NO EXCUSES!

From www.courierjournal.net, 11/21/2012

MUSCLE SHOALS – Anytime Fitness honored Shoals resident, Allison Wetherbee, as a National Member Success Story Winner at the company’s annual conference in Chicago earlier this fall. She was one of only four out of the company’s 1.5 million members to receive the prestigious award.

Ms. Wetherbee was born without arms or legs. She works full-time for Camp ASCCA Easter Seals, Alabama’s Special Camp for Children and Adults. She joined Anytime Fitness in Muscle Shoals last February.

Wetherbee, 41, visited several other fitness clubs in the area before deciding to join Anytime Fitness. However, staff members at the other clubs weren’t sure they could help her. “No one refused to help me, but I could tell by the expressions in their faces that they just weren’t sure what they could do,” Wetherbee said. “l got a completely different response when I showed up at Anytime Fitness. Personal Trainer, Drew Norton was genuinely excited by the challenge of developing a workout plan that would work for me. We have a lot of fun together.”

Wetherbee decided to join a gym because she was experiencing pain in her back and she wanted to lose some weight. “My goal is to lose 30 pounds by the end of the year,” she said. “l’ve already lost 12 pounds in just a few months and I feel great.”

“Allison was selected as a Success Story Winner for a number of reasons,” said Dave Mortensen, president and co-founder of Anytime Fitness. “The most common excuse people use for not exercising regularly is that they don’t have enough time. Allison doesn’t make excuses, although it certainly would be understandable if she did. She leads an extremely active lifestyle. She understands fully that in order to get the most out of life we all need to invest the time to be as healthy as we can be. She is a true inspiration.”

“l’m very proud of, but honestly not surprised by, our staff’s reaction to Allison,” said club owner Mark Stevens. “We focus on individual needs and try to help every new remember achieve their fitness goals regardless of his or her limitations.”

Wetherbee’s workout routine involves a series of “scoots,” crunches, twists and resistance training. Trainer Drew Norton lifts her out of her motorized wheelchair and leads her through exercises at various stations throughout the gym.

“From the minute I met her, I wanted to do whatever I could to help her,” Norton said. “When other members see Allison working out, they tell me, ‘l’m done making excuses – forever.”’

Wetherbee also wrote a book that was published in 2009 called, “l Was Born This Way.” Additional information about her is available at her website, www.livinglimbless.com.

Anytime Fitness was founded in 2002. It is now the fastest-growing fitness club franchise in the world with more than 1.5 million members in 1,950 clubs throughout 49 states and 12 foreign countries.

Allison Wetherbee in Chicago with Anytime Fitness co-founders, Dave Mortensen and Chuck Runyon. Courtesy photo.