#24: Joanna Graves: Building Community Through Fitness

Joanna Graves has been a fixture in the Stowe fitness community for 30 years - often recognized as the top fitness workout instructor in the area and is also the owner of RIDE indoor cycling studio. You can most often find Joanna teaching a Spin class, a bootcamp, at the rink - both playing and watching hockey, and in the summer on the tennis courts and golf course. Joanna has motivated countless people to incorporate workouts into their daily routine and has built a loyal and supportive community around fitness here in Stowe.

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This episode of the Octagon is sponsored in part by archery close. Hey, this is Chris and Taste from Archery Clothes, your go-to boutique. For men's and women's fashion, we carry a curated selection of clothing, footwear, and gifts from unique and emerging brands. We're proud to sponsor the Octagon and even prouder to be local business owners here in Stowe. We love how the Octagon captures the history and characters of this incredible town. After coming off the slopes or the trails, stop by archery close. Located at 1650 Mountain Road in Stowe. Open seven days a week, or always open online@archeryclose.com. Welcome listeners to the Octagon Podcast, where we explore the stories, people, and places that make Stove Vermont so legendary. I'm your host, Mike Carey, joined by my co-host Ted Thorndyke. We are excited to introduce our guest today, Joanna Graves. Joanna has been a fixture in the OW fitness community for 30 years, often recognized as the top fitness workout instructor in the area, and is also the owner of Ride Indoor Cycling Studio. You can most often find Joanna teaching a spin class, a bootcamp, or at the rink, both playing and watching hockey, and in the summer on the tennis courts and golf course. Joanna has motivated countless people to incorporate workouts into their daily routine and has built a loyal and supportive community around fitness here in Stowe. Welcome, Joanna. Thank you. Excited to be here. Assume you already led a few classes today. Yes, I did. You don't look tired though. You look energized. I feel pretty good coming into the studio here. I feel pretty good. I don't think Joanna gets tired. Not much. I've seen her. Tired. Yeah. Rarely. Rarely. When? Multiple classes. Three classes. Okay. End of the day. Just wanted to confirm that. So let's start, where did your journey into the fitness world all start? I think if I go in two different paths, starting off with the fact that when I was little. I was fascinated with the human body and I come from a long line of doctors, nurses, and I wanted to become a doctor. I went through school, went to UVM to do pre-med And, to do pre-med at UVM, you have to do. A different major. So I did exercise science and nutritional science along with pre-med requisites. so I think as I was going through, I became even more fascinated with the body, the way the muscles work, the way different foods affect the body and support the body so I went through until junior year when I realized that, I didn't want to be a doctor. I didn't want that lifestyle. I didn't wanna be, going to school for the next 10 years. But truly my passion as I was going through school to be a doctor, I wanted to write a curriculum. This was. F maybe my cra crazy passion as a young person, a curriculum that went to all schools in the US that taught us about the human body more. and in order to do that, I had to be a doctor. I, in my mind, but because I feel like we have this amazing body that we live with, but we really don't know much about it. And how. To take care of it in a lot of ways. but that path ended, although I did get my degrees in nutritional science, exercise science, and small business management. But going backwards. I took my first fitness class when I was in fifth grade. It was a jump rope class. It was really fun jumping ropes. Tiring. It is, yeah, it is. Extremely. I think there was eight of us and we even ended our class. We went to the mall and did a fitness routine and we did tricks on with the jump rope on balls and it was fun. Anyway, that was my first fitness class and I really loved it. and going back to being tired. I never was tired. I did every sport. even then, any sport that was introduced to me, I did it. And I would do three a day and I would continue to be active. when I hit middle school beyond puberty, I became overweight. Even though I was active, I did every sport still, but I was overweight and I struggled with it. And at that point my mom introduced me to Weight Watchers and so I did Weight Watchers and I learned how to eat, what food was, what foods made me feel good, what foods fueled me, what foods gave me less energy to be an athlete and those things. and it really became a lifestyle. that was a huge part. I think I was in seventh or eighth grade and I probably lost 40 pounds. Wow. Yeah. So that was super important. And then I started getting more into fitness too. I would run in the morning, I would do some weights. I remember the very first day I was playing tennis and I felt my abdominals work. It was like a, an epiphany, right? oh wow, that's really cool. There