SAN ANTONIO – Two things women could find intimidating in the gym might be heavy weightlifting and other women. Based off what the women behind a local group that calls itself The Tribe have experienced, that could hinder women's chance of stepping into a CrossFit gym and building relationships with other women.
"We want to have some kind of common thing which is the gym. Even though it may be uncomfortable to come in here at first, just walking in is breaking down another wall of fear in the way we can just love on each other and serve each other in this gym," said Chelsea Vera, co-founder of The Tribe.
In 2018, one of the gym's coaches, Brooke Iglesias, created "Break Down The Walls,"a monthly class within the Tribe that is geared toward women.
After moving to Florida for college, she was reluctant to return to San Antonio, scared of reliving an unfulfilled life like she says she experienced in high school.
Brooke set out on a mission to create meaningful relationships. Her goal was to create a space that cultivates relationships that can get her and the other women through anything. Whether that be a hectic day chasing around a toddler, feelings of anxiety, or even a tough workout.
"It's a challenging arena and to come in there and break molds and break stereotypes. You could only do that with other women by your side representing as an example of what relationships can really look like," said Brooke.
Those relationships aren't just formed through the motivation and encouragement during the workout, but also afterwards where women take the time to share their struggles.
"The cool thing is the stories that we share, the testimonies at the end of workouts of 'hey this is the what I struggled with in the past and me being transparent with you all and teaching you all how I overcame it ...' Then we can continue to break down those walls because we really are stronger together," Chelsea said.
The next workout is happening August 25. Find all the details on their Facebook page.