Good Evening Nation,

One of the reasons I am writing tonight is to send you all my deepest, heartfelt THANKS…

2010 has been a wonderful year for my little company and I want to say to each of you how grateful I am to have had your support through this incredible journey called “GYMRATZZ.”

A quick, little story…..
What you may not know is that GYMRATZZ, INC. started out as nothing more than a website address my Mom bought for me back in 2001. Without any kind of plan, (or the money to do it) I had this little vision of someday having a fitness business, of helping people change their lives…always the Mega-dreamer, that’s me.

All these years later, after countless classes, a lot of sweat, extreme early hours, and tons of push-ups, GYMRATZZ has evolved into what it is now—a family of support. This year we celebrated many pounds lost, much self-confidence regained, and friendships found everywhere you look in The Nation. Again, I am grateful. I am blessed to be surrounded with good fortune and good people. I know what it means to have nothing but the drive to build something out of that nothing, and with the help and support of my family-friends, I have learned that ANYTHING is possible. I would like to give back in any way I can for what I have received.

It is in that spirit of gratitude and friendship that I would like to announce that GYMRATZZ, INC. has adopted two families this holiday season. The folks at “Our Daily Bread” in Fairfax have matched us up with these two families in need.

I am asking my GYMRATZZ family to help give these families, these parents and kids, a wonderful Christmas. Whatever you can do will certainly be appreciated. NO DONATION IS TOO SMALL! GYMRATZZ, INC. will be supplying the families with complete Christmas dinners and plenty of food to stock their shelves to get the New Year started right.

Since most all of you know where and when to find me, you can bring your donations to the morning classes (Gold’s), the ChatterRatZZ bootcamps (9am M-W-F), or to my Studio in Stafford. If you prefer to give money, I will supply you with a receipt and have my shoppers (Lea & Bougie?) get the goods bought. “To & Froms” will be put on all packages so the kids know how many new GYMRATZZ friends they have!

We need to get rolling! I will be delivering all the goodies to these families on the 23rd of December. If anyone wants to help on delivery day, let me know!

I appreciate in advance your help RatZZ. Christmas is supposed to be a magical time. Please join me in making a difference and bringing the comfort and warmth we feel everyday into the lives of those less fortunate than us. Grateful.

Love,
Mega

Erin Reilly
“Megatron”
Owner/President of GYMRATZZ, INC.
www.gymratzz.com

I am one lucky GYMRAT. When I landed in Virginia almost five years ago, I didn’t realize I would find the best people in the world living here.

The first thing any good “Gymrat” does in a new town is find the nearest gym…the nearest Gold’s Gym, to be precise. Why? BODYPUMP, Baby. You have to be loyal to the brand and Mega drank that Kool-Aid a long time ago…

What happens next is a chain of events that would one day give birth to a Nation.

I was asked to substitute for another Instructor who would be out of town for awhile:

“No problem,” I said.

“The only thing is, she teaches almost every morning at 5am-ish,” they said. “Can you do that? No one else really wants to.”

“Yeah…yeah, I can do that,” I smiled.

If you know me, then you know the rest is proverbial “history.”

When I announced that I was moving to Fredericksburg three years ago, I received about thirty-five emails (mostly from Ed) of panic about what was to become of our morning classes. Would Mega still teach up here in Woodbridge? Yes, of course I would…and I’ll do one better than that. That’s when the idea of GYMRATZZ started to formulate in my mind.

Have you ever had a conversation with yourself about an “impossible” dream?

“You can do that,” the voice in your head says.

“How am I going to pay for it? What if it doesn’t work,” you say.

“Whatever…you’ll figure it out; you always do,” the voice in your head says louder. “Don’t be a pussy. Just do it. Believe in yourself.”

Sometimes it pays to listen to the voices in your head.

The thing is, I have never let fear of the unknown stop me. Not ever. You have to do the things in life that you believe in. You have to believe that it will work. You have to see it working in your mind and know that you can create the thing you want; you can have anything you want if you want it with all of your heart. There is no such thing as “impossible” or a hopeless situation. That is the truth.

“Leap and the net will appear.”

Two years ago, GYMRATZZ, Inc. had its opening day. Then, it was just a Personal Training Studio. Today it is a living, breathing thing because today it is a strong group of people; it is a Nation. My morning crew might not believe this, but I am a morning person. Just don’t bombarde me with a lot of questions or meaningless information when I hit the door and we will get along fine. Learn to LOVE your nickname because no one will remember your real name anymore. I will take you on an entertaining sweat-fest, a comical but caring ass-kicking that will set up your day for success. That was and is my wish for the people that come to my Gold’s classes. We have built a family in the morning; what was once twelve or fifteen people in class has soared to forty-plus most mornings and for that, I am grateful.

The BOOTCAMPS have brought people together that live down the street from each other, but may have never met before. Friendships have been formed and networks have been put in place, all in the spirit of support. They tell me that I bring people together—that it is one of my gifts, and for that, I am grateful.

As the GYMRATZZ Nation grows, every week and almost every day, one of my Ratzz comes to me and tells me about their personal story. They say I have motivated them, inspired them, they say I have given them confidence, they say their blood pressure is down or they are off medicines now, or that they have lost numerous clothing sizes, pounds and inches. They say that I have changed their life, some even say I have saved their life…

But the GYMRATZZ have actually changed and saved my life, and for that, I am Mega-Grateful.

Happy Anniversary RatZZ….

You are loved,

Mega