is something to this. Didn't know they were down there, right? They exist. Just kept working them, but didn't know why they existed. being on a sports team and, working on my fitness and all through high school and moving into college, I went to play field hockey at UVM and it wasn't the right fit for me. so I didn't end up playing, but that. Freshman year, spring, I walked into the gym and there was a sign hanging and it said, interested in teaching fitness classes? I'm like, yes, please. I called this woman, her name was Carol. She was amazing. She was, she's a mentor to me for sure. I don't know her at this point, but she taught me. So much about teaching. It wasn't just a certification, it was how to count music and the body and how to safe and modify. it was just a huge course. And then I started teaching fitness, which filled a huge void for me of not being on a team. So because being on a team, being in a locker room, being together, the camaraderie, the support, I didn't have that'cause I didn't play field hockey. I started teaching, my first class was on the Ira Allen stage at UVM. It's the church. There was probably five older ladies, although they're probably my age at this point. and then I started teaching my peers, which I remember being terrified. So I taught on Redstone, and I would do, step there. I would do regular aerobics, got into strength, more strength classes, not too far off of what I'm doing today. Wow. Truthfully. Yeah. Wow. And then, as I was moving through college, I did end up playing tennis my junior year. but I still kept my foot in the fitness industry. I went down to the body garage at Burlington and I felt like a sponge. Oh, you're teaching that class? How do you teach that class? I'm gonna get certified. And I kept just learning more and more different ways of teaching and just kept doing it and, loved it. Yeah. Clearly. Yeah, it's cool. Yeah, now it's a great background. Yeah. So you went to UVM, just to take a quick step back. Where did you grow up? I grew up in, Haddonfield, New Jersey, which is Oh, okay. Outside of Philadelphia. Yeah. I didn't spend all of my youth there. my parents did move to Little Rock, Arkansas. Oh wow. Which I'm glad we moved back. Yeah, it's good. So you find your way to UVM and at some point you find your way to sto. Did you know about Stowe? Had you been coming here? how did that come to be? I didn't know much about Stowe. we came here a few times. I skied here a few times, but I, had a friend. Who knew a another friend here, and we came and we visited him. He was a rugby player. And, that was really the first time. I ate dinner in sto, I think I was a senior. but how did I get here? After college I was working at Zuno, which is a retail store. I opened Zuno in Montpelier and it wasn't what I wanted to do. when you're right outta college, you take anything, gotta pay the bills, gotta pay somehow, right? I actually. Called topnotch. To teach tennis. Nice. a long story because I called topnotch by accident, but I ended up in sto, because teaching tennis was always a fallback of something that I could do. Yep. And then I met Pete, and here I am still in sto. I know. Both taught, so Pete was teaching at Topnotch. Yep. Very cool. Yep. I met him the day I came in and did my first demo. Amazing. Yeah. Shout out to Pete. yeah, exactly. Local legend. And so then did you start also teaching classes on the side too? When did you kinda get into that? I don't know that I've ever really let my foot out of that door. No matter what I did, I always taught one. In some capacity. In some capacity somewhere. even when I was teaching tennis, I would find a. Place the swimming hole or the stove lake or wherever. It was a parking lot. yeah, that came back. We'll get into that. I know. but I always hung on to, teaching one. It kept me in shape and I love it. I love the community. It was a great way to meet people. And, I never had to pay for a gym membership. Yeah. that was a big thing. Bonus. Yeah, bonus. And, to me that was. More fun than going to a gym and going on a treadmill or lifting weights. I just always liked to teach. So I think there was only a couple years over the 30 where I didn't teach regularly. probably'cause I was pregnant. I did teach a little, I was pregnant, but Got harder. Yeah. Then you were tired? yeah. I was tired. I directed really well at that point. You go over there? I remember your early days of Joe Motion in the parking lot. So at some point you decided to branch out on your own? Yeah. as you guys know, I was the athletic director at the high school for 11 years. And when I was there, I was in and out of the swimming hole teaching in the early morning. And I went to the Cape one summer and I did this bootcamp and I've done it a bunch. this woman, Michelle would pull up, open up her car, pull out some weights, some jump ropes, and she'd put us through the ringer. It's a great bootcamp and I thought, ah, I love that. Why don't I do that? So I started with the athletes at the high school. I did very sports specific training, right? So if you're playing field hockey or soccer, you're doing some running and some, core work and whatever. but that's where I started and it was Pascal Savar Who