Wright’s Gym is introducing its newest member spotlight, Monica Cwynar. Monica is an inspirational figure who has improved her life with fitness while at the same time working to improve the lives of others for a living. She has trained at Wright’s Gym for four years, works with a number of our trainers in both combat sports and fitness and has become a cherished friend in our community. We would like to recognize Monica for being a hardworking, goal oriented individual whose character stands out not only in our community but also in many outside our gym. She does an outstanding amount of community work in a number of ways that truly shows her care for those around her. For this reason she is our next member spotlight, and we believe her story will inspire many to improve the quality of their lives starting here at Wright’s Gym.
At Wright’s Gym, if you are a motivated, goal driven person who seeks to improve themselves, you will be noticed. This has been exactly the case with Monica. She is an inspiration to be alongside and offers nothing but encouragement to her peers. She has proven that no matter how much is on your plate, there is no excuse to not be at Wright’s Gym working to better yourself. Trust me, if you’re familiar with the Pittsburgh area, you’d understand her commitment as she makes the drive from Squirrel Hill. Her attitude of getting work done both inside and outside of the gym is exactly the kind we want to share with our community in hopes of inspiring many.
Monica is a licensed therapist and maintains several other jobs. She owns a business, works in hospice, teaches at two universities, works for the Pittsburgh Penguins and provides therapy for children through the Three Rivers Adoption Council. Her business is called CHEC, which stands for Cultural Humility and Equity Collaborative. Recently it worked with the city of Pittsburgh’s Public Safety bureaus to create a training curriculum for Police, Fire and EMS bureaus to educate first responders on how to better serve our communities. She also has been working with partners on writing a book and starting podcasts related to offering life advice. An amazing quality of Monica is her drive to aid her community in as many ways as she can, never settling with small victories but always striving for more. Despite her workload, it’s amazing to believe she still makes it to Wright’s every week to train. She will tell you that exercise gives her the ability to handle it all.
Before training at Wright’s Gym, Monica had a love for the sport of kickboxing. The sport was not only a great fit for her but kept her in great shape. Unfortunately, she suffered a knee injury that required surgery and was unable to continue. Despite this, she decided to give boxing a try and found our trainer Francis Braza online.
Monica had nothing but positive things to say about working with Francis. Not only has it been a way for her to enjoy sports, but a great way to stay healthy. She stated that Francis is an incredibly positive individual who has worked closely with her to keep her on the right track both physically and mentally. It even led her to begin training with another one of our personal trainers, Major, in exercise and weight training for the past few years. She currently spends three days a week strength training and two days a week boxing. She is proud to boast a 115 lb. bench press and continues to get stronger as the weeks go by. In her own words, coming to Wright’s Gym has changed her life. If she is ever feeling discouraged about her progress, she says her trainers are there to instantly motivate her and give her the advice she needs to remain on track.
Monica will be the first to tell you that the benefits from boxing and fitness span across all parts of her life. First, boxing has been a great form of exercise that is easy on her joints and mentally engaging. Another tremendous advantage has been fighting health risks like high blood pressure and diabetes. Monica’s doctor informed her that the decision to exercise in her late forties and early fifties has not only saved her life but extended it. The list continues as she has gained independence and freedom from physical limitations she experienced in the past. On her recent vacation to Las Vegas, she handled hours of walking for days on end to enjoy the most out of her time there. She is truly an example of how the benefits of fitness offer you so many advantages in life. Whether it is enjoying your vacation even more or handling a very busy schedule, Monica is living proof of the benefits fitness has to offer.
According to Monica, to train at Wright’s Gym is to make a lifestyle change. No matter what your goals may be, small or large, at Wright’s the success is found in our comradery. You will be encouraged by the staff at the front desk, the trainers, the peers you are working alongside and even by owner Dave Wright himself as he is training right alongside you.
There is no better place to get your fitness journey started than at Wright’s Gym. We are thankful for the opportunity to offer individuals like Monica a place to improve their lives. We asked Monica about her advice on how someone should get started in fitness and she gave a passionate response on how easy we make it at Wright’s Gym. Monica stated that for someone like her as a middle-aged woman, she needed a place where she could come in, feel safe, get good instruction, not be at risk of injury and reach her goals. We aim for everyone to have this experience when coming to Wright’s Gym. We will continue to showcase individuals like Monica who deserve recognition for the work they’ve done for themselves and their impact as a member.
We thank Monica for allowing us to share her story in hopes that it inspires many to follow in her footsteps of self-improvement and love for their community.
This story previously appeared here.
