Member Spotlight: Gay Gullickson
Gay Gullickson has been active since she was a child, even in spite of complications from polio that have made activities like walking difficult as she’s gotten older. As an adult, she swims at the pool at the Balance Gym in Foggy Bottom several times a week, and works out twice a week with personal trainer Amanda Schmidt, which has helped her get stronger and increase her physical fitness.
Name: Gay Gullickson
Occupation: Professor Emerita of History, University of Maryland, College Park
Balance Location: Balance Gym Foggy Bottom
How long have you been a member?
I have been a member since Balance Gym opened at the Fairmont. Before that I was a member of several other health clubs in the same location.
Tell us a little more about yourself and your fitness background.
As a child, I swam competitively, but that ended when I had polio at age 12. I continued to swim a lot and that, combined with walking with crutches, kept my upper body strong. Around the year 2000 my knees gave out and I started using a wheelchair. I kept swimming, but very slowly lost strength. So when the gym offered one free session with a personal trainer, I thought “why not?” It has been a great experience and I am much stronger than I was when I started working out with Amanda.
How often do you come to the gym?
I work out with Amanda twice a week and try to swim three times a week, but some weeks, I only make it to the pool twice rather than three times.
What are your favorite types of workouts?
I like everything I do with Amanda, plus I am a swimmer at heart.
How has working with a personal trainer helped you achieve your fitness goals?
Without a personal trainer my arms and upper body would have continued to get weaker. I will never be as strong as I was in my 20s, 30s, and 40s, but I may get back to the strength I had in my 50s. Either way, I am very happy to have found this way to increase my physical fitness, and I am looking forward to getting even stronger as time passes.
What advice do you have for people looking to get more into fitness and working out?
Working out makes me stronger and makes me feel much better. I recommend it to everyone.
#BalanceLife is: one of the best things I do for myself.