Helping Women Build Confidence and Community with Shelly Walker of [Switch] Fitness
Collider is passionate about sharing the stories of entrepreneurs and small business owners! We recently chatted with Shelly Walker, who pursued her passion for fitness and empowering women to gain confidence in the gym and in themselves by opening [Switch] Fitness.
Photo contributed by Shelly Walker.
Michelle (Shelly) Walker, a longtime fitness enthusiast who recently opened her own gym, [Switch] Fitness, started her journey with movement and exercise in her teens.
“In high school I struggled with my body image and feeling depressed. My father noticed and recommended that I start going to the YMCA and exercising to see if it would help. I started running on the track every day after school and it made a big difference in my mental health and self image. It really helped me fall in love with being active. At that point, I realized that movement can be a big catalyst for change in many areas of life.”
Shelly was born and raised in Rochester. After graduating from high school, she pursued a degree in general business and worked at Mayo Clinic, coordinating a Tobacco Treatment Specialist Certification program for several years. From there she went on to work as the Director of Operations for Continuing Certification for the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, where she would continue to run a small team for the next fifteen years.
Shelly and her husband met while working at the Rochester Athletic Club in college. Several years later, they started their family, now consisting of one girl and one boy. As she became a mother and experienced the natural hormone and body changes that accompany it, Shelly once again started struggling with her mental health and feeling frustrated with her body image.
“I tried a lot of gimmicks, tricks, and trends to try and improve my perception of my body, weight, and relationship with food. It has taken several years and a lot of inner work to accept that bodies go through constant changes and that my worth is not tied to a number on the scale or jean size. That’s not why I want to strive to live a healthy lifestyle. I have always been motivated to be active and feel good in my body, so I knew I needed to make some changes to feel my best.”
After her second child was born, Shelly decided to try out some group fitness classes at Detour Athletics and quickly fell in love with the atmosphere of accountability and support she found in the community there.
Photo contributed by Shelly Walker.
“I started out as someone just walking in and trying out a class. Later, I started taking some certifications on my own to learn more about fitness and nutrition for my own journey. Eventually, my passion for helping women gain control of their health grew and I started coaching.” Shelly pursued certifications in weightlifting, CrossFit, and nutrition.
Shelly explained that one of her greatest challenges in starting [Switch] Fitness was knowing she needed to step out on her own in order to be true to her vision for the business.
“It was really difficult venturing out on my own. I wasn’t sure if I was going to be supported. But I got to a point where I decided that I needed to let go of that fear and just go for it. Just like with making changes to live a truly healthy lifestyle, it takes a level of bravery to step into a space that is new and uncomfortable. It requires a lot of sacrifice. But you have to believe in yourself, decide that you are worth the effort, and be bold enough to put yourself out there and try.”
Photo contributed by Shelly Walker.
She continued, “I applied the same thinking I learned from my fitness journey to the journey I’m taking as a small business owner, and I’m really happy to say that I have found so much support. I am incredibly grateful.”
Shelly attributes much of her comfortability with becoming an entrepreneur to her parents, who both ran their own businesses while she was growing up.
“I feel very privileged having watched my parents pursue their dreams and do things they truly enjoyed while I was a child. I saw the hard work and passion it takes to succeed and I’m really happy that I was able to jump into starting my own business with that mindset.”
[Switch] Fitness is a female focused gym and Shelly is passionate about creating a community that meets the health and wellness needs of women.
“Being a woman myself and watching my own body go through changes, as well as knowing the struggles I’ve had on my own fitness journey, really inspired me to open a gym that caters to women’s bodies and needs. I want to create a space where women feel comfortable and supported, no matter where they are on their journey.”
Photo contributed by Shelly Walker.
Shelly currently offers three classes a day, having just had their grand opening on October 29th of this year. She hopes to expand to offer more classes, hire coaches and staff, and have open gym hours in the future. She’s also looking forward to the opportunity to grow and change herself along with this new venture.
“I’m excited to see my own personal growth through starting this business as I adapt, figure things out, and continue to develop my own confidence.”
As a word of advice to aspiring entrepreneurs, Shelly said, “ Don’t overthink it. Have a plan, but don’t hold yourself back. You’ll have to be flexible and adaptable, but hard work and belief in yourself go a long way.”
With a small business to manage and two active kids, Shelly doesn’t have much time to spare for her own hobbies, but when she has the time she enjoys spending time with family and friends, staying physically active, watching sports, and spending time outdoors. “I love that my kids are getting into sports and I can finally be that crazy sports mom.” she said with a laugh.
Growing briefly teary-eyed, Shelly said, “ It’s so rewarding watching women grow in confidence the longer they’re here. It can be so hard walking into a gym for the first time, comparing yourself to others, and feeling intimidated. I’m no stranger to the endless stream of negative self talk that women sometimes throw at themselves. But little by little, watching the women here start to build up belief in themselves, and watching their confidence shine through is just amazing.”
Thank you for taking the time to read Shelly’s story! If you find value in this content, please consider donating to help Collider continue amplifying the voices of Rochester entrepreneurs. You can also find out more about [Switch] Fitness by clicking the link below!
Article by Corrie Strommen, Director of Community at Collider.
