Member Spotlight: Melissa!
This month, Melissa Gallagher earns the spotlight for her commitment to herself. Del started training Melissa four years ago, at which point she had not been exercising regularly. Since then, she has made herself and her fitness a huge priority in her complicated and busy life. She is a regular evening class attendee and recently completed her first triathlon this year after training with Delirium.
There’s more to her story; read on to meet Melissa—and Thank you Melissa for representing the Delirium spirit!
Tell us about your life outside of Delirium:
My life outside of Delirium is very busy! My number one focus is my 14-year old son, Carson. He was born with a rare genetic condition called Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome and as a result he is physically and developmentally disabled. He is the light of my life and my reason for getting up every morning. He loves to get out in the community and be social, so we are always on the go! While Carson is in school, I work part-to-full time as an investment analyst/researcher at Foresight Capital Management Advisors, Inc. in Saline. When I have time, I love to cook, read, and sneak in the occasional episode of mindless TV.
How long have you been with Delirium?
I met Del 4 years ago when I had signed up for an obstacle course training through the Saline Rec Center. I was by no means athletic and had never competed in that kind of event so I thought proper training would be in order. I arrived at day one of the training with Del at Mill Pond Park and discovered that I was the only one in class! I tried to politely bow out and go back to the car and she said “no, we are doing this!” (you know how persistent Del can be!). Del worked me out for an hour by myself flipping tires, running around the park, and doing rope waves. I left wondering who I had just met and what the heck I had gotten myself into! I returned for further training sessions (and a few others eventually joined me) and successfully competed in the race. Much to my surprise, I enjoyed the challenges of Del’s workouts. A couple of months later, she called me to ask if I’d consider working out with her and a small group of women in her basement. I reluctantly said yes (again, I wasn’t in shape or athletic) and the rest is history! I’ve seen Delirium Fitness grow from a small basement studio to what it is now and I’m so proud to be a part of this group.
What differences have you seen in your physical abilities since you started?
My upper body strength has improved tremendously. Caring for a 70-lb child who cannot walk independently requires physical stamina. When he was younger, I could still carry him at times and lift him with ease. Now that he’s bigger and heavier, I still assist him, but I do make him do a lot of the work with my help. Before I started working out with Del I was content with my body image. I’ve never been overweight, but until I started working out regularly, I realized that I really was not in shape. Now that I’m in my mid-40s it’s important to me to stay healthy and strong both on the inside and out. I love being able to lift things without struggling and my running game has greatly improved with the combined cardio and strength training. In the past four years I’ve run numerous races, both 5k and 10k distances.
What gains have you seen in your mental well-being?
Working out at Delirium has done wonders for my mental health. I’ve been through a lot of personal changes in my life the past couple of years, and I can’t emphasize enough what a positive impact the Delirium classes have had on mw. Even when I’ve been tired or grumpy, I make myself go and always leave feeling better that I went. Plus, I sleep better (and deeper) after a good workout! Being able to go to Delirium and be around fun people, listen to great music, and push my body to its limits always makes me feel better. They are like a second family to me!
What do you love most about Delirium?
What’s not to love? The trainers are fantastic (and fun), and I have made so many friendships along the way! What probably impresses me the most is that in four years I have never done the exact same workout twice. The fact that the Delirium team is always thinking outside the box and making the workouts challenging and varied makes for fun, exciting, energy-filled sessions. Everyone is relaxed and supportive and always encouraging their workout partner. There is no competition amongst the members…my only competition is with myself. I love the changes I’ve seen in my body and the sense of family. I can’t imagine not having Delirium fitness as part of my lifestyle!
