Member Spotlight(s) – De and Vince!

We really can’t recall meeting De or Vince for the first time. Unassuming, quiet, and calm, they are not ones to cause a scene or make their presence known.  However, meet them and you feel like you’ve reconnected with your dearest childhood friends.  Members at PrimeTime since June 2012, it’s almost as if they’ve been around for much longer because of the comfortable, gentle, friendly nature that both of them possess.

Neither are strangers in a gym, especially Vince. Being an ex-athlete and having trained competitively for so long, Vince gravitates towards weight-lifting as his favorite form of exercise.  He has no trouble motivating himself to go to the gym and is a self-proclaimed gym- rat!  De, on the other hand, prefers outdoor activities – she loves swimming and biking – and her favorite way to get her sweat on indoors is hip-hop dancing, but Vince is often able to encourage her to join him for a gym workout.

When asked about their success at staying in shape over the years, De and Vince agree that

challenging themselves to step outside their comfort zones and try new classes and workout routines helps them avoid getting into a rut.  And what goes better with a great physical routine than clean eating habits . . . they have also put an emphasis on changing their dietary regimen as well.

Both De and Vince enjoy PrimeTime Fitness because of the family vibe that they feel when working out in the gym.  According to the two of them, “the staff genuinely cares about every person that walks through the door and that permeates the membership.  It’s cool to get to know the other trainers and members and honestly care about their progress.  That is not true of most gyms.”

Fitting in exercise around professional responsibilities is a priority for both De and Vince.

De is the Director of Humane Education at the Charleston Animal Society and makes appearances in the schools as “Ms. De” with their three-legged dog Louie (one of their many pets – they have one other dog and three cats).  Vince, staying in the athletic field, is the Founder and CEO of Balance Position, a company dedicated to helping student-athletes achieve and maintain optimal mental health and wellness in order to realize their full potential.  When they are not working or working out,  De and Vince love going to the beach with the dogs, cruising around the island on their bikes and golf cart, and being outside and enjoying the beautiful island in general. Vince likes to work in the garden while De enjoys reading on the breezy porch bed at home.  They are advocates for preserving, restoring and renovating historic and old houses.  Although they are not natives to the Sullivan’s Island, they agree that the transformation of Sullivan’s Island over the last 8 years has been difficult to witness … but they say “it is still a tremendous place to live for sure.”

They both hail from large immediate families – “Vince has six sisters, and De has two sisters and three brothers – she is the “Jan” of her family (if you don’t know who Jan is you are too young to be reading this).”

De traveled to Sydney, AU for an adventure after graduating from Indiana University of PA, and liked it so much she decided to stay there and live.   If they hadn’t kicked her out on account of her work Visa she would probably still be there!

Vince is a member of a secret society at Yale University – you can ask him about it but he won’t tell you.

“Go Pens!  Bring home Lord Stanley.  And Go Stillers.  Always.  This house bleeds black and gold!”

“Going to the gym will always feel like a chore if you are only motivated by external factors (needing to fit into a dress, wanting to look good for a reunion, etc.).   In order to really enjoy working out on a regular basis, you have to understand and believe in the importance of physical fitness in your overall happiness, well-being, and success towards your life goals.”

Congrats, Karien . . . way to go . . . we’ll be seeing more of you on the gym floor!

For more information on cycling safety, check out the Palmetto Cycling Coalition’s website athttp://pccsc.net/share-road/.

PrimeTimers Alice Botts and Cammie Camp walked to the old PrimeTime location three times a week for eleven years and hated to lose their outdoor warm-up.  Not missing a beat, they have adapted by biking regularly and note that it takes about the same amount of time to get to the gym – it’s only a 15-minute bike ride!  (According to the statistics above, the five months of biking to our new location 30 minutes three times a week gives them approximately 1800 minutes of biking . . . you do the math, but it’s surely added a few years to their lives!) They thoroughly enjoy the view and appreciate the short burst of effort as they cross the bridge. Cammie has even discovered the convenience of going the extra two minutes or so and biking to Publix or CVS, and says “now that I know how easy it is to bike to the store, I will do it all the time!”

Maria arrives at the gym for a late morning workout.