We’re changing the landscape of youth, health and wellness in
Baltimore by creating a supportive community centered around fitness.
We’re changing the landscape of youth, health and wellness in
Baltimore by creating a supportive community centered around fitness.
We’re changing the landscape of youth, health and wellness in
Baltimore by creating a supportive community centered around fitness.
We’re changing the landscape of youth health and wellness in
Baltimore by creating a supportive community, centered around fitness.
We’re changing the landscape of youth health and wellness in
Baltimore by creating a supportive community, centered around fitness.
We’re changing the landscape of youth health and wellness in
Baltimore by creating a supportive community, centered around fitness.
MissionFit is
For the greater good of our Youth and the Baltimore community.
At MissionFit, we provide a safe space, resources for health and an environment for continued personal growth.
Give us a brief description of the service that you are promoting. Try keep it short so that it is easy for people to scan your page.
MissionFit offers free fitness classes to Baltimore’s youth ages 11-24. Participation in a consistent, positive fitness program helps our youth to develop confidence and self-acceptance, work ethic and important life skills such as goal setting, time management and accountability. Our youth come to MissionFit from nearby neighborhood communities, as well as through partnerships with youth development organizations.
Our S.T.E.P. program works to educate Baltimore’s future personal trainers and coaches. Participants work alongside a certified trainer to develop skills in safety and professionalism, fitness programming and client relationship and development. Upon completion of the program, participants receive the certification of their choice, fully paid for by MissionFit.
We seek to provide an inclusive intentional community through a variety of classes open to the Greater Baltimore fitness community. Classes are made available at affordable rates. From drop-in rates of $10 to donation-based classes, our goal is to offer a space where community comes first, and profit is secondary.
For 5 weeks, youth participate in a meaningful summer program to build healthy habits, develop their knowledge of personal fitness, training, and learn the facilitation skills to bring their knowledge to their friends and family. These youth, called Strength Ambassadors, learn the skills to effectively take ownership over their health, and how to teach those skills – coaching, mindfulness, healthy eating, public speaking – to their own community.
MissionFit Youth Spotlight: SageHey Wonderful World!Today is the last day of Community Week, and I couldn't think of a better way to close things out than to showcase Sage. Sage has been coming to us for a little over a year, is a fierce jumper-of-ropes, and has dedication and a smile that we could all learn from. Listen to her talk about jump-rope competitions (at the Apollo no less!), and what it's like being in 8th grade in Baltimore during quarantine.Thank you Sage for always bringing great energy - and we're looking forward to when this is over so you can teach us more than you already have!
Posted by MissionFit on Wednesday, April 29, 2020
"Breakfast off" between Yoshwah and Wes!
Posted by MissionFit on Sunday, April 26, 2020
Community Day 2020/ 5 year anniversaryHey everyone! I hope you are staying safe and sane during these times! We planned to have our community day today but how we want to highlight the many wonderful people that make up MissionFit Baltimore took a slightly different approach! We hope that you stay tuned because our community day has now become a community week!The aim of this week is to show a small number of the people that have joined our family and that their message(s) in some form, resonate with you or cause you to reflect and grow in a positive way.Peace & Blessings,The MissionFit Team
Posted by MissionFit on Saturday, April 25, 2020
The Bloomberg Fellows Program is a groundbreaking initiative that provides world-class public health training to individuals engaged with organizations tackling critical challenges facing the United States. Meet the new class.
We offer many classes to meet the needs of youth, and to build a safe and supportive community. All of our classes are free to Baltimore residents between the ages of 11-24.
MEET OUR COACHES
Holistic health and performance
Devout Generalist, weightlifting, mobility, yoga, martial arts, mindfulness, meditation, pain management, elder and youth fitness
Imagining being a positive drop in the infinite seas of consciousness
AFAA Group Exercise/Personal Trainer, aspiring B.S in Exercise Science
Functional fitness, Bodybuilding, Endurance training
Attempted Guinness Book of World Records for most crunches in 1 hour to raise awareness of YMCA transitional housing program, raising funds for every family in the program to have Thanksgiving dinner
AAAI-ISMA
Weight Training, Cardio, HIIT
Collection Sneakers, Creating Cool Playlist, and writing the coolest children’s book series ever, The Electrifying Adventures of Mr. Powers
Student Physical Therapist (Doctorate expected ’20)
Weightlifting, Rock Climbing, Hand-balancing, Acrobatics, Martial Arts, Dance, Parkour… I like to move!
