June 2023 Member of the Month: Keely O'Neill
Meet June’s Epic Member of the month: Keely O’Neill!
Keely has been with us since we opened our doors in 2015 and with Molly even before that! She’s predates when we used ZenPlanner! Keely is a delight to be around and makes you feel so warm and welcome. Always thinking of others, Keely is someone we can rely on to welcome in new members (and coaches)! We are forever grateful for the love, support and dedication Keely has shown FUELhouse. Thank you Keely! She just celebrated a birthday at the end of May and is about to tie the knot in September. We love when Keely walks through our doors and truly can’t imagine our space without her. Check out what our coaches had to say about Miss Keely…
“If you see Keely on the list of members attending class - you want to be there!!! She is just pure fun & funny. She’ll always be cracking a one liner, but she can get down to work too. Shes always introducing herself and meeting new people and making them feel welcome.” — Coach Kari
‘Keely is my gurl! She’s such a bright spot in FH - people always light up when they interact with her. She’s a badass through and through and her positive energy is contagious. Also her mid class jam sessions are my fav.” — Coach Abbey
Keely is awesome! Whether you're working with her in a group setting, 1:1, or outside the gym -- her energy is contagious! Your bound to get loads of laughter and support when you're around her. Oh-- and don't forget your windmills!! — Coach Brian
“I loved working with Keely outside of the gym! I learned so much about her, her dreams, her goals, and her obstacles which she faces with strength and humor. Keely kicks ass and has fun doing it!” — Coach Dre
“Keely is pure energy whenever she's on the training deck! Watching her progress during Sokols 5x5 program was so inspiring and the confidence she exudes in the face of difficult challenges embodies the spirit of what FuelHouse is all about. Go Keely!!” — Coach Vincent
“I remember when I first started working at Fuelhouse, she approached me, introduced herself and made me feel so welcome. It was a great way to start getting to know members at the house!” — Coach Kathryn
Continue reading to learn more about this spectacular human, Keely!
Names: Keely O’Neill
Pronoun(s): she/her
Occupation: Marketing Program Manager at AWS
IG: @keely_oneilly
Where can you be found outside of the gym? What do you do for a living?
Outside of the gym you can find me hanging with my fiancé (ooh lala) and our two silly pups at breweries, going for podcast walks, and paddle boarding. I've spent a lot of my career working in the events space and now I'm a marketer working with startups at Amazon Web Services--the cloud!
What are your hobbies?
I really love vacuuming. Have you ever had a cordless Dyson? Game changer. But really I like to be by the water or outside in the sunshine and flop on the couch in the winter. I'm kind of a movie/TV nerd - my first job was at Blockbuster. :) I like to try new restaurants and travel when possible!
What brought you to FH in the first place?
I met Molly back in 2014-ish at Fremont Brewing. She invited me to Salsa con Todo for a couple workouts and it was love at first class with that gal. I just follow her around and she tells me what to do.
How are we so lucky you picked us (what are your favorite things about FH)?
My favorite thing about Fuelhouse is viewing working out as going to hang out with my friends. Shockingly I'm actually kind of introverted, so I don't do a ton of social things after long work days. Fuelhouse has so many people I like, including coaches that push me, so I get to work out while playing with my friends. How great is that?
What sports or fitness things did you do before FH?
I played sports since I was little, from softball to swimming basically every day growing up in San Diego. I played volleyball and water polo competitively, and my true love is water polo. I miss it a lot. Because I played in college I did a lot of weight lifting classes and just love skill and strength. Working at Brooks Running when I first moved here I caught the running bug and ran a full marathon plus dozens of half marathons, 5Ks, and relays.
What programs are you currently involved in at FH and why?
I've done personal training off an on with Coach Brian to get my groove back or hone in on a skill (get ups, swings, and push-ups in the past), but usually you can find me at evening classes and Saturday 9am. I also did the Simple and Sinister small group with Coach Brian and most recently the 5x5 Lifting small group with Coach Sokol. I love a small group to meet new friends and build some strength/consistency. I like to try new stuff!
What goals are you working towards and/or what’s on your FH bucket list of things you’d like to accomplish?
I recently spent a lot of time focusing on bar bell squats and military press (yay PRs!) and I'm stoked to keep it up with bar bells, but I'm looking to add in a bit more focus on aerobic activity. Feeling comfortably with box jumps again is a dream I'm always chasing and trying.
What makes you commit to training even on days you don't feel like it?
Honestly, sometimes I don't. I used to push injuries too hard and be quite hard on myself, so now I pay attention to my body and rest when I need it. When I've signed up for a class I really try to show up, so if I'm too tired or low energy, I take it easy and work with the motto that something is better than nothing. It really helps to peek on the app to see who is signed up for a class I'm considering, and know I'm going to get to see friends or make new ones.
What's your favorite movement/exercise?
Turkish get-ups are the best, but bar bell/kettle bell cleans and presses make me feel like such a bad ass.
What have been your “bright spots” (PRs or accomplishments are you most proud of)?
Simple and Sinister was a pretty exciting accomplishment that comes to mind first. Coach Brian and I were captains of teams that won two competitions in a row! Basically, we peaked early, but it's so fun to win together as a team. One of those teams did a cold plunge together in the winter and it was great to connect together like that. I did a successful box jump the other day and conquered that fear, so hell yeah!
How have these accomplishments affected your life?
Reaching these milestones and accomplishing PRs keeps me motivated. I love to see what my body can do. I left Fuelhouse for a bit and got really into Bar Method, but quit because I had a chronic injury. Molly and the team at Fuelhouse patiently helped me get back to being comfortable in my body while under load/tension. I joke that I'm a retired athlete, but little wins and accomplishments I stay energized and proud of myself.
What is on your general bucket list for life?
I'd like to live abroad somewhere eventually and learn another language fluently, like Spanish or French. I'd definitely like to travel to all continents and just be a really solid aunt to my nieces and nephews. Seeing Adele in concert also wouldn't suck.
Tell us a little known fact about yourself or what’s something most people don’t know about you?
I talk about myself a lot so this could be hard. I alluded to it earlier that I'm actually kind of quiet and I have learned to love alone time. I'm pretty fired up in class and try to have fun in that team environment, but I've traveled to Patagonia (Chile) and the Bahamas by myself and it recharges me so much to simply not talk for a while.
What's your favorite thing about being a FUELhouse member?
How can I choose?! I love those big, loud, rowdy classes. I like to talk shit and make jokes like my sports teams did, but also feel motivated looking at how strong my friends are. This community leaning in to each other, especially during lockdown really kept me from completely losing my mind. Also, super importantly, I can modify my workouts with zero judgment from coaches. They don't tell me to force out push-ups if I'm hurting. They let me trust myself but also push me when they know I'm safe.
What was your first impression of FH? How has that changed?
Gosh, it's been a while. My first impression of Fuelhouse was Molly, and with her it was just instant good vibes and I knew she would bring that to her gym. That hum of chatter between classes, bumping music, and laughter is back after Covid times and that just really makes me happy.
What advice do you have for new (or experienced!) new friends trying out FH?
Embrace the fun! My advice is to introduce yourself or ask people's names. If you go to a class and don't know someone or see someone alone, say hi. It's really rare to find a community like this that genuinely does want to work hard and be friends, so lean into it. You can trust your fellow members to welcome you and show up with you. Lastly, no one is keeping score or counting your reps - if you need to do 10 instead of 12, just do it. Lean on the coaches. Coach Sokol helps me by reminding me if I want to try a heavier bell or weight, just reduce my reps. Try it, fail, try something else. Most importantly, listen to your bod. *jumps off soap box*