't do now that will tell you that you've progressed? And a lot of times people will associate that like with travel. And uh, I had a woman once say, I want to be able to take my carry-on luggage and put it above in the bins above, and I want to be able to take my luggage off the carousel by myself. I want to be able to be independent so that I can go see the world. And I was like, Oh, I want everybody to hear this. Like, this is why we do shoulder presses, and this is why we do farmers' carries, is so that you can do those things. The correlation between the time and effort you put on your health, wellness, and fitness rolls over into your everyday life in a huge way. So if you're sitting on the fence about that, remember it's just it's bigger than fitness. Look at your life as a whole and and uh and be willing to try something new. Wonderful.

SPEAKER_02 55:34

Yeah, and even that story about the woman who wants to travel so that she can put her luggage above and take her luggage off the carousel. How many other women or men can identify with that same thing exactly?

SPEAKER_00 55:47

Yeah. Yeah, that's real life.

SPEAKER_02 55:49

That's real life, yeah. Jesse, thank you. Not just for this conversation, but for what you've created. A space that reminds people that they're capable, sometimes before they even believe it themselves. And for showing us that this is about so much more than fitness. It's about how we live. If this conversation sparked something in you, if you've been thinking about starting something, trying something, or stepping into something new, this is your invitation. The next DECA event at Farm Girl Fitness is happening on May 3rd. And even if you're not ready to participate, come out and watch. Feel the energy, see what it's all about. You might just find yourself inspired to take that first step. Because it is never too late to start. And remember, the time and effort that you invest in yourself carries into every part of your life. Until next time, keep making it count and keep soaking it all in.