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An Armonk resident by way of her native Ireland, Gillespie joined Saw Mill Club in Mount Kisco five years ago on the recommendation of a friend. Although always a regular gym user, a series of events last spring changed Gillespie's world.
"Last May my brother in law died suddenly, and I immediately returned to Ireland to be with my sister and nephew," said Gillespie, who has a son of her own. "When I came back to Westchester, I broke my leg only a few days later." After being told by doctors that she would be immobile for six weeks, Gillespie was forced to suspend her workouts. "After I returned to the gym six weeks later, I was unhappy with myself. I was very sad and down given all that had happened, and put on some weight," she said.
Knowing something had to be done, Gillespie signed up for a "Lose Big" bootcamp, run by Saw Mill Club East fitness director Kris Geier, and was amazed with the results. In addition to improving her health, Gillespie credits the support from Geier and the entire club as a major aid in overcoming her loss. "The gym is a very big place", she said. "When you start out when you have no idea how to use the equipment. Kris taught me how to use the gym and my body properly." Since her initial classes, Gillespie has expanded her routine to include kickboxing and step aerobic classes with Melanie Melillo, and Bernadette Matta's ever-challenging Zumba class.
"I always looked at the gym as a place where you don’t have fun or enjoy it, but it doesn’t have to be that way," she said. For those seeking a sound mind as well has healthy body, breaking a sweat has the power to do so much more.
