GREENVILLE — F45 Training will celebrate their first anniversary in Greenville with an Open House event Saturday, September 16, from 12 to 4 p.m. The event will include refreshments, door prizes donated by local businesses including Sadie Grace, Ace Hardware, Marco’s Pizza, and Brenda’s Beanery, and specials on new memberships that will continue until November 1.
Melissa Riethman and her husband, Craig, along with partners Kurt and Nicole Moneysmith, officially opened F45’s Greenville location in October of last year, after offering free classes and workouts throughout the previous month. TheF45 corporation is based in Australia and has franchises in Piqua and Celina, as well as in numerous other U.S. states and in 22 countries worldwide.
F45 Greenville opened with 45 members in 2016, and now boasts 107.
Riethman said that celebrating their members’ accomplishments has been her favorite part of the experience of running F45, from relatively small milestones like being able to jog uphill to enjoy a nice view while on vacation, to one member who struggled after suffering partial paralysis from a stroke.
“When she came,” Riethman said of the latter client, “other members started saying, ‘Now we have no excuses.’ She really inspired a lot of us.”
And that’s just one story, Riethman said.
“I love seeing the results people have been getting,” said Riethman. “And hearing stories of people being able to try new things that they couldn’t do before.”
Part of what makes F45 a different experience from your average gym, said Riethman, is the supportive atmosphere among the members.
“We have a good sense of community here,” Riethman said. “No one feels judged or stared at. We really celebrate each other’s successes.”
And the facility’s employees play a crucial role as well.
“A lot relies on our trainers and staff,” Riethman said. “It’s important that we have trainers here to work with people, and that, no matter how they’re feeling, they smile and create a good environment for everyone. Exercise should be fun – it shouldn’t be a chore.”
Another thing that sets F45 apart, according to Riethman, is that the workouts change every day, so you never have to do the same one twice.
“A friend of mine recently did her 1000th workout,” Riethman said, “and she says not one day was ever the same.”
Riethman became involved with F45 while working out at a location in St Mary’s, Ohio. After being offered a position managing another gym by a family friend, she instead chose to contact F45 about opening a location in Darke County. The process from that point included looking for locations, meeting with corporate officers over FaceTime and Skype, and flying to Las Vegas for a week for training.
“Instead of trading my hours for someone else’s future,” Riethman said of the decision, “I thought it would be more beneficial to start making a difference in a different county.”
F45 is located at 120 West Third St in downtown Greenville.