came to me, who always has encouraged me and I miss her a lot. But she said to me. Wait a second. Can we do that? Can you do that for us? And I thought, yeah, I guess I can Light bulb. Yeah. Moment. Yeah. So then I, got more weights and more mats and loaded up my pilot, which you would see it in town, dragged through the back'cause it was a lot in there. And I would show up all over. I would go to the STO arena, I would go to Sunset Rock to the. Bike path. anywhere high school, all over town and put people through the ringer. Yeah. Yeah. And it was so fun. I couldn't do it full time obviously, but I did it, ended up doing it five days a week because when I worked at the high school, I. I was part-time. And plus you would work sometimes through the night. The games were at night, so that's where it started. Yeah. Pascal. Yeah. fun though. Those show up weight's, this I love it. Hardcore workout. Just in a raw element, And it wasn't for everybody. Yeah. But, some people didn't like the rawness or the dirt on their hands. And then other people loved it. I think I'm bringing it back this summer. Oh. Alright. Shout out there. I did some of the classes I remember at the arena. I've done, I've never done one. she'd make you run up and down that hill to go right to the arena. I've done spin classes, sprinting up. it's my roots. how many years did you run geo motion? Oh, at least 10. Sounds like it's coming back. Yeah. it's still there. Yep. it got a little bit more complicated with space, indoor space and the backups. Yeah. And then the camps that you Yeah. Bad weather too bad weather. I always rented space indoor. When I didn't have ride. and then, I will do outdoor at ride. It's just a little more complicated with the parking lot. And you could go down the bike path. I still do it. there's something about being at the arena or I don't know, or moving, running through town. but yeah, I think it was over 10 years. Yeah. Yeah. So then at some point you decided to begin ride. Yeah. what inspired you to start ride? Oh, my. Passion for being the athletic director was dwindling. that was a hard job. That job took a lot out of me. but yet I loved it because I still was involved in athletics, which I loved my whole life. Yep. but it was becoming a negative, part of my world. Yep. Unfortunately, that's when it's good to yeah. Make a change. I'll remember the day where, Pete and I were in the hot tub and we often have big decisions in the hot tub. I said to him, I wanna open this indoor cycling business. And. He looked at me like I had six heads. what are you talking about? I don't even know what you're talking about. He's what is spin? Yeah, Exactly. So then I dragged him to places in Massachusetts. It took convincing. Yeah. Like he wasn't like, great, let's do it.'cause it's scary to open a business. It's a big move. Yeah. so when we went to the classes, he really fell in love. Wow. He's this is great. I think we should do it. And then that was really my motivating drive. I love cycling. Okay. And we don't have it here like you do in a city. It's just, different, I taught spin at the swimming hole, but in a very different way, the old school spin. Different environment. Yeah. Because this was when was SoulCycle and some of these other ones were becoming more popular. Yeah. In cities. Yeah. They were very popular. Yeah. And actually, they had been popular for a while and it was. For me, anytime we went anywhere, okay, we're going to Flywheel or a SoulCycle. but it was such a treat for me. Yeah. To be able to go to a city and And go to the cycling studios around there. And what was, your vision for Ride. A little bit different than some of those. I think those are a little flashier maybe, or I don't know. I guess your own little twist on these modern day spin class? before I opened, I went with a lot of people, Pete, Julia Eliason, like we went and I made note after note of what I loved. And what I didn't like in the classes around the studio, I still have all my notes. It's funny to look back because of course my business has changed over years. but I certainly don't like the feeling of a click when you walk in. Yeah. Or you don't know people, or that's my bike, or this is my space and you've an outsider. so that was and still is. One of my biggest priorities of my business. I don't care who you are, what you wear, what your fitness level is, you are welcome. So that was a huge thing for me. I kept Joe Mo at the Joe Motion at the time. So I was never giving that up, always the strength classes, but I added this, and I wanted to make just a really cool place when you walk in. Just something so welcoming and inviting. And I love cycling because you can do it at every level. every person, I always say, it's not like you're running up the hill and you're last.'cause no one knows. Yeah. No one knows how hard you're pedaling or what gear you're on. You're just in this dark room just feeling this accomplishment. Yep. So how do you feel you create that inclusive, supportive environment? I sometimes I miss the leaderboard a little bit because it was a, that I missed the leaderboard when I was in one class with Ted. Here he goes, I remember this. Here he goes, I liked leader. Did you