April Member of the Month: Jen Ellis
Q: Tell us about yourself and what brought you to Chapel Hill?
A: I am a Chapel Hill native, left for college but found my way back right after! I graduated from Methodist University in 2006 with a Business Degree with a concentration in Resort Management. While there, I played volleyball and have been inducted into the university Hall of Fame. After graduating and moving back to Carrboro, I met my now husband, Nathan, and we have set down roots here. Although, we love new adventures and traveling so we take all the opportunities we can to get out and see the world. We have a spoiled pup, Newton (if you want to hear a mildly embarrassing/ fun story, ask me how we ended up with him), a typical, carefree cat, named Stink, and another silly story, a "free range" frog, Ralphie.
Q: What are your hobbies outside of working out?
A: Outside of SPENGA, I also love mountain biking and taking care of my growing plant collection. I have a greenhouse I spend a fair bit of free time in, usually with a glass of wine in hand ;). I also LOVE live music. I am so excited to get back to concerts and festivals this summer.
Q: Tell us about your business?!
A: When not filling my free time with fun and games, you can find me at my wellness studio; Areté Float Tank Studio. We offer floatation therapy, massage, infrared sauna & red light therapy sessions, and are in the process of adding contrast therapy (hot/cold plunge). All modalities that would be great for post Spenga recovery! I opened Arete in Feb of 2017, I guess you could say almost out of necessity- long story short, I broke my ankle badly (pinata gone wrong- right before I was leaving to go study great white sharks in South Africa), ended up on crutches and in a walking boot for quite a long time. Developed sciatic and could not find any relief. So, I tried floating. After my first session, I was pain free. Almost in that exact moment, I knew I had to bring flotation therapy to our area. At the time, the closest location was over an hour away!
Q: What brings you to SPENGA?
A: I joined SPENGA because as much as I love being outdoors, I do not love being cold. I wanted something that would compliment my mountain bike riding so come spring, I would not be starting to get my fitness back from zero. So, came for a trial session in January, loved it, and immediately signed up for a membership! The mix & length of sessions, and accountability from having to sign up are exactly what I need to stay interested, motivated, and get stronger week by week! The staff and instructors are seriously some of the nicest in town and having a hospitality background, that goes a long way with me!
