Getting in daily exercise can be a real challenge, but Mariah Hicks has made it happen and the results of her hard work have been AWESOME!
Mariah came to SBG Atlanta in the spring of 2022, looking for a change of scenery and lifestyle. She had some previous experience at another martial arts gym but it ultimately was not the right fit for Mariah. She was working, in school, and funds were getting tight, so she stopped attending classes. Ultimately, that itch for physical activity took over and Mariah made her way back to the gym, finding herself at a big-box fitness center.
“I tried doing the regular gym thing but it was just boring. I have a passion for Muay Thai and really wanted to pick it back up.”
Mariah made her way to the newly opened Straight Blast Gym Atlanta, enrolling in our Foundations Muay Thai program. The first few months of Mariah’s tenure at SBG Atlanta saw her regularly attending martial arts classes, and the occassional Fitness Kickboxing class. Mariah was making solid strides, but it was in the fall that she really kicked things into overdrive.
Muay Thai and Fitness Kickboxing coach Jim Sheppard said this about Mariah:
“Around November, I started to see Mariah in the gym pretty much every day. Monday night she’d be in my Kickboxing class, and then Tuesday she’d be on the mats with the Muay Thai crew. Some days she’d go back to back, training in Muay Thai at 5:30pm and then jumping straight into Fitness Kickboxing afterwards.”
Mariah’s hard work and dedication to her training has paid dividends as she has lost 20 pounds over the past few months!!
“Muay Thai and Fitness Kickboxing classes make exercising fun for me, so I don’t have to force myself to go to the gym.”
That’s really what it’s all about at Straight Blast Gym; creating an environment where people of all different ages, shapes, and athletic ability can learn self-defense and get an incredible workout while also having a good time with their coaches and teammtes. Mariah has been an amazing addition to both our fitness and martial arts programs, always bringing a positive attitude and strong work ethic to the gym.
