CAROLYN LUKASIK- MEMBER OF THE MONTH FOR OCTOBER 2024 AT FIT2LIVE!
October 2024
This month’s spotlight is on the quietly hard working, Jiu Jitsu rolling assasin Carolyn Lukasik!
Carolyn got her start at Fit2Live in May of 2021.
She was looking for more strength and functional fitness to aid her Jiu Jitsu training and knew she needed coaches and community to get her there.
In her 3.5 years at Fit2Live she has certainly gotten stronger and more functionally fit in addition to building a ton of other healthy habits and friends that will support her in the long term.
She is a proud member of our 500 class club and makes regular appearances on our committed club (20 or more classes in a month).
Carolyn is as consistent and friendly as they come, attending class at Fit2Live 3-4 times a week and training Jiu Jitsu the other days.
She is the definition of working hard in silence and showing up to get the work done, each and every week!
For these reasons and many more, Carolyn has been chosen as our member of the month for October of 2024!
Read all about Carolyn and her Fit2Live journey below!
Tell us a little about yourself, where you’re from, what you do outside of Fit2Live, family, hobbies, etc.
I am originally from Jackson, Michigan where I was born and raised. I come from a big family. I have eight siblings, coming in at number four, with one brother and six sisters. We also grew up in a house with one bathroom. You can imagine what that was like.
Most of my family lived nearby. My grandparents were just down the road along with my uncles. I ended up moving to Ypsilanti nine years ago after finding a job here. I work as a Quality Coordinator at Huron Valley PACE. PACE is a program which looks to help older adults continue to live at home while getting the care they need. Along with part-time work cleaning at a deli.
I have always enjoyed being outdoors. Mostly walking and biking. Lately, I have started getting into hiking. I been on some trips with a hiking group of women to Yellowstone, Alaska, and Colorado. I am currently looking for local hiking spots here in Michigan.
I am an avid, if not, slow reader. A habit that I started to lose after I left school and found that I had little time to sit and read. After COVID, I wanted to change that and signed up for a Book of the Month subscription and joined a book club. Hoping that would encourage me to get back into reading. My favorite genres being thrillers, mysteries, and paranormal.
I also enjoy watching old black and white films especially the silly horror films made by the Hammer and Hammer Film Production. A good deal of the films being about Dracula and Frankenstein. I have discovered that the Michigan Theater in Kerrytown will play the old silent black and white films with a live accompaniment. I am looking forward to seeing the film Nosferatu, playing later in October. It has become a tradition for me to watch the movie before my favorite holiday, Halloween.
When and why did you get started at Fit2Live?
I have been wanting to get fit for a long time and made a few half-hearted attempts at home to do a workout. Which I quickly quit not long after telling myself that I would do hundred push-ups a day. Funny how that never worked out.
I ended up finding a gym called 9-Rounds. I went there for about two years before the place closed. The owner moved to another state. At the time, I was attending a martial arts class for Jiu Jitsu that was located just down from the Fit2Live gym. Having driven past the gym a few times, I decided that I would try it out. I felt like the gym had what I was looking for. An overall workout that would target the different muscle groups. A small group to workout with, encouraging members, great coaches, and instructions on performing movements correctly.
What is your favorite part of Fit2Live, what keeps you coming back?
I like the positive environment and the small group that I work out with. The coaches know who you are, and everyone is friendly and helpful. Along with being able to have the flexibility in picking the days and times that I would like to attend.
I hear you also train Jiu Jitsu outside of Fit2Live. What got you into BJJ and how has training at Fit2Live helped your BJJ training?
I felt like I needed to get out of my apartment more and maybe start a new hobby. So, I signed up for a Jiu Jitsu class. Few months later COVID hit, and people were told to stay indoors.
Perfect timing on my part.
I had always wanted to learn karate and figured why not learn now. So, when I researched online about different martial arts classes I came across the URSA Academy that teaches Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. They let me try out a class and I found myself hooked.
I found working out at Fit2Live has helped me built strength and endurance. Which you need when rolling. After I had graduated from the Jiu Jitsu foundation classes. I started my first CAP class and found myself completely wiped out. It was clear to me that I needed to build more strength.
What is a fun fact or hobby that you have that someone might not know about you?
A hobby that I have is painting with acrylics. I follow along with some YouTube videos.
If you could travel to any place in the world tomorrow, where would you go and what would you do?
A place that I have always wanted to visit since I was a kid is Egypt. I was interested in the pyramids, pharaohs, and Egyptian mythology. I remember there was a late-night TV special about archaeologists exploring what they believe was Cleopatra’s tomb. The show followed the progress as they were digging. It turned out not to be her burial place. But I remember thinking how much I would love to see the place for myself and be able to walk down into the depths of the tombs.
If you could make the workout “Carolyn” what would it look like (movements, repetitions, etc)?
I would like to do an EMOM workout with a series of different movements.
Running, biking, sit-ups, and squats.
NO burpees or wall balls. My least favorite movements.
Favorites!
Movie: Mary, Queen of Scots 1971
TV Show: Law & Order
Song: Evanescence’s Before the Dawn
Book: The Woman in Black by Susan Hill
Quote: “Keep smiling, it makes people wonder what you’re up to”
What daily habit has changed your life for the better?
Drinking more water. I saw my sister drinking out of one of these big water jugs with a time marker on the side. Giving you reminders of how much water you should be drinking throughout the day. In the beginning, I had trouble keeping up especially since before I would drink little water. I had been drinking two pops a day before I finally kicked the habit.
What future fitness goal are you currently working towards?
I am currently being talked into joining an all-women’s hiking trip to summit Kilimanjaro. There is a tentative date for September 2026. I would like to use the time in-between to get ready and make sure I am prepared for the hike.
THANKS FOR BEING AWESOME CAROLYN!
KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK AT FIT2LIVE!
NEXT UP: ADI SALEEM-MEMBER OF THE MONTH SEPTEMBER 2024!