beep me? I don't remember. Oh. Oh yeah. That was a long time ago, but I remember trying harder. Should I go back? It is, it can be motivating for some people. Absolutely. Like me and Ted. Absolutely. And maybe less motivating for other people, Absolutely. Yeah. how do I create that? You walk through the door. I know your name. Yep. I look you in the eye. And not just me. I've hired, I would say all but two instructors. Based on personality. yep. I train every instructor. It takes me over three months for them to be put out. That's awesome. And teach a class because I want them to have success. Yep. I'm also a super stickler about safety. About, modification. Yeah. About the level that we teach to, which is actually the highest level that we can teach to. And then we modify from down. to create inclusiveness is just, Hey, Mike. Hey Ted. How are you guys? Come in, feel comfortable. Yeah. What can we do for you? We set you up. I don't care if you're visiting or you come every day. It's a Yeah. Yeah, it's a welcoming feeling. It's a community. It's a community. And that's a hundred percent, going back to locker room. I have every morning, afternoon, night, people come in and they share. Yeah. And they will say, oh my gosh, this happened with my kid this morning. And somebody will understand it. Or I'm sorry you're going through this and we pick each other up or we laugh at something or, come in with our, make fun of Pete, maybe Totally. Whatever, whatever it is. It's a community. Yeah, for sure. And and I say it all the time. I don't care who you are, what you wear, or what level you are. You're always welcome. Yeah. And we'll make it work. That's awesome. Yeah. So I think that's how we. Yeah. Get everybody welcomed. Yeah. At least we try. Yeah, no, definitely. You definitely do. It's a family. There for sure it is. You mentioned instructors. what do you look for when you're trying to find new instructors mini Joanna Graves? actually, probably not, probably the opposite. I say to every instructor. I hope that you are way better than me. I don't need to be in the limelight. I don't need to be the top instructor. Because we're a team and I want us all to promote each other. I want us all to be a team but what I look for is you have to get up in front of people and be a little insane and a lot of fun and a little kooky, and you have to know what you're doing and and you have to be welcoming. Yeah. if you don't, if you are shy and quiet and not that you can't be good because you could be, but, I. You have to get the class motivated. Yeah. And you have to have a little bit of that personality. Who can. Like I said, you gotta be a little kooky. Yeah. Yeah. I do have to ask you a question. Yeah. I wanna know the truth here. Okay. Do you ever fake adjust the resistance when you're telling everybody to turn it up? Three or four turns, five turns? Are you ever fake adjusting that? sure I have. All right. That makes you feel better. I've always wondered. But now sometimes you're, I've wonder you're adjusting it and you're still talking and you're still being bubbly and I'm over there dying. So I think. It depends on how many classes I do. Yeah. Truthfully, if I'm in my third class, then probably the hand just goes like this. Yeah. But it's not doing as much, or it just goes a little bit littler than normal. I just wanted to know that. I always wanted to ask that. Yeah. I'd always wondered that. Yeah. But, Joanna, obviously a big part of what you're doing is you're motivating people Inspiring people. How do you think you're able to get people to, push beyond their limits, may maybe even self-imposed at times. you've obviously done a really good job of that. I've seen people transform. Yeah. going to ride regularly. Yeah. I did talk about how I do teach to the highest common denominator. it's not that I'm trying to break people down. Yep. they're in class, but I'm trying to prove to people that they can go beyond what they think. Yep. and there's a really, amazing feeling when you. accomplish, let me go back to the leaderboard for a minute. And I still have the computers. There's a lot of negative That is provided with the computer or the leaderboard, So every day in every class, if I'm on the bike, I have to remind people that. It doesn't matter. If your best today is your best, it's amazing, right? Yep. So it's, and it's the truth. Or if you're in a weight class and we're doing strength and you go up a pound or two you gotta celebrate it. And we gotta acknowledge it. And so it's our job as instructors To encourage them with just a mini micro change. or that this day isn't your day, but you're still here. Yeah. And so showing up for yourself is, as we all know, is not easy all the time. especially, young women with kids. We put everything aside and we go, we take our kids and we do this, and we go to work and we, it's hard. Yeah. maybe that's the victory that we remind them of every day when they come. Or, like I had a, I had two seniors come up to me. I have a senior group, senior citizens two today. I had 16 women in a strength class. One came up and said. You'll not believe I picked up a 10 pound weight today. Yeah. And I can't believe she was be over the moon. Yeah. And then