Dec 27, 2022

 by Mike Bevard

December Warrior of the Month!!

Alyson has been training with us for the past 8 years. We both come from the same town of Columbus, NE and she's a fellow Discoverer which is why she's so awesome! :)

She bleeds the black and gold and everything we stand for at TFW-Lincoln.

She's ALL IN on the training, mindset and charity work and is the type of person that lifts others up and brings the FUN when she comes in. 

The TFW-Lincoln Team is proud to honor you as our December Warrior of the Month and are grateful to have you be a part of our Familia! We can't wait to see all you accomplish in the year ahead! 

Check out what Alyson has to say about her experience with us: 

What's your life like outside of the gym?

We're busy busy busy! Our daughter Lennon (5th grade) is in several dance classes, theatre, soccer, and active in school activities.

Our son Aidan (8th grade) also plays soccer (his dad is the coach), and basketball, and dabbles in golf.

We have a cat named Willa I Am, and a rescue pup named Banjo. He's a Rebound Coonhound and that's been an interesting experience, but we can't imagine life without his goofy personality.

My husband Dylan (who also has been known to frequent the Dojo) and I have been married for 18 years, and traveling the world is one of our all time favorite things to do. This year we made it to Portland, Oregon, Nashville, Tennessee, and Colombia, South America. Iceland is on my bucket list, but I think Italy is probably our next big trip.

I am a Customer Success Manager for a company called Perceptyx, which provides employee surveys for some of the world's largest companies. We enable people and organizations to thrive. When employees are engaged at work, they are better family members, spouses, friends, community members, etc. I appreciate that my work can affect so many lives.

I love rollercoasters, Harry Potter, Mexican food, and scary movies.

In my spare time (ha!) I like to cook or try new recipes (send 'em my way!), spend time with friends having good food and drinks, plan my next trip, and read.

We've been known to binge a good TV series or two in the soccer off-season, so always open to recommendations!

And you can always find us tailgating on a Husker home game Saturday. GBR!

What was something you found difficult to do before coming to TFW-Lincoln?

Accountability was so hard for me. 

Any kind of 'big box' gym was never going to work. And forget about working out on my own at home (or apartment complex gym, etc).

I would start something for a week or two, then just stop, because it was easy to give up. I didn't have anyone to show up for (apparently myself was not enough), and the habits never formed.

TFW-Lincoln started by giving me a 6 week challenge to keep me accountable, with coaches checking in constantly and a support system, and a goal to work toward. All the while I was creating a habit, working out 3x/week at the same time each day, which was HUGE for building consistency in my schedule.

Once I started planning around it, I started actually looking forward to it, then MISSING it when I had to be gone a day.

Who was this person who was excited to go to the gym?!

How is TFW-Lincoln different from what you’ve done in the past?

There is so much more community with TFW-Lincoln than you'll find anywhere else.

The people there ask about my family, they know me as a person, my likes & dislikes, what I did last weekend, if I'm sick they check in on me.

We laugh, we tell jokes, we get coffee or breakfast. They cheer me on and encourage me.

I'm my authentic self there, maybe moreso than in other areas of my life sometimes.

The workouts are so customizable. There is always a modification if you need something different. And you should never be afraid to do something different, listen to your body.

I hurt my back about a year ago and while it killed me to back off certain exercises and not lift heavy, I knew I was still getting a lot of benefit from the modifications. I could have chosen to not show up at all!

There is also a mental health component that you won't find at other gyms. This is so important and there just isn't enough focus and support on mental health, I really appreciate that Mike makes it a priority.

How are you better as a result of joining TFW Lincoln?

I'm the strongest, physically and mentally, that I've ever been. I still have goals to reach though.

Age is just a number, I am so impressed and inspired by the people I train with, that prove to me that you don't need to be in your 20s to look your best.

I hit a goal weight this year that I've been chasing for what feels like forever, and it is because persistence pays off.

Not crash diets and schemes. Small changes, added up, over time, that become healthy habits.

That's what I've gotten good at with TFW-Lincoln. Not perfection, but consistency.

What keeps you coming back?

My Friday morning social club, of course! Only sort of joking...

The friendships I've made are a big part of the reason I look forward to the Dojo.

I tell people all the time I'm an introvert, so I don't exactly seek out new social networks.

The sense of community, the way that the workouts meet you where you are, and the fact that I've now made this part of my lifestyle are all reasons I can't stay away.

What would you say to someone thinking about joining?

Give it a legitimate chance to change your life.

Listen to the advice. Try some recipes. Schedule the workouts into your week. Give yourself a chance to build those habits.

When I don't feel like going to class I tell myself "I've never regretted showing up, but I have regretted NOT showing up".

I think you'll regret not joining :)