Today we’d like to introduce you to Helen Pelayo Masferrer.
Helen, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My Journey began in 2012 when I turned 30 and had just had my third baby. I made a promise to myself that I would live my 30’s different than my 20’s. I wanted to be healthy and not feel trapped in my body. So I committed to moving for 30 minutes every day. It started with dancing in my room and then you tube at home workouts, park workouts, running, and even obstacle races. 2 years later I had lost 100 lbs and had completely shifted my daily habits. I decided to get my personal training certificate so I could create bootcamps for new moms at the local park but In 2014 I was laid off from my job and I applied at a local women’s gym for a front desk position so i could get to know people that exercised. My fitness journey was very personal and I knew that if I wanted to continue I was going to have to find friends that were also active. That front desk position interview turned into something completely different as the owner had just opened a weight loss transformation bootcamp and needed a manager and she thought I was perfect for the job so she hired me for that! The gym was wildly successful and the owner opened up five more so I became a regional manager and then it became a franchise and my wife and I became franchisees. That’s what brought us to Oregon in 2018! Unfortunately in 2020 the CEO passed away of and the franchise began to shift and i was no longer aligned with their vision so we separated from the Franchise and we continued on as Lobos Gym. Lobos Gym is much more than JUST fitness. Exercise to me has been healing in so many ways. I want Lobos to reflect that so I want my clients to feel like a part of a wolfpack community and fall in love with movement. Finding their inner and physical strength in the gym translates to the outside world and the quality of our lives.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Not one bit. Moving to Oregon was a decision we made overnight because an incredible opportunity was presented to us. I love oregon so much but it has been incredibly hard to move away from family. Business wise we have not been able to recover from the pandemic. It’s been 6 years and we can’t quite find ways to get our memberships up as busy as it was prior to 2020.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Lobos Gym is a group fitness gym where we offer group classes for those that are looking for guidance from a coach at an affordable rate. We set up strength and HIIT style circuits to help our clients be functionally strong and healthy. We dim the lights and blast the music as we guide you through a very organized and smooth circuit! We have a main focus of creating community and our clients come in pretty regularly so they make life long friends! We also have small group barbell classes and other specialty classes to expand our clients love for movement and also have been doing monthly group hikes every month for the past 8 years!
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Seeing people realize how much movement can affect your daily life. From gaining confidence in themselves, to being better parents or partners they see how much having a fitness routine adds on to their life
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lobosgympdx.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lobosgympdx/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559669890568