I love to play music and engage with the arts!
2019, 2020 Strength Ambassadors
2021 Strength Ambassadors
Strength Ambassador
Strength Ambassador
Strength Ambassador
Strength Ambassador
Hometown: Bethesda, MD
Current Board Position: Executive Director and Head Coach
Favorite Fitness Activity: Handstands
Health Background: Being healthy is a by-product of my love of physically and mentally pushing myself. I was a D1 track and cross country runner at umbc and that competitive nature has been around my whole life.
Goal: The legacy I want to leave behind is how to create habits that will lead to a healthier lifestyle and NOT feel like a chore. Health should, in the long run, feel natural and fun not like a 9-5 job you hate.
Fun Fact: More than half of my front right tooth is fake.
Hometown: Baltimore, MD
Current Board Position: Director of Development
Favorite Fitness Activity: Kettlebells, swimming in the river, and working on my handstands
Health Background: Exercise has helped me focus and be present. It’s also the language through which I connect with young people and help them learn critical life skills. It’s also the way and place in which young people teach me and help me grow.
Goal: My goal for MissionFit is for all young people in Baltimore to feel like they have a safe space they can go to connect with positive, healthy people. Selfishly, I hope one of those young people replaces me in my job.
Fun Fact: I was a nationally recognized chess player when I was 10 years old (at least that’s the way I remember it).
Hometown: Baltimore, MD
Current Board Position: Facilities management & human oversight committee
Favorite Fitness Activity: Climbing, kettlebells
Health Background: I started working out at a young age as a way to improve athleticism and performance in my sports of lacrosse and ice hockey. Fitness quickly became a passion of mine that has spanned over 10+ years as a personal trainer and strength coach
Goal: I want to help spread the importance of movement throughout the Baltimore community. I also want to use my experience in property management to help make the physical gym space as safe and efficient as possible to better serve those who utilize it
Fun Fact: I’m going to be a rockstar one day
Hometown: Security Square Catonsville, MD
Current Board Position: Board Chair
Favorite Fitness Activity: Ring Support Holds, then an epic Black Widow landing
Health Background: Why is health and wellness important to you? What has been your health journey? It’s so important to see others around you who are like you, who didn’t think they could push themselves, only to find they needed a role model to lead them on the way. I grew up as a high-pitched, pencil skinny, artsy, eccentric, asthma kid. As a gay guy, everyone said ‘physical fitness isn’t for you’ and I got physically and emotionally bullied as a kid. I relied on some dance to get me by, but art and theatre were my passion. It was only in grad school (!) for city planning that I came across MissionFit when doing research for a class project. Geoff welcomed me with open arms and I could immediately see the importance of a culture where people of all ages can challenge themselves, and be role models for others. I volunteered right away and the work just keeps giving back! Three years later, I’m now the board chair and I regularly attend Husky Boys/Lunging Ladies with Coach Wes. It’s through our weekly workouts I’ve grown to see myself physically and mentally capable. I am regularly challenged and relieved. ‘Yes I Can!’
Goal: What do you hope to accomplish as a Missionfit Board Member? What is your goal for MissionFit? I work as a grants manager for my day job, so I would love to support staff in scoring ongoing support from local foundations and gifts from companies.
Fun Fact: One thing about you most people may not know. I’m an artist! I paint acrylic and draw in charcoal.
Hometown: Boston, MA
Current Board Position: secretary
Favorite Fitness Activity: trail running
Health Background: Sports were my outlet growing up. I really enjoyed the camaraderie of team sports and learned about teamwork and leadership through these activities. I continued with team sports through high school and college and then became a runner after that. In Baltimore, I met many of my best friends through running and we were able to train for many races together.
Goal: My hope is to help Missionfit become a sustainable organization with a broad base of youth and young adults seeking the services provided.