the other cried and said, I can't believe I'm crying, but I'm almost back to where I wanted to be after my surgery. She had surgery. Yeah. it's getting people to realize that big or small, if you are at the top of the class or you are at the, let's say the bottom It doesn't matter, right? You're here, you're showing up and you're putting in something that is so amazing for yourself and really for just you. And that's not always an easy thing to do. Yeah. And then, and and then you pick up the 10 pound weight, what's next? Totally. I think that's like the biggest part with, yeah. A hundred. there's lot of reasons to. Skip a class. I'm tired. I don't feel like it. There's lots of re when you do it at the end, you always feel better. A hundred percent. That's a, that's what I always think, but I don't feel like doing it, just go do it. You'll feel better after. No matter what. there the saying is, no workout is a bad workout. It may not be your top. Yeah. May not be the best tennis match you play, or the best run you've had or, But it's, you did it. Yeah. And it was something that is really important for your mental and physical health, and that's a victory. Yep. we, I always say I have a running joke like, you won because you didn't hit cancel. Yeah. The rest of the people who did. Yeah. Hit cancel. Hit cancel. it never feels good. No, but I get it when you hit, it happens sometimes you have to. You have to sometimes, but sometimes you don't have to and you do. So that decision to do something that is Truly important for you is the victory. This episode is sponsored by Edelweiss Mountain Deli located on the mountain Road. I know for me it is the perfect stopping point after day on the hill to grab my favorite Waitsfield sandwich and a cup of coffee, and for me grabbing my favorite Sweet Sensation bar. Whether you're looking for fresh Vermont pastries, farm to table prepared meals or local Vermont products to add your barbecue, make sure Edelweiss Mountain Deli is your next stop. I know Covid, I was a challenging period for you. Obviously you can't do in-person classes in a big group. Is that the biggest challenge that you faced? Throughout this, probably lots of challenges, but that had to have been a particularly challenging period. you were driving bikes around town, setting them up outside. That's traps. Yeah. Traps. Traps outside. Yeah. Top notch. I'm sure Pete misses moving the bikes in and out of the van. He loves that. He has PTSD from Covid bike moving, I'm sure. that was hard. Yeah. and I gotta give a shout out to Pascal again, because she reached out and said, Joe, you gotta get virtual. in the very beginning I'm thinking, what is virtual? What do you mean? And she explained it. Now I had to go and figure it all out. And I still have boxes of stuff I bought over Covid. So I started with Virtual Bootcamp. It was amazing. It was that literally I could see everybody and they could see the whole community, and we'd just wave, and then we just pounded out for an hour. it was lonely. I hated being in the studio by myself, but that's what, had to be done. and then, I, of course, like everybody was. Worried about my space, my business. we weren't like restaurants who got money. We didn't get any sort of help. And ev everybody said working outside is the worst thing you could do'cause you're breathing heavily, it was like a covid. Oh yeah. Sin, paranoia. Yeah, paranoia. Which, we had to listen to, so that's when the bike moving, I thought I have to do something. Really cool and really spectacular and keep this community together as much as I can. yeah, and we were lucky at that time because Traps and Top-Notch had those beautiful spaces for weddings, but they weren't doing weddings. So they allowed us to come for a while, and then that was that, and then I moved into the bigger space. Yep. Yep. What are some of the biggest fitness trends you're seeing in 2025? How are you integrating some of those into ride trends? 30 years of trends I've seen. I'm sure, and I have to be honest with you, I always go back to our muscular skeletal and body system doesn't change. We do not change. We learn things. So when it comes to trends, I'm really careful. Yep. I don't think we need. All the latest trends and this and that. What a trend means to me sometimes is a search for something that is new and is gonna work quickly, right? And maybe easy. Easy, right? It's like it. So that's always a trend in who's that machine that they like rub. the thing goes on your belly and shakes it, right? The shaker, oh goodness. The shake weight. Just have 20 of those at ride. We'll just sit around and drink wine and shake plate or something, and I feel lucky that I do understand the body so much that I can say okay, that's not a trend that I need to jump into. But, truthfully, the biggest trend right now I believe stems from the, GLP one. the Ozempic drugs. Ah, yeah. what is happening? and I'm not criticizing those'cause they've helped a lot of people, but doctors are telling those patients, you do not need cardio. You only need strength training. You need strength training. Because what happens when you take some of those drugs is that you lose muscle mass. that's the first thing to go. And