February AOTM: Rachel Martinez 

February AOTM: Rachel Martinez

We are so happy to announce Rachel as our February athlete of the month! Rachel is the definition of commitment, dedication and brings so much fun and wonderful energy to Solcana. Read more about our February athlete of the month, Rachel, below!

Coach Garrett F. shares about Rachel "I've had the pleasure of seeing Rachel finish a ton of workouts and the honor of coaching her for a few. She has truly thrived here and appears to really give her all to building a healthy practice of exercise. She leaves the floor sweaty and breathing hard but with a satisfied smile. She is easy to coach and has made huge progress over the relatively short time that she has been at Solcana. I look forward to her being a big part of Solcana for years to come."

Rachel shares about her experience at Solcana, “I joined Solcana in February 2023 because I wanted to get stronger. I'd been to regular gyms before, but the weight machines always intimidated / confused me and I am way too socially anxious to ask for help or risk looking like a dork trying to figure it out. I immediately knew Solcana was the right fit for me. I felt genuinely welcomed, and able to try new things without feeling "behind." I appreciate the true diversity of bodies and expressions at Solcana, and the support people show each other at all levels!"

Rachel also adds, "6am is my jam -- I've never gone to any other class! I'm the kind of person who needs to do the hard things right away in the morning, otherwise they don't happen. I can't tell you how many times I've been grumpy on the way to the gym -- feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, sore. I show up, and that feels like all I can muster. Yet every time I leave feeling strong, energized, and ready to do all the things. It's transformative!"

Coach Max describes, “Rachel brings such a wonderful presence to the 6AM crew. It’s been a joy to see her progression over the past year - seeing her absolutely dominate movements like bench and clean. Rachel brings a calm competitive nature, always receptive and open to cues and feedback. She wraps a fun, loving nature across the gym and towards fellow athletes."

Rachel shares that before Solcana, her main exercise was running. She's never enjoyed running, but started doing it because it was always something she felt like she didn't have the "body type" to do. She never did get to the point of enjoying it, but grew to love the feeling of having just run, having done something hard. She checked off a bucket list item when she completed a marathon in October 2022, just under the cutoff. She wore that medal all day! These days she doesn't do much running, but one of her remaining fitness bucket list items is being able to do a single pull-up.

Coach Amelia says, “Rachel is so dang consistent. She shows up over and over, and she’s gotten so strong in the past year! It’s a delight to get to work with her and see her confidence grow as she reaches for heavier and heavier weights! She’s smart, humble and hilarious!"

Rachel mentions, "The Solcana coaches are awesome. I've mostly had Jeff and Max, but I"ve learned something from everyone whose class I've been in. I love getting feedback from the coaches in real time. Sometimes it's something I'm aware of and working on, but often it's something I'm doing that I didn't even realize. The suggested adjustments make such a difference in how the movements feel and how much I'm able to progress. My absolute favorite thing about lifting is finding my edge -- that rep where I'm like 'yep, there it is.' It's the best feeling (even if I fail it), because it means I've pushed myself as far as I can go today."

Coach Jeff L. shares "Rachel is such a joy to have in my classes, she is eager to dive in and try new things and then even more eager to take coaching so she can connect more strongly with the movement. She shows up consistently and has become a mainstay at the 6 am. Since day one, she has been so confidently herself that I other people feel more confident in showing up as themselves. She will tell you she’s not much of a people person but the warmth she radiates from within her boundaries is such a great energy to have in the room."

By day, Rachel is an HR Director for a small nonprofit, and spends a lot of her time thinking about how organizations practice emotional intelligence, meaningful equity, and collaborative leadership. She is also a volunteer mediator with the Conflict Resolution Center in Minneapolis.

Her 18 year old son recently moved out in what has been an extremely rocky transition toward adulthood, which has tested her own conflict resolution skills. Her and her partner Kim live in the Central/Powderhorn neighborhood with their two dogs and four cats, which is why she always has pet hair on my clothes.

Rachel is so important to our community and we look forward to seeing her continued growth! Thanks Rachel for being a part of our Solcana fam!