In honor of mental health awareness month we are sharing some of our resilient #fightfam members stories about how KickHouse has impacted their mental health.

“When I first walked into KickHouse in February 2020, I had no idea what I was about to embark on or how the journey would actually prepare me to face the most difficult challenges of my life. I just knew I didn’t recognize my own reflection in the mirror and it was time to take control of it; and taking control of things was easy for me. So, I enrolled in my very first six week challenge and the goal was to lose 25 lbs in six weeks and get my money back to apply towards a membership. Challenge accepted. I signed up for the classes, went to the nutrition class and started the work. I lost 8 lbs in my very first week and engaged with the instructors each work out to learn more. But I still wasn’t doing it for myself and Jess called me out on that. She told me, “Amy you are a people pleaser and even though you are doing the work and getting the necessary results, you are doing all this for us. You won’t really get the maximum results until you start doing this for you!” I think about these words still to this day. 

It’s hard for me to do things for me. I feel guilty doing things for me. But the time had come and it was necessary for me to start doing things for myself. With the support of the instructors and the fit fam I had stumbled upon, I finally realized that making these changes in my life would help me to be stronger for those that I loved and those that depended on me. Not to mention, I was making myself stronger so I could be there and around for them longer. 

And then Covid happened. Three weeks into my challenge, the doors closed and there were no more in-person classes and no more face-to-face accountability. Or so I thought. Jess and her team quickly started filming and posting online classes. I was receiving texts and calls of encouragement and accountability. When the world closed it doors, locked us up and most everyone crawled into their fridges and alcohol cabinets, I held onto my commitment to eat right and not drink alcohol. This was the first time in five years, I was not drinking excessive amount of wine nightly and I was successful at it because I was doing it for me and no one else at this point. 

So I finished my first challenge in the midst of a Covid lockdown and I won. I lost 28 lbs and had been dry for six weeks. I never felt better about myself, ever.  Finally, the world opened back up and we could get back in the studio and attending regular classes, all because of the hard work Jess and her team did to ensure they could open and have us back.  They knew how much so many of us needed it and they stopped at nothing to make it happen. This was a community where I felt safe and encouraged and in return, I loved everything about kickboxing and the people I was starting to become friends with. 

I have since had the opportunity to become a mentor participant with 3 new groups of Challengers and participate in two national eight week challenges.  I have shared my story and continued success at the end of each. I have had many non-scale victories along with the 50 lbs and four dress sizes left behind over the 2.5 years.

But I started this story stating that this fit fam journey was actually preparing me for the most difficult challenges I have ever faced. As I started doing things for myself and making genuine friends with good people (instructors and members alike), I realized it was not just my physical appearance that had become unrecognizable and brought me to KickHouse, but my whole life had become unrecognizable and that is why I was not able to see myself.  That is what ultimately brought me here.   As I opened my own eyes to my own poor eating and drinking habits, I also opened my eyes to the fact that I  was addicted to an abusive relationship and I didn’t love myself enough to make the changes I needed to. As my body became stronger, so did my mind. As I opened up to taking tips and advice on proper technique and skill, I opened my heart and mind to the positive support being offered by my fit fam friends. I wanted to be on the mat when I felt good and I wanted, more, to be on the mat when I felt bad. This community has provided me with a safe environment to kick and punch things and laugh, as well as kick and punch things and cry. 

Ultimately, the addiction to bad habits and relationships was weakening while my strength gained. The instructors and members at KickHouse have seen me at my best and worst, and I am not ashamed. They have filled the space in my life that was consumed by bad decisions, emotional eating and excessive alcohol. I know I still have many opportunities to get stronger and drop more weight, and that is ok. This is a marathon roller coaster and not a straight line sprint. I am becoming the best version of myself yet and feel stronger, both physically and mentally, more and more each day and I have welcomed some of the best people known to walk this planet into my life!”

Amy Ribich Evans

KickHouse Parker