Epic Member Spotlight: Hannah Ranney
Name: Hannah Ranney
Occupation: Product Manager and Designer
1. Where can you be found outside of the gym? What do you do for a living?
Luckily my company was already remote so the pandemic didn’t change my work life too much. You can usually find me in my office/guest room. I work for a real estate search site as a product manager and designer. My day-to-day is a lot of communication, analyzing, and prioritizing with a dash of creative design time on fun days.
2. What are your hobbies?
I love to cook and sometimes bake. I like salmon fishing with my husband where I look for wildlife and reel in fish. During the pandemic, I’ve done a lot of puzzles and really upped my backyard birdwatching.
3. What brought you to FH in the first place?
I was looking for a fitness space in late 2017 and when I realized that FuelHouse (1.0) was in the neighborhood I just had to check it out. It helped that everything I could find out about FH made it sound awesome. Which it is.
4. How are we so lucky you picked us (what are your favorite things about FH)?
I love that FH is a woman-owned local business and Molly rocks.
There’s the community - both the members and coaches. Seriously a motivating and fun bunch of people to be around.
Also, the attention and care coaches spend on good form and injury prevention means a lot to me.
5. What sports or fitness things did you do before FH?
Before FH I wasn’t a very active person because of a joint condition. I think this led to the idea of exercise and gyms being pretty intimidating until about 8 years ago when I started to bike commute. I didn’t start biking to be fit, more that I didn’t drive and wanted a reliable transportation option. But it got my fitness journey started. Then I tried out some group classes at a studio near my old job and I was so surprised that I had a blast and I felt great. I’ve tried to keep it going ever since then.
6. What programs are you currently involved in at FH (group classes, individualized program design, personal training, nutrition?) and why?
I’m all about the group classes - 6 am! Being around other people has been and is my biggest motivation.
7. What goals are you working towards and/or what’s on your FH bucket list of things you’d like to accomplish (i.e. Simple & Sinister?)??
I would love to achieve Simple. I was so close a couple of years ago. One day I’d love to try again.
8. What makes you commit to training even on days you don’t feel like it?
Because I know what happens when I don’t go, especially for long periods of time. It means terrible sleep, poor mood, and aches that only get worse. Training is me doing myself a favor towards having better days. Plus, I can’t argue there’s a feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment afterward.
9. What’s your favorite movement/exercise?
Kettlebell swings and Turkish Get Ups. There’s something about focusing on form and hitting that zen state during those movements. I love it.
10. What have been your “bright spots” (PRs or accomplishments are you most proud of)?
Coming back to classes from being on hold has been a huge highlight. Every day I make it in is a feat I want to celebrate.
11. How have these accomplishments affected your life?
I’m so happy. Before coming back I had increasing bouts of insomnia and chronic back pain. After 3 classes I realized I was sleeping through the night and my back improved immensely.
12. What’s on your general bucket list for life?
I would like to get a dog, get back to drawing, and traveling more.
13. Tell us a little known fact about yourself or what’s something most people don’t know about you?
I don’t share my artistic side with a lot of people. The reason I moved to Seattle was to get my certificate in Scientific Illustration. I loved doing detailed illustrations in colored pencil. I ended up shifting to graphic design for better career opportunities, but I did do some interesting pet portraits back in the day.
14. What’s your favorite thing about being a FUELhouse member?
FuelHouse has been such a supportive and understanding place. It’s great knowing I can modify movements to match where I’m at that day. I don’t have to worry about where I think I should be in terms of strength or ability but can focus on what I can do.
15. What was your first impression of FH? How has that changed?
I will say I was worried about not fitting in. I’d never used a barbell, there were a lot of movement names I’d never heard of, and then there were Kiel’s short shorts. Turns out barbells are cool and not scary, questions are more than welcome, and you get used to Kiel’s shorts.
16. What advice do you have for new (or experienced!) new friends trying out FH?
Don’t waste time comparing to anyone else. Relish in your own journey. Acknowledge your progress. Low days and feeling pain aren’t failures, they’re times for learning and to improve for better days.
