A note from our captain, Marisa Romeo

Hey everyone!

I’m at home for the summer doing an internship as a personal trainer at the Winston Salem Athletic Republic and taking some Health and Exercise Science classes at Wake Forest. Athletic Republic. Is. Awesome. It’s the coolest and most advanced gym I’ve ever stepped foot in and been a part of and I’m so excited to be working there! Their philosophy is all about training explosive and power muscles so that you get faster, stronger, and quicker. And it really works – I’ve noticed a difference in the athletes I’ve trained and in myself! I get to work with an awesome and super knowledgeable trainer and I’m learning so much. It’s also super fun to meet and get to know all the different athletes who come in to train. There is such an array of athletes, from college football and soccer players to ten year old basketball players. I workout there three times a week – it is the most mentally and physically challenging exercise I think I’ve ever done and I feel so exhausted afterwards. But it’s so worth it!

Here’s some pictures of Athletic Republic:

This is a photo of the gym. The turf is where we warm up – each warm up consists of 15 minutes dynamic stretching and agility. Every agility sequence we do forward, we also do backwards to engage all muscles!

This is a picture of the treadmills. They aren’t just ordinary treadmills – they go up to 40% incline and 30mph. People can run crazy fast on them!!

I also train athletes on the plyometric floor.  I call out a sequence of numbers that you have to jump to and from. Sometimes you jump over foam blocks and sometimes you’re strapped into the floor to add resistance. The goal is to be as fast as possible – it’s super fun to watch and do!

Other than that, I’ve been having some quality family time, playing some soccer and tennis, watching the World Cup, and enjoying the free time. I can’t wait to watch the World Cup final – the games have been awesome so far. I’m going down to Florida for July 4^th which I’m super excited about!

I’m excited for the rest of the summer and can’t wait to see everyone in August!! Miss you guys, love to everyone <3   --Marisa