Fun Fact: I spent three years coaching lacrosse in Scotland before I went to nursing school.
Hometown: Brooklyn, NYC
Current Board Position: Member
Favorite Fitness Activity: Deadlifts are my fav
Health Background: Why is health and wellness important to you? It’s so easy to be comfortable eating, drinking, and sitting at your desk. You forgot how those behaviors impact your health and wellness. Working out and training at MissionFit has gotten me through 60-mile walks, hiking in Iceland, getting married, and recovering from a car accident. That’s nothing in comparison to the friends I’ve made along the way.
Goal: What do you hope to accomplish as a Missionfit Board Member? What is your goal for MissionFit? I just want to do a little more to support our youth. When I was growing up it was organizations like MissionFit that kept me out of trouble and into the fundamentals of movement. If my presence can benefit a member of our community to do the same than I have paid it forward. Plus, this community gym has done so much for me and it’s only right I donate back to my adopted family.
Fun Fact: One thing about you most people may not know. I’m a huge collector of Funko Pops of characters from my favorite superhero movies. I own over 40 different Wonder Woman and Blackwidow from 8 different collections.
Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA
Current Board Position: Program Support
Favorite Fitness Activity: Cardio, Dance
Health Background: Health and wellness is important to me because you need both for a healthy lifestyle and longevity. I believe it is a form of self-care, respect and appreciation for your body and its abilities. I am on a continuous health journey that began out of personal health problems, and developed into an exploration of various foods and choices that had a positive impact on my health.
Goal: I hope to support Mission Fit’s curriculum programming and reach. I’d like to see Mission Fit grow substantially and be the go-to organization for health and wellness programming. My goal for Mission Fit is state and national recognition and impacting the lives of our youth and young adults.
Fun Fact: I am an avid horseback rider.
Hometown: Baltimore, MD
Current Board Position: Advisory Member
Favorite Fitness Activity: Kettlebells, Basketball, Slow Pitch Softball
Health Background: I recall growing up as a young child being very active. Whether it was hopscotch, tag or a game of softball with my little league team. Being active through sports was always a fun and engaging way to connect with my friends. Now as an adult, I feel the same way about staying active and maintaining my health and connecting with others. I competed in various sports through college and always felt a sense of self-gratification whether we won or lost. Now I am learning more ways through low impact exercise to maintain the same self-gratification.
Goal: I want to stay connected to youth programs that support youth health, sports and exercise activities while using my knowledge and experience to educate and increase engaging active spaces for others to enjoy.
Fun Fact: I used to be an Editor of an online high school sports Magazine and love pineapples on pizza!
Hometown: Baltimore, MD
Current Board Position: founder and retired board chair
Favorite Fitness Activity: hiking and training my pups
Health Background: Why is health and wellness important to you? What has been your health journey? Turning a certain age and my body was breaking down from years of competitive tennis. Walked into a CrossFit gym and fell in love with movement.
Goal: What do you hope to accomplish as a Missionfit Board Member? What is your goal for MissionFit? While I am no longer a board member, my goal is to see MissionFit’s impact on the community continue to grow; creating a healthier, stronger Baltimore.
Fun Fact: One thing about you most people may not know. I am a recovering attorney.
People have been asking for memberships to our super awesome community gym for quite a long time. While we can’t open up our doors to everyone because the gym would be so packed that it could interfere with our singular focus of Strengthening Baltimore’s Youth, we can open it to some.
Limited memberships exist. Members get the code to the door and largely make their own hours. Cost is approx $50/month.
Our membership is different though – our members are really part of our community. If you want a gym where you can drop the weights loudly, leave equipment all over the place for the cleaning crew to deal with, please email membership@planetfitness.com.
That’s what Di’Kera, one of our Strength Ambassadors in 2021 said to her Coaches at the end of the summer program.
Our young people:
And we know that all of these impacts are linked to positive outcomes in the classroom, in the mind, and in life.
If you want to help make health possible for Baltimore’s youth, please become a supporter now.
Monthly $8.34
Annual $100
Donation Options |
© MissionFit / Website by my content co.