Each year at uforia, Embrace the Sweat comes around and it’s hard to ignore the energy, and buzz of excitement that floods into our Nob Hill and Palo Alto studios. It’s two weeks of fierce competition where our Rockstars, Concierge staff and clients come together to sweat and push our bodies to the limit– for both our team, and a good cause. I got the chance to talk to Sarah Lux, uforia’s CEO about the history of the event, why it has become an integral part of the uforia community, and how it got started in the first place. New to uforia? Thinking about participating? Wondering what Embrace the Sweat really is? Here’s everything you need to know to get you geared up for ETS 2018:
Back in 2013, Sarah and our marketing team were brainstorming ideas to curate a community environment for our growing studio in Palo Alto. “We knew that an event like this would not only help bring our staff and clients together, but also the Palo Alto community as a whole.” That’s where Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford came into the picture. Sarah’s daughter suffered from an acute kidney malfunction, and Lucile Packard was responsible for her remission and complete recovery. “I hope that no one has a reason to take their child to Lucile Packard, however we were so lucky to get such amazing care.” She then explains about doctors demonstrating procedures on dolls and teddy bears to ease the fear and anxiety most kids can experience in those situations. “It really is the best hospital. Ever.” From the very beginning, Embrace the Sweat has donated its proceeds to Lucile Packard– directly into the hands of families in need. “No one is turned away from the hospital who can’t afford that level of care, and I want to help any family in need in whatever way that I can.”
During the two weeks of epic competition, both studios are combined into two teams, making four teams total. Each team is represented by a color and has two team captains– uforia staff and clients are divided up equally by team. The idea is to take as many classes as possible within the two weeks, with special challenges throughout to earn extra points. Each team member gets motivational emails from captains that include some health and wellness challenges, tips, and even recipes to stay fuelled for all those extra ETS classes.
Sarah admits that one of the reasons she loves ETS so much is the bonus of getting to know clients and staff on a better level. She talks about the contagious team spirit that bonds the two: “My favorite part of ETS is how excited the team is to wear the colors and represent their team. It gets really competitive and some people even take four classes a day. It’s insane, but in a good way!”
Sarah isn’t the only one who loves ETS! Some of our veteran Rockstars look forward to it every year. Here’s what they have to say about former ETS years:
Michelle McGovern, uforia COO and Nob Hill Grit:
“My fave part was watching Drea take a million classes. LOL! On a more serious note, the crew and rockstars taking soooo many classes is so inspiring!”
Jarreau Bowen, Nob Hill Grit and Revolutions:
“My favorite part has got to be the color wars that ensue during classes. If I turn on red lights, the crowd goes wild! Last year, while I was teaching, Drea all of a sudden comes in and changes the lights to purple, then runs away. That girl is everywhere!”
Drea Garcia, Nob Hill Grit and Revolutions:
“Well. As stated above, I love taking everybody’s classes! Just gives that extra incentive to be present in the studio and show how awesome our community is.”
Melissa Chu, Nob Hill Grit:
“As a rockstar in training last year, I loved that ETS helped me connect with more members of the Uforia community since we were either on the same team or at least all connected with the goal of raising money for a good cause. Seeing rockstars and crