By Caitlin Erramouspe | Reporter
GAIN at Baylor University, women’s fitness club at Baylor, is teaming up with studios and gyms throughout Waco to provide female students the opportunity to find a community to workout with.
The group partners with up to three different gyms and studios per week. By doing this, members are finding workouts that work for them.
Each studio or gym that GAIN partners with has the opportunity advertise and reach their target market of college women. Some recent workouts have been with D1 Waco, Orange Theory, CrossFit 15:10, 9Round and Refit. All workouts follow COVID-19 guidelines and are optional for members.
Many members have gone on to sign up with the studio or gym that they visited. Albuquerque, N.M., senior Ashley Cooper decided to be a member at D1 Waco after working out there with GAIN.
“They gave us a great deal and it was so hard, but that’s why I liked it. I go there almost every day now because the community is amazing there,” Cooper said.
D1 Waco owner, Kevin Engelbrecht, said he is dedicated to encouraging positive lifestyles for Baylor students and teaming up with GAIN was one way to do that.
“They reached out with a goal of finding an exciting place that could safely accommodate their large group, and our state-of-the-art indoor facility was perfect,” Engelbrecht said.
Lakeside, Calif., junior Erin Lynes is president of the club.
“My favorite aspect of GAIN at Baylor University is our inclusivity and diversity. We have women of every fitness level, every background and every grade,” Lynes said.
The group was originally part of a national group called CHAARG. The chapter was founded in the fall of 2019, but the leaders quickly discovered that students felt membership was too expensive. GAIN was then created to allow independent event planning and better prices for students. This is only the group’s second year on campus.
There are a total of 115 members to date. At the beginning of the semester there were only 30. There is currently a waitlist to join because the group is at its current maximum membership amount.
“There is a need on college campuses to provide an inclusive environment for women to get involved in fitness and explore wellness, and GAIN is here to do just that,” Lynes said.