I sit on the back thinking you need cardio. First of all, you need it for your mental health. Second of all, your heart, your systems, your circulatory systems. So there's a trend that I definitely don't follow. Yep. Yeah. and there, I guess another trend is the perimenopause and menopause trend. which if you looked at my Instagram feed is it's flooded with influencers and people saying, you should do this, you should take this, you should do this. it's insane. And again, I feel lucky that I can go in and tell you what creatine really does for your body and your brain, and it does help. I'm not saying it doesn't, but for people who don't understand the systems, it's really hard to. break down whether that's a good trend or a bad trend. And then, of course the Pilates trend. Yeah. right? That's, that, I feel like in fitness, it's always a. rush to take on the new thing. Alright. Like Pilates is in, but I think you brought back step. Yeah. So remember step aerobics. Yeah. Back in the day you brought that back. I did. I did. And probably bringing new energy. Totally. Yeah. Something fresh and new and sometimes, I, everyone who comes to that class. Who took it? Think, why did that go away? Yeah. Just because there was another trend. Plus it's, there's a lot of big steps to store, it's just a foundational thing too. Totally. Yeah. They're back to basics. Yeah. It's back to basics and I sometimes think, oh, I should, and you have to keep your business fresh and your clients fresh. But truthfully, you move your body. In the same way we always have. but do I wish I invented a trend over the years? Absolutely. We all do. Darn. All right, Joanna, let's do some rapid fire questions. Okay, I'll kick it off. Morning workout or evening workout. Morning strength training or cardio? Do I have to pick? Yes, you do. Yes. Cardio. Alright. Teach a class or take a class. Teach. Golf cart or walk the course. Golf cart. Yeah. What? Golf cart. I knew that about her. I did not listen. I work out for a living. She already didn't work out. I'm still surprised. Post workout. Hot tub or cold plunge? Hot tub. Playing hockey at the STO arena or playing tennis outside at the tennis club. Hockey wasn't gonna guess that either. Yeah. Here's a good one. Scoring a breakaway goal on your husband, Pete, as the goalie or someone else's goalie? Oh, Pete, for sure. Love that easy one. Tough love or positive reinforcement. Positive reinforcement. Yeah. Yeah. Agreed. Burpees or pushups? Pushups, ships, planks or wall sits. Planks an entire workout of only burpees or only ankle band exercises. Burpees. Thank God I hate the ankle bands. Start a class with a surprise hill sprint, or end it with an unexpected extra five minutes, extra five minutes at the end. That sounds about right. Teach a spin class to a room full of non-English speakers or to a room full of grumpy old men. Oh, grumpy old man. Bring it on. Yeah, I can fix that. Post-workout drink Protein shake or apre White Claw. Oh, in the morning, afternoon. I. First protein, then White Claw. Alright. Okay. Nice. All right. Let's talk a little bit about your STO life. We, you mentioned before you were you the first athletic director at sto? high school. I. There was an athletic director who had 10 hours a month, I believe. Okay. Tori Faye was her name, She was the rec director and the athletic director. So yes, I would say that I would the first athletic director hired at Stowe Middle and High School. Yep. So in a sports crazy town like Stowe, what was that like? it had its amazing moments and it had its really tough moments. I love sports always. I always have, and I still do. I still go to a lot of high school games. Now I feel really passionate about kids playing. Kids getting physical fitness. being on a team and playing a sport should be a really positive thing. These kids have a blast. but there's a lot of negativity that came around. Being the athletic director. when I first started and my kids were little, I think Bo was maybe five or four, and Skyler was six. And I'd be in the grocery store and my kids were running around Max and I'd get some parent in the grocery store questioning the coach, the playing time, and not always in a very nice way. Or we'd be out to dinner. And it there was never a separation of being the athletic director and living in this town. there were many things that I really got bashed for in this town. Yeah. And you can't talk about it because I'm in a public school, so I can't explain why a coach was let go or whatever it may have been. but. The, on the flip side of that, watching these kids succeed and have fun and the coaches and I loved it because I was still part of being in an athletic community, but in the end, the negativity, it just doesn't need to be that much. It was a little disappointing in my life, as I got through it and I thought this should be the best thing we provide for our kids. Yeah. No offense to most athletes, but we don't go anywhere. Yeah, which is great. Become an athlete for the rest of your life. Yep. Totally agree. Yeah, you'll see some parents, up in the stands, freaking out on refs and I always think the same thing. it just doesn't have to be like this. Yeah. No, you got people volunteering