For an Instructor and Two Members, One Class Turned into a Turbocharged Friendship

You know the feeling you get at a concert when that one song comes on and everyone in the building seems to collectively groove together? That’s the feeling GX24 instructor Christine McCown gets every time she teaches her Turbo Kick class at the 24 Hour Fitness Hancock Center Sport Gym in Austin, Texas.

Once admittedly shy and a bundle of nerves, McCown discovered her love and confidence for instructing after experiencing that concert feeling, or as she says, the “‘buzz’ you feel from the energy of the people in the room, all there together because they genuinely love the workout and feel connected to it and you and each other … it’s just camaraderie and sheer joy.”

The level of camaraderie McCown experiences is why she jokes that she’s “married” to her classes, dedicating 100 percent of herself and energy to making a difference in her members’ lives, which in turn allows her to find the joy in movement.

“Realizing that I was making a difference by making workouts accessible to all kinds of people, pushing them when they needed it, feeling connected to them through those common goals—there’s nothing else like it,” McCown says.

Two members in particular, husband and wife William and Adriana Tran, have been driven to achieve their fitness goals with McCown for the last 10 years.

“Once I experienced Christine’s Turbo Kick class, I was hooked,” Adriana says. “Christine’s style is strong, challenging and ever-changing. I loved it so much I had William try it with me, and we started taking her class several times a week, for years.”

Since discovering their enthusiasm and joy for McCown’s class, the pair have conquered numerous milestones along their fitness journey. With McCown’s help, William successfully trained and participated in obstacle-course racing and now runs ultramarathon lengths. And Adriana was so inspired that she became a certified Turbo Kick instructor, and she even trained through her 39th week of pregnancy.

“[Post-delivery recovery] was wonderful,” Adriana says, “and I ran a 5K [obstacle-course race] three months after [giving] birth.” The couple and instructor even refer to the Trans’ daughter as “Turbo baby.”

Through their mutual love of Turbo Kick and the GX24 classes, McCown and the Trans have not only become passionate fitness advocates but also friends.

“They befriend everyone who walks in,” McCown says of the couple. “They truly are like the welcoming committee: They really do help me make the classroom a warm and friendly environment, where you are going to be accepted no matter where you are at on your fitness journey.”