Ogdensburg girl opens ‘Bootcamp’ and health heart in metropolis throughout pandemic | Enterprise

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OGDENSBURG – At the beginning of 2020, Johnnie Flynn, a certified personal trainer, had the dream of opening a boot camp and fitness center in Ogdensburg, but she was struggling to find the perfect location.

Her phone rang and she was told to look around 1010 Franklin St., the former Lupia Electric building.

“As soon as I walked into the building, I knew without hesitation that this would be our fitness center,” said Flynn, who finally opened the BBJ Bootcamp & Fitness Center in the building on September 12, 2020 with co-owner Patrick Barr, which had an area of ​​1,950 Square meters that was perfect for their plans.

Flynn’s “Bootcamp” is different from your typical gym experience. It’s an interval circuit training program with each station offering different exercises that you do for a minute and a 20-second break.

“Bootcamp is a great way to get started on fat loss quickly by using your key muscle groups, including your core,” said Flynn, adding, “It’s really fun.”

She says the process of starting a business “has been pretty extensive and overwhelming, especially if you have no experience with it.”

Flynn said we helped along the way from QT Laser & Design’s Misty Fishel and other small business owners who led them to a possible grant funding to help fund the renovations to meet Ogdensburg City regulations.

“The cost, time and effort were not what I had imagined. Today I can proudly say that it was all worth it, ”she said.

Flynn said her inspiration in founding the BBJ Bootcamp & Fitness Center began years ago when she decided to make the life changes necessary to be healthy and fit. The rest is history.

“When my body composition changed and people started seeing progress, friends asked me to help them with their fitness. This is where my journey to help others began. Eventually I became a certified personal trainer and bootcamp instructor, ”she said.

Flynn steps-by-step thanks David Bayne for allowing her to teach a class at the former Lincoln Elementary School. Before she knew it, her courses were growing in popularity and they eventually needed more space.

“At that moment I knew it was time to finally take the plunge and open my own boot camp and fitness center,” said Flynn.

What makes this feat even more inspiring is that it happened during the COVID-19 pandemic, when government policies changed month to month, and in some cases even weeks. That made her question her decision to open the fitness center, but she decided to move on.

“It was devastating for so many reasons, what about the class? What about our fitness community? What about my boot camp building? There were times when I wanted to give up, but I knew that I couldn’t do that to the people who had supported me in my boot camp for the past three years, most importantly, I couldn’t give up on myself and my goals. “Said Flynn.

Despite the obstacles related to COVID-19, her dream came true.

“We had so many restrictions to follow, but I knew if we could get through this we could go through anything,” she said.

The BBJ Bootcamp & Fitness Center currently offers a variety of courses with different instructors.

There is a boot camp, boxing, circuit and personal training called “Body By Johnnie” with Flynn as an instructor.

Angela and Ricky Rodriguez offer Thousand Islands martial arts and teach karate, kickboxing and boxing classes.

A Pilates, High Intensity Interval Training and Penalty Boxing course called “Evolution Group Fitness” are run by Bridgette Havens.

There is also a Family Tabata Bootcamp with Jordyn Vernsey for teenagers aged 5-14; Zumba with Nicole Kendall; Repositioning Yoga with Denise Kerr; and Zumboga with Pam Morley.

The community’s reaction has been wonderful, said Flynn, adding that she enjoys what she does and is excited about the future of the fitness center in Ogdensburg. She even has a three year plan to hopefully open another fitness center out of town.

“The reason I love Bootcamp is because of the camaraderie, support, motivation and encouragement during the class. Bootcamp isn’t just about getting fit, it’s about building a community, making friends, socializing and inspiring one another. Besides being a mother, that’s my passion, ”she said. “That is my goal.”

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