their time. It's really unfortunate. And the coaches, they're paid Nothing. Yeah. I still coach. By the way, boys tennis. Yeah. so on that, still going, on that note, Yeah. You've coached the girls and boys tennis teams to many state championships. I have. You love to teach in I do classes and all that. What do you love about coaching sports? Is there any difference? Yeah, it's a big difference. again, it's the family. You get to know these kids, you get to learn what drives every athlete. And it's always different. and Pete and I have always coached together. We've never done it apart. Every ad besides me when I was there has said, can you do this? And you do. And we're like, no, we're a team. And that's just what works for us. Yeah. But it's just so fun to see from the beginning to the end and the successes and the failures, and you pick them up and you, work to make every athlete stronger and have fun and be part of a team, whether they are the top player or the weakest, and they all improve. And it's just, it's all kind of a common theme, When I think about my whole world of. Coaching at being the athletic director, being a fitness person, I love to. I guess help people and make people feel better and pick them up and tell them that they can. Yeah, they can. Yeah. I was an assistant on that. Yeah, you I was gonna ask about that. Do you wanna come back multiple steps? Would you like to come back? I don't have a horse in the race anymore, so that's when I retired. Neither I, but you create a positive. Team environment. I can speak to that. Thank you. Yeah. When I was the assistant. Yeah. although on day one when we rolled the balls out, we started hitting, I did look at Joanna and Pete And I said, we're winning the state championships. Oh wow. You could tell I might, I might give that this year. You. Oh, all I, Jason, I'm gonna come to the first practice and I'll, we've already practiced. Oh, that's why I'm tired.'cause I woke up at four 30 the last two morning. Oh, the morning. Back at top notch. 6:00 AM Are they opening the door on time? I get the key. Oh, finally. Yeah. Don't we used to practice at 6:00 AM we'd be standing outside and waiting for them to open the door for us. Yeah. I remember those morning practices in high school. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. Yeah. Somehow you do it and the kids show up and they do it and it works. Yeah. I'm the most tired, I think. It is nice when you move outside though. It is when you can practice outside, I think I worry most about not waking up. I know I'm missing it. Yeah. Pete's been away. He's with his mom, and so he hasn't been at practice, and I'm am I gonna wake up? The anxiety, all the kids are there by themselves. Yeah. They figure it out. Courts should be ready soon. Now They are. They're clear. We just no nets up. When are those going up? I wanna start playing. I know. I'm gonna push to put him up this weekend. So we were talking before about the hide cup. love the High cup big, community tournament. We actually did an episode on Thehy Cup. Oh, nice. maybe just share your experience playing in that tournament and just your passion for hockey. Yeah. In ow love the high cup. Big Al said, it's mandatory. It's mandatory. It's mandatory to play Thehy Cup. It's so much fun. I first started playing hockey after Bo was born and it was a blast. I didn't really know how to skate. I think I bowled over every woman on the ice because I couldn't stop. Yeah. But I remember Pete saying you came out red cheeked and with a smile that ran across your face because there's something really fun and physical about it. so I just got super into it. I really loved being on the ice. but Thehy Cup, I played the first year and I could barely stop. I still can barely stop. I think that's not true. But it was such a welcoming environment For all levels. I think the level, it's gotten much higher as Yeah. can confirm. Yeah. Okay. Played in it this year. Yeah. It was very fast. Yeah, it was super fast but again, it's so fun to have a team. And to be in a locker room and to show up every night for five nights, like you're a professional athlete, you're all sore, and everyone's got their, bumps and bruises and their hydration things and Yep. And you show up and you, you throw in a little strategy, which is my favorite part of the high cup, you win by strategy. It's not, you just win the game. which makes it fun. and, you root on your two point players and from the top down, it's a really good ow event. It's the, it's just, to me, it's mandatory. Yeah. I feel like Big Al by saying it, but it is, It's just like a week of you forget that you have a life. Yeah. Outside of it, you are a professional athlete even though we're not really good. It's a good, it's a good way to put it. Yeah. Yeah. Or at least I'm not really good, but it's really a fun event. And this year you were awarded as the first recipient of the Big Al Community Shaman Award. Amazing. Yeah. Could you maybe just speak to that and what that means to you? Gosh, it means a lot. I didn't even know there was An award. I was on the committee and it was a total surprise to me. I wasn't on that committee, but I was on the Hy Cup committee. Yep. listen, Al, your