By Christopher Stephens
The Herald Bulletin, Anderson, Ind.
WWR Article Summary (tl;dr) The Co-founders of “Aerial Fit2Fly” are sure their bungee workout, a relatively new type of high-intensity, low-impact system brought to the U.S. from Thailand, will bring gymnasts from across Central Indiana.
ANDERSON
Aerial Fit2Fly’s ribbon cutting Friday was a circus — in all the right ways.
Attached to bungee harnesses or pastel-colored silks, fitness buffs bounded, climbed and bounced around the newly-opened studio, trying their hand at the low-impact, high-intensity bungee workouts.
“Last summer I saw a video of this, and there was nowhere around here that offered it, so I decided I would do it, and from that tiny idea grew a huge dream,” said co-owner Charity Rees.
Rees and co-owner Lindsay Montgomery spoke to a packed fitness studio at their grand opening ribbon cutting, which along with providing attendees a chance to try out the equipment offered Creatures of Habit brewing, a live band and food at the location at 901 Meridian St. in Anderson.
As the only two licensed instructors in Indiana, Rees and Montgomery are sure their bungee workout, a relatively new type of high-intensity, low-impact system brought to the U.S. from Thailand, will bring gymnasts from across Central Indiana.
Along with the bungee workouts, they also offer classes in aerial yoga trapeze, bounce fit, silk and pole workouts, and barre classes. Enrollment is open now at aerialfit2fly.com and classes begin July 1.
The studio will also offer memberships beginning in August.
Aerial Fit2Fly began life at the first Madison County Vesuvius Co-working Pitch Night in January.
Rees won over the crowd with her impassioned story of fighting her way back from obesity and a debilitating spinal injury by finding high-intensity, low-impact bungee workouts. After flying to Arizona to meet with an instructor, Rees said it was a natural fit.
The duo credited the pitch night win with offering clout to their idea, which some people had a hard time understanding, Rees said.
Before the win, as they were searching for locations or approaching banks and developers for financing or help, Rees said many people didn’t take them seriously or were reticent to invest because the fitness industry can be turbulent.
But after the win, all that changed.
“All of a sudden they looked at us as entrepreneurs, instead of two crazy girls,” she said.
Vesuvius founder Shane Bivens said Friday that, though winning the pitch night offered Aerial Fit2Fly a little over $7,000 in startup funding, the real win was giving them an accolade to hang their hat on.
“I have already told them this: If they fail, it’s not because of a lack of community support, because they clearly have that,” Bivens said.
