How EVO are specialists in self-esteem
Have you ever wondered what the ethos of EVO is? Does it matter to you? Well, it certainly matters to me. Having grown up in a dysfunctional home, with an alcoholic father who left when I was 12, it left some scars and deep insecurity. I never felt good enough, but as a boy, I hid it from everyone. Deep down, I feared everything and never felt good enough.
In my 20's, I used alcohol, food, drugs and relationships - anything external to change how I felt about me. At 28, when I sobered up and attended AA, it started a 20-year journey of self-improvement and discovery.
I discovered it was an inside job. I stopped drinking, smoking, binge eating crap, lost weight and started doing endurance events. Why? Well, they were physical proof that my brain told me things that simply weren't true: I could never run a marathon - I ran six; I could never do a triathlon longer than Olympic distance - I did three Ironmans; I could never stop smoking - I quit, having smoked 40 a day, I could never open my own business and change career - hello EVO in 2017!
So, all this shows that if I can do it, I absolutely know you can! That is the ethos of EVO. No matter what it is - a Ride in the cave, a Strength class in the yard, learning how to Lift a barbell, walking over the doorstep saying “I need help”, we are here for you.
We offer amazing fitness advice and classes and training but in a way that is inclusive to all. There is no need to be scared. Have smart feel and your head will follow. How do I know this? Because I experienced it for 20 years and EVO is full of people that took that step and are in such an incredibly different place now.
The worst thing you could ever do is allowing your fear to control what you do by not doing anything. Being scared is natural but it's also a great excuse or justification to stay rooted in the same things you have always done because doing that is more comfortable, even if it is unhealthy.
Turf Games – a prime example
So, that is why all our competitors who represented EVO at the Turf games were so special because they embodied all that we stand for as a studio, as a gym and as a movement. You may think - oh they are machines and I'm not at that level - WRONG. They were normal people that walked into EVO a year ago and got stuck in, and to see them compete on Sunday was deeply emotional. Here's why:
Team 1
Ian H - 35. A lovely guy. But one, I'm sure he won’t mind me saying, if he was told a year ago, he would be competing in a functional fitness competition he would have said “You're mad no way”. He started taking Strength in the yard, was scared to try a Warrior but did, attended Lift and learnt how to safely deadlift, got more into Warriors, and BOOM! He trained hard and smashed it on Sunday. What a ledge
Chris T - 34 - Only came to EVO to do a few classes and ended up loving the vibe, loved the team and community and learnt so many new skills. Chris loves combining a few beers with hard classes ethos. His words “not bad for a fat lad”. Legend
Rob H - 37 - Great team member, always on hand for people and has really dialled into his strength training through the Lift classes and improving his technique. Always wanting to push himself, we calmed Rob down, worked on his communication and team skills, and he just excelled and was the ultimate team man. Love him
Shelley G - 45 - Runner, loves working out, loves a G&T! A perfect mix of loves a hard workout, but a good lifestyle too. Working in a team, learning new skills, pushing herself but having fun along the way is a classic Shelley G ethos. She has developed her lifting skills and strength enormously. We are so proud
Emily C - 22 - AKA ‘Full Potential’ - because I overheard her saying to her mate "I'm always in my workout gear at EVO, they just never see me at my full potential”, meaning in OUT OUT clothing! Well, Emily’s journey has been incredible – she didn’t work out for years, joined EVO a year ago and has developed her strength, skills and technique, and really got into the whole community. Through EVO, Emily’s made friends and really turned her life around. She's developed so much confidence and self-esteem and is a great presence. Finding her full potential inside has been the biggest lesson in the past 12 months. Legend, we love her
Team 2
Rod T - 57 - Warm, friendly and always joking, everyone loves Rod! The ultimate team man but so strong. Rod has really found something to dial into, improve his technique and give his training some focus. Just a wonderful human being
Greg C - 33 – Basically, future Rod! A newbie to EVO, he absolutely fired into it, is a great team player, did all the prep and sports a headband like no other. Partial to a Blue Steel Zoolander look, Greg is an EVO stayer. Competitive to say the least and loves it all. Good lad
Hywel - 24 - Every team needs a Hywel. New to EVO but basically a 6ft 5 animal who did loads of the heavy lifting, rowing, cycling but is a lovely guy with a heart of gold and doesn't take himself too seriously. A perfect EVO mix
Alicia - 33 - We all look up to Alicia; she’s been training years, but this gave her some focus and structure and it's fair to say a chance to slay some of those negative voices in her head. Strong, fast and competitive, Alicia is absolutely adorable human. She feared all the cardio but absolutely smashed it on the day and can take great confidence from that. We love you, Alicia
Camilla H - 50, It's a little tricky not to be biased for this one. Always so helpful, positive, supportive, and ultra-excellent human. She uses EVO classes and training as her headspace from an incredibly demanding job and life. Turf Games was a chance for her to let rip and really put all her years of training into her first ever competitive event. I a so incredibly proud of Camilla – she is such a great teammate and communicator. Those 850 EVO classes in two years came to fruition! Just an epic human
We’re all in it together
So, the EVO teammates aged from 22-57 and were the most diverse, eclectic collection of normal people doing abnormal things. Most of them were just like everyone else who come to EVO for the first time. They represented doing things they never thought possible. Proper training for normal people.
They were me; they were you; they were all of us. And that is what EVO stands for. It doesn’t matter if Turf isn’t your thing. It's the wider picture, that is what I preach and that is what gets me emotional. It's not a lunge, or a snatch, a ride, watts, fat loss or how much you can lift. Yes, they are all elements of fitness and health, but it's about community, togetherness, belief, giving things a go.
It's about the inside job. Conquering fear and the huge injection of self-esteem it gives you.
We are Evolution and we are all in it together.
Nick Evans