If you’ve ever stopped by IA in the early hours, you’ve likely seen Stacy Byers greeting the day with energy and determination before heading off to work. As a member for seven years, Stacy has become a familiar face and a source of inspiration in our community. Her journey is not just about fitness—it’s about resilience, generosity, and the power of support. In 2021, Stacy made the life-changing decision to donate her kidney to a friend, a choice that required both physical and emotional strength. Through IA, Stacy found the confidence and encouragement she needed to take on this challenge, surrounded by a community that cheered her on every step of the way. Today, we’re honored to share Stacy’s story—a testament to how the right environment can help us rise to life’s biggest moments.
Childhood Play to 90’s Fitness Fads: My Early Exercise Journey
I’ve dabbled in all sorts of exercise in my 52 years. As a kid, I was pretty active with softball and basketball. In the 90’s when I was in my 20’s, I tried Tae Bo, yoga, and countless hours going nowhere on the stair stepper. None of it really stuck or gave me what I was looking for, though to be fair, I don’t know that I could have told anyone what I was looking for from moving my body at that time in my life. For many young women in the 90’s, exercise was more about punishment for eating food or a prize that opened a door to more food and therefore more punishment.
Running Into Myself: Rediscovering Confidence and Community in My Late 30s
It wasn’t till I was in my late 30’s when I finally found something that spoke to me. The running that once felt like punishment in a sport became a central part of my life when I trained for my first 5k in 2010. That event led to more races over a number of years, including 7 marathons, a 50K, a 6-hour trail race, and plenty of other less remarkable miles. Through that period of my life, I found two things in my running that helped my mental health as much as it helped my physical health—confidence and community. I felt proud of each early morning, building confidence that carried me through the miles and the rest of my life, which I desperately needed as a middle aged mom with a career that was rapidly getting more and more demanding. And the running community was like no other I’d ever experienced—I joined a few local run clubs and had a whole network of people who were looking for me at training runs and races.
Burnout and the Search for Balance
Ultimately I burned out on running. The schedule of managing 30-50 miles a week for a few years while trying to manage work and get to all of my son’s sports and school activities left me exhausted, both mentally and physically. I was craving something that took a little less time but still gave me the necessary dose of confidence and community that I had gotten from running.
Enter IA.
The Search for “Something That Sticks”: Discovering IA
A coach of mine from my work gym had recommended IA when I told him I was looking for something different. I was intimidated when I walked in and saw a few sweaty, shirtless guys dropping heavy barbells on the ground (including our very dear friend, the late David Brinker). I like to think he’d appreciate that as my first and one of my most vivid memories of him. 😊
Strength in Community: How IA Supported My Kidney Donation
At any rate, I decided to try it, and I’m so thankful I did. As I look back on the last 30-40 years of trying to find a fitness activity that would fit my life, IA is the only one that has really stuck. And it sticks because it changes with me. When I had time and mental capacity to really push myself, I was at it 6 days a week and working toward big goals like getting pull ups. When I decided to donate my kidney to a friend in 2021, IA prepared me physically and mentally for that experience. I was confident in my ability to weather the surgery well and I had the support of an incredible community ready to welcome me back at whatever level I could participate.
Embracing Change: Finding Strength and Community in Every Season of Life
And now, my career has really taken off, adding a level of stress to my life and complexity to my schedule like I’ve never experienced. But IA is still here to help me with my confidence and give me a sense of belonging to a diverse community of people who care about each other and share a common goal of trying to move their bodies in a way that fits their needs and their life. I always feel welcome, even if I’ve been away for a bit. I feel supported, even if I have to modify the heck out of a workout. I’m at a place in my life right now where I’m not going to PR or make it 6 days a week, and that is ok. IA makes it really easy to accept that and look forward to the 2-3 days a week I can make it through that front door. Our coaches welcome me with a smile, we modify what I need to, and we get after it as a class together. No matter what I do or how fast I do it, every minute is building my confidence and strengthening my sense of community. And best of all— I’ll never have to slog it out alone on a stair master again!
