I have to start by saying how much I respect and LOVE being around Ralynne Purdy. It’s the highlight of my week. Seriously, I love her. She’s like warm sunlight on my face when I’m cold.
Shortly after our new rec center opened I hired a Personal Trainer for a few sessions because I had NO IDEA how to operate any of the equipment there.
My trainer happened to be Ralynne. She was not intimidating like I feared. While we worked, she distracted me by asking about my life and telling me about hers. I felt great about myself while I was with her. She’s been teaching group fitness and personal training for more than 18 years and she’s perfected the art.
“Exercise saved my life,” she told me while I was doing multiple sets of inclined sit-ups (which was very hard for my flabby abs). “I left an abusive marriage when I was pregnant with my first daughter. It was hard. Before too long I was literally packed to go back to him. One of my girlfriends stopped me and took me to the gym. She told me I needed to go exercise with her before I went back to him,” she said.
“The exercise empowered me. Even though I wasn’t emotionally strong, the exercise made me feel stronger. It made me remember who I used to be before my first husband.” She credits this experience with exercise as her first step back into a healthy life.
She credits her mother with teaching her to be an active person. “My mother is 78 years old and has Macular Degeneration. She still exercises in her garage every day. She does full push-ups from her toes (not like the cheater ones I do from my knees) and she kick-boxes,” Ralynne told me.
“When I was a kid, my parents used to wake us up early and we’d ride our bikes to Provo (45 miles one way), the whole family. I’d get on my little banana seat Schwinn and pedal down to Provo. We’d stay overnight in a hotel and ride back the next day. We did stuff like that a lot,” She said. “We rode everywhere as a family.”
What an accomplishment that would be, a family long-distance bike ride. I wouldn’t think a family with little kids would be capable of that. We put a lot of limitations on ourselves, don’t we? Hearing about this opens up a lot of possibilities doesn’t it.
You can see her life-history in her behavior at the gym. Even when her classes are full (and they always fill up), she rarely turns people away. She wants everyone to get the workout they need. “My motto is BE NICE. You never know what is going on in someone’s life. Attending one class can empower you forward through the thing’s you’re struggling with. It did for me,” she said.
Empowering people is what she does best. At least that’s what she’s done for me in the training sessions and classes I’ve attended with her.
And speaking of classes, let me tell you about her Power Lift class. Before this, I’d never lifted anything. I was too intimidated to learn, but this class has changed that. If you don’t believe me, just look at my guns. BooYAH!
Notice my new Party Rock work-out top. Courtesy of the LMFAO clothing line launch party I attended at The Sundance Film Festival. Somehow I still don’t look as “Party Rock” as the people at that party. What am I missing?…Oh, the Glasses! And probably some piercings and some sleeve tattoos.
My new favorite thing is to do blow-dry my hair and watch my biceps and triceps flex as I move the dryer and brush around. Lift pushes me harder and makes me do more than I ever would on my own. Even though the class is tremendously difficult and I am sore for days afterward, I still love to go because I love to be in the same room with Ralynne. She’s enchanting, lively and F-U-N! Watch out though because she routinely tricks her class into doing more reps with heavier weights.
Ralynne is the best of the best. If you live around here, you’d be foolish not to find her classes and start attending. She’s also for hire as a PT. It might be the best thing you’ve ever done.
Her contact information is purdyfit@yahoo.com or her phone is 694-6873
What are your favorite exercise classes or activities? What new things would you like to try?
I am SO sore today after that Lift class yesterday! But you are right- it is empowering! I love Ralynne too!
I love Ralynne, she is the go to person when I go to the gym. I love her classes such as the zumba and Kickboxing. I also watch her with her clients while she is doing PT with them. she always has a smile on her face. Ralynne has this shine to her. she will help you do what you need to do and will help when ever possable. I had asked her a question a few weeks back and she had something going on and asked me if I were able to stay for about 5 mnutes so she can finish what she was doing. she came and found me and took the time out of her busy schedule to help me with what I needed. I know that I don’t find someone like that every day. love her.
I’ve been doing spin for awhile now at the rec center. Last night, however, was my first spin class with Ralynne as the instructor. It was the most difficult spin class of my life! She made us fight to stay in the saddle the whole time, maxed us out and made us stay there for 20 min. Ouch! I love her for it.
Great post, ladies! I love Ralynne. She’s been my trainer for almost a year now. She is always encouraging, motivating and upbeat. (And she really does sneak in those extra reps sometimes, lol). I love that she pushes me when I think I can’t go anymore and believes in me even when I don’t. Thanks, Ralynne. YOU. ARE. AWESOME.
PS – That Lift class was seriously tough. My triceps are on strike.
Ralynne’s zumba class helped get me through a difficult emotional time, and now I’m absolutely addicted. She is great. I love her whole “be nice” thing. I remember her saying during one class that she never wanted to turn anyone away because that class could be the thing that was getting them through one of the worst times of their life. I loved that, as that was certainly the case with me.
She is seriously amazing. Thanks for the awesome post. Her smiling face and positive energy helps get me to the gym every day. We are lucky to have her at our gym!
I love Ralynnes Zumba class soooo much. She is a good woman with an amazing heart. I hate that she has said that “you cant out exercise a bad diet” WHAT??
Lol she helps keep me honest with myself about what I eat and how much I exercise. Even when I cant make it to zumba because of kids and work. Its always on my mind! She makes everything sooo fun. Thanks Ray for just being you. Thanks vokol Sokol for sharing this with all of us
“She’s like warm sunlight on my face when I’m cold”
That simple statement says it all. I’ve tried for years to describe the feeling I get went I see Raylnne and attend one of her classes. Her caring and encouraging soul are an inspiration.
Thank you for sharing this story for others to see.
Shhh… It is already hard enough to get into Ralynne’s classes. She is just that awesome. My week isn’t complete if I can’t go to her lift class. Did I tell you about the time I took Randy to her class with me? It was rough.
I love Ralynne! She is so full of positive energy! I was invited to her tuesday Zumba class by my sister-in-law that lives by the rec center. I was going thru a very difficult time and my workouts always help me. As we were waiting for the class to start I was thinking to myself:” What are you doing at a gym going to a class! You only workout at home so you don’t look like a dork in front of other people!” LOL Anyway, I had so much fun with Raylnnne that I was totally hooked! The drive from my home in Lehi is sooo worth it! She is a awesome lady!
Thanks Kristin for your blog about Raylynne. I feel the same way about her. Zumba with Ray is a blast! The girl can shake her booty!! She inspires, motivates and challenges me in her Zumba and Lift classes (and yesterday’s Lift class definately was challenging-ouch! my triceps too) Thanks Raylynne for being so open and sharing your story with us, and for helping me on my journey to bring back the fit, athletic and confident person in myself that I thought was lost for good.
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