Hi SLAM Nation! I’m Kelli Berger and I have been SLAM’n since my daughter was 4 months old…she’s now six and a half! I don’t really know motherhood without SLAM. Oh wait, yes I do. I went an entire year “without” SLAM and it left a big fat hole in my mom-life.
But first, let’s start at the beginning. I was at the grand opening class of SLAM Savannah in 2012. Soon after, I became an instructor and absolutely loved every bit of it. It fulfilled my teacher heart and ignited a fire within.
Military orders popped up around two years in, sending us off to DC. I was 20 weeks pregnant with my second when we moved from Savannah and I knew that I needed the community. At that time Alexa was just wrapping her head around the idea that her mission was something others wanted to spread – and lucky for me, the timing worked and she trusted me to help her spread her vision. I opened SLAM DC shortly after moving there and will forever be proud of that little slice of the SLAM Nation pie.
Fast forward another two years and military orders surprisingly took us overseas to Australia for a year. Four years into only knowing mom-life as a SLAMmer, I was thrown into another country not only without SLAM, but without really knowing anyone! However, remember, I still owned SLAM DC – so I was very deeply consumed with the daily workings of the business: creating the schedule, planning events, communicating with members, planning challenges, merchandise orders – all of it! I was still living the SLAM life – but without the touch-and-feel community. And you know what? That is the best part! So yes, I had “SLAM” for that year – but I didn’t have my SLAM sisters in the flesh to make me laugh on a rough day, give me a sweat session to work through frustrations, or share a drink with on a MNO. I realized that the in-person conversations, sweaty hugs, and high-fives were the things that I cherished the most.
When faced with yet another military move to a town without an SLAM tribe, I already knew the answer to the question: “Can you do this life without SLAM?” Answer: “No thank you, ma’am!” I realized this was the perfect opportunity to create a new, in-person SLAM community. After a few months of settling my kids into our new home (3 moves in 18 months was very tough on their hearts) and ensuring that my SLAM DC partnership was off to a strong start, I decided to go ALL-IN on SLAM Clarksville! I have unexpectedly fallen in love with this small-town and this community is something special. I get the real-life-touch component of the community my heart has been craving. In the literal sense, I’m a hugger…and I cannot wait to wrap my arms around the mamas of Clarksville and inspire them to thrive as moms, athletes, friends, and spouses. Get ready Clarksville, it’s time to Sweat Like a Mother!
I am moving to Clarksville as well! Would she need any personal trainers to help instruct?!