father was a legend. Sure was. He was an amazing man. And, he showed up to do everything. Yeah. Literally everything. And the high cup was one. and he gave legendary speeches. like unbelievable and, made the locker room this warm and sort of joyous place and he would walk in and it was almost like he was norm from Cheers. Yeah. Ow. it's everybody welcomed him and, I think he was the spirit of the high cup. Yeah. Alan was amazing and your family. so it was a shock to be awarded that. But it's a complete honor. Yeah. and I didn't even really process it. And, actually I wanted to say thank you, but I think Brian took the mic. because it was really, A powerful award and really meaningful award for me of all people to get that. Yeah. you deserve it. Oh, thank you. Yeah. Thank you. For sure. Thanks. deserved. Thanks. So you've been in stone 25 years. Yeah. and you raised your kids here the entire time? I did What's that like living in STO that long and raising your kids here? Do your kids have fond memories of growing up here? For the most part, absolutely. Yeah. you still had to go through middle school and high school as kids, no matter where you are, no matter where, you're still dealing with those years. Yeah. I always said if one of my kids was wandering down the street, somebody would've said, Hey, there's Skylar and there's Bo. Let me call Joanna or Pete. Yeah. it was a community that was small and caring. and for the most part, I feel like we just raised our kids, all of us as together, and developed some really good friendships through my kids, mainly through my kids, They got to play the sports. my kids didn't do a musical, but if they wanted to, they could have. Or they, they were given some good opportunities. and they love coming back. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. and they love bringing their friends back here. Yeah. To out Yeah. Challenging it to em. Yeah. Yeah. It's cool. It is. It's, yeah, it was nice, if I had to do it again, I would. Yeah. Yeah. That's good to hear. Yeah. So you've been around STO a long time. 25 years. How have you seen STO change in that time? the actual landscape of STO has changed a lot. a lot of different buildings, which is good. the mountain, I don't downhill ski, so I would have wished that our town had of put in a little more thought too. Asking them to do a little infrastructure before we built all that, like you would do in another town. But, we've had a lot of people move in and a lot of people move out. But I think, it, it's hard for me to say what it would be like to put my kids in school today, because they're not, I still think it's a great community and I feel we welcome new people, or we should at least, I certainly do. and I've enjoyed meeting the new people who have moved in and I missed some who have moved out. but that's just the way a community goes. so overall, I don't know that I feel a huge change. but again, I have one lane. Yeah. I have a lot of lanes. Either I'm playing hockey, tennis, or those things, or I'm at ride, Yeah. But you see a lot of people do that ride. I do. so many new people always coming through new to town, thankfully. yeah, thankfully. Yeah. So that's important to me. there's been a lot of people who talk about the negativeness of people moving into this town. I don't feel that way. Yeah. I don't feel that way. I feel like. just because someone's moving in from Massachusetts or Connecticut or wherever it is. Yeah. You moved here at one point. Totally. Yeah, totally. I don't feel like we can sit here and not welcome them and o with open arms and bring them into our community because they probably have something really great to add. Yep. Yeah. so I've definitely seen changes, but not crazy changes besides the infrastructure. Yeah. And I'm always amazed when I go to ride, there's always a group of young new people to Ow Yeah. That come to ride. Yeah. That's where I go to be wow, there is young people moving to STO or the greater STO area. Yeah. Yeah. it's, yeah, they're there. It's important. Yeah. and I hope they feel welcome too. What is your hope for STO in the next five to 10 years? I just hope that it continues to. Be a great place positive. People move in. and I, I'm, I welcome change. I'm okay with change. I'm okay with building. I'm okay with new businesses. so I don't know. I just hope that it just can continue to grow and be a great place like it is, I guess. All right. We're just about to wrap up. We do ask all of our guests one question. If STO did not exist. Where would you be living? Wilmington, North Carolina. I was thinking that. Yeah. I love it there. Yeah. You play golf and tennis all year long. There is a rink. my kids are there. There's a beach, there's a downtown like Burlington. I love the vibe. Good restaurants. I could move there. Yep. Yeah. If there wasn't stow. Yeah. Great answer. Yeah. But there is stow, so there is Ow. Thankfully. Stay, we'll, stay tuned. Yeah, no, I'm not going anywhere. Awesome. Thanks Joanna. Thanks Joanna. Thank you guys so much for having me. That was fun. Hope you enjoyed that episode of the Octagon Podcast. Remember to like us on Instagram and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. See you next time.