The sense of bettering yourself and making your mind and body stronger is a feeling that I have learned to love. I can only get this feeling from going to the gym. Specifically, The Lopes gym in Hawaii Kai, Hawaii. This gym was brand new to me when I came back from college this March. All college students across the nation were sent home from coronavirus earlier this year and because of coronavirus all the gyms in my state were closed for safety reasons. Now, for me, lifting weights is something I love to do because it helps ease my anxiety and boost my confidence. But I didn’t have a place to go to lift, so, I asked my friend from high school if I could lift at his house and he said yes. This is where my new space journey began.
The gym was very well put together. Multiple racks to do heavy lifts, medicine balls, free weights, bands, dumbbells, benches, everything you need and more. It was like a 24-hour fitness but only smaller. The gym was painted all black and was about the size of a normal sized bedroom. It smelt like sweat, rust and hard work in there, just like how any other gym would smell. But the gym was very open, so it had a nice breeze to it that would hit you while working out. It was very well put together if you asked me.
My first day driving over to the house, I was kind of nervous not knowing what to expect. Who was going to be there? Am I going to fit in? What if they are all bigger then me? These were all questions that flowed in my mind. When I got to the house, there were three guys: my friend from high school and two of his cousins. All of them looked like they came straight out of a body building magazine. So, as anyone would be, I was intimidated at first. But they all greeted me and welcomed me to their gym with kindness. Throughout my workout each one of them helped me with my technique and gave me tips on how to lift correctly. I felt comfortable being there and the gym was filled with positive energy. The other guys working out made me feel like I was a part of their group and it felt easy to be there. I was looking forward to coming back.
From the day I came back from college to present day, I have been to that gym. The gym is composed of many different people from different ethnicities and genders. One thing we have in common is the love for the gym and that brings us closer together. There are about 15 people who work out at The Lopes gym and I have made a connection with each one of them in some way. I am really glad that the people there accepted me into the new space, and I am excited and passionate to call that place my gym.
Cole's Blog 