“I like to see people win, however small or big that is,” Says Marlow Hicks, owner and coach at Fortify Fitness.
“When we're kids, we get trophies, stickers, all kinds of things. And then as an adult, you're supposed to do stuff and not get recognized for it. Celebrating every step on the path builds habits and supports people long-term as they head towards those big goals of strength, weight loss, and functional movement. We're with them for the whole journey.”
Marlow’s gym mirrors his own journey into CrossFit. After being an athlete all his life, he remembers thinking his last race on the University of Wisconsin Rowing team would be his last day of working out. After a couple of years without a regular fitness routine, his girlfriend (now wife) got him back into it.
“She basically got tired of me complaining and signed me up for CrossFit class. After day one, I was hooked. I was back. I felt like an athlete again. Being on a team, and having a community, it was all good. I became a coach after realizing what this sport has done for me.”
After years of coaching, Marlow made the leap into opening his own facility. In keeping with his holistic mindset, Fortify offers a lot more than a workout class.
“We look at whole health. We have our classes, which are a strength and conditioning class and CrossFit, a whole nutrition coaching session, and a recovery room with a cold plunge and a sauna for that hot-cold contrast. The coaching and the community are the big stars on top.”
Fortify offers a “no sweat intro” where new members can get clear on their goals, and talk through any past injuries or special considerations as they start their new fitness journey. But like most things, it’s not the destination, it’s the friends you make along the way.
“I think that's the thing I’m proudest of - we have members as young as 12, as old as 75, the movements might be modified differently, but we're all doing it together. This is a collective group of like-minded people who want you to achieve, and then it's going to help you along the way to your goals.”
"This is a collective group of like-minded people who want you to achieve, to help you along the way to your goals."