10 Years of Invictus – Reflection and Renewal
Written by C.J. Martin
January is a special time for reflecting and renewing commitments to things that are important. This January was extra special for me as we celebrated Invictus’ 10-Year Anniversary. Taking the time to reflect on why we started Invictus, what was important to us, and how we accomplished goals along the way has inspired me to renew our commitment to the thing that has always been most important – the members of our Invictus communities.
In November 2008, I chose to leave an amazing job at a great law firm to take a chance on building a community where a few good friends and I could positively impact others. Fitness was our medium, and we loved teaching people how to rediscover movement and what their bodies were capable of; but that was just the tip of the iceberg. What we realized from the outset is that we could change the way our members thought; we could challenge their perceived limitations, force them to push themselves beyond their comfort zones, show them that with consistent effort they could overcome even seemingly insurmountable obstacles, and in many cases, help them rediscover lost confidence. We weren’t just teaching people how to exercise more effectively or efficiently, we were reinforcing the very traits required to find success in and out of the gym.
Over the past ten years, we’ve celebrated our members’ countless successes. Those successes have sometimes been a first pull-up, a weightlifting PR, or their first muscle-up, but those have been outnumbered and overshadowed by the markers of success our community members have found outside the gym – be that in their personal relationships, careers or the ways they feel and view themselves. Simply put, we’re helping people live not only healthier, but also happier lives.
My belief in the ability of our coaches to heighten the lives of those we’re blessed to help has only strengthened over the past 10 years. We’re achieving our mission and renewing our commitment to be the best coaches we can be so that we can continue to serve and help the members of our communities find success and happiness.
Thank you for allowing us to be part of your journey and to share in your successes. Your trust inspires us to continually improve, and all of us at Invictus look forward to many more years of helping others become the best versions of themselves.