To celebrate Pride Month, our incredible group of Gymondo fitness trainers and staff members share what Pride and supporting their LGBTTQIA+ community means to them.
June is officially Pride Month, a time dedicated to celebrating LGBTTQIA+ communities all around the world. In honor of this month and its importance, we asked our fitness trainers and staff members to share what Pride means to them.
Alison Earley, Fitness Trainer
“Pride is my favorite time of year! It brings such fabulous energy to London and I love to show my support to all of my friends in the LGBTTQIA+ community.
“Usually, there’s a huge Pride celebration at Trafalgar Square each year, which is so electric. I’ve even had the chance to dance on the main stage in previous years to raise money for the LGBTTQIA+community. The energy, openness and overall vibe is always incredible. I’m so happy that Pride creates so much awareness and is celebrated by so many.
“This year, I’m having an outdoor gathering with my closest LGBTTQIA+ friends. My party will be full of glitter and banging Pride music!
“During June, I always keep my Pride playlist on repeat for all of my fitness classes to shed some light on this important month and its significance.”
Marife Sanvictores, Head of Content
“Pride is all about love, respect, inclusivity and acceptance. I grew up with the golden rule, ‘do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’ As a child and a visible minority, I experienced racism and was often judged by my appearance. I didn’t understand how someone could be so mean to me without knowing who I was.
As a child and a visible minority, I experienced racism and was often judged by my appearance.
“We’re all unique and deserve to live our lives with love and happiness. If you’re not harming anyone, why does it matter if someone lives a different lifestyle than yours? The LGBTTQIA+ is the voice that gets stronger each year. It’s within this community that people can feel safe, accepted and encouraged to be different.
“From Vancouver to Berlin, I join the Pride parade each year because it’s the one day that the message of love and acceptance is shouted with PRIDE around the world. It’s so beautiful to see everyone shine as brightly as they should. The energy is electrifying and the love and smiles are contagious. I wish it could be Pride every day. The world would be a much happier and more colorful place.”
Faye Anderson, Fitness Trainer
“Over the years, I’ve partied my way through many Pride celebrations and loved every single moment! This year, the celebrations are much smaller, but I’ll still stay in touch and be there for my LGBTTQIA+ friends who might need a little extra time, chats, light and energy this year.
“My training philosophy is to treat all who work out with me equally and fairly. The best I can do for my own personal growth and knowledge is to continually educate myself and my own children on the topic and encourage equality and fair treatment for all humans. Acceptance should never be a question.”
Warren Douglas, Customer Support
“Even though I grew up in a remote village in northern Germany, it didn’t stop me from finding my first partner. I met him in a supermarket in the next town over at a time when there was no such thing as online dating.
“Even though it was very provincial, I never experienced homophobia. People didn’t care if you were gay or straight—just how it should be.
People didn’t care if you were gay or straight—just how it should be.
“Later on, I found refuge in Berlin. Here, I felt and still feel a great sense of liberation. In my opinion, we can only be liberated if and when we come together collectively. We conquer hearts when we open them and allow others who are different from us to stand with us. Happy Pride month!”
Denise Harlass, Fitness Trainer
“For me, everybody is equal. We’re all humans who feel love, no matter what form it comes in. All I see is a person’s heart and smile and there’s absolutely no difference between males, females or non-binaries. In my view, love looks the same across genders and cultures.”
Kristy Crowley, Senior Copywriter
“I grew up in a small town in Missouri. From a very young age, I was always involved in sports. During my senior year of high school, I was offered a scholarship to play basketball for Illinois State. Growing up, I tried to hide my true identity because Missouri was so conservative. I thought college would be different, but what I found was that I wasn’t the only one shielding my authentic self. My teammates and coaches were also living a closeted life.
I no longer feel ashamed or judged for whom I choose to love and I’m damn proud of my journey.
“It took me moving to New York City in my early 20s to finally live authentically. And after moving abroad to Copenhagen and now Berlin, I’m proudly open about my sexuality and actively support the LGBTTQIA+ community. Who would have thought I’d find my chosen family in a foreign country? I no longer feel ashamed or judged for whom I choose to love and I’m damn proud of my journey.”
Linda Krueger, Influencer Marketing Manager
“During my teenage years, I was just like every other girl growing up in my neighborhood—mostly drawn to boys. My dad, who was successful yet conservative, was my first male role model. So, when choosing my first boyfriend, I was looking for the same characteristics. While my first partner shared similar characteristics as my father, there were some major issues that I chose to ignore.
“I always sought out healthy and solid relationships but it always seemed to come with a price. After my first heterosexual relationship, I started to question my own gender and sexuality, but waved it off as ‘weird’ and thought that it would pass. Looking back, I was simply afraid of going down that path. When I finally took the first step, I was surprised by how right it felt.
Coming out as a bisexual woman included many question marks along my journey, but I’m really proud to feel more like myself now more than ever before.
“Coming out as a bisexual woman included many question marks along my journey, but I’m really proud to feel more like myself now more than ever before. Luckily, my friends and family are open-minded. It also helps that Berlin is such a great city to be free and express your love in whatever form it may take without judgment.”
Isabelle Spiegelberg, People Manager
“Pride month should be a time where the LGBTTQIA+ community’s voices are amplified. It’s their time to shine and celebrate all their beauty and show the world why their freedom to be who they are is so important.
“Because of my great interest in all topics revolving around social justice, diversity and inclusion, Pride month is a time of reflection for me—what’s changed, what work is left to do and what topics and perspectives haven’t received enough attention yet? Ultimately, it’s a time to reflect—this not only goes for me but for society as a whole.
“I ask myself ‘where can I do better, how can I help and how can I be a better ally in my private life as well as in my professional life?’
“When I think about why Pride is so important, I think about the Christopher Street Day march in Berlin and the *Voguing Balls I’ve attended. These events have shown me how wonderful it can be when people feel safe and free to express themselves and are accepted and celebrated just the way they are.”
*Voguing Balls are German drag balls.
Simon Gruenenwald, CEO
“At Gymondo, we honor and respect every member of the LGBTTQIA+ community. We welcome all talents, regardless of gender, cultural, religious or social background, sexual orientation or identity. Diversity, equality and inclusion are cornerstones of our company values. We foster an inclusive workplace encouraging real engagement among all employees to help us deliver on our aspiration to be the leading online fitness company for our diverse community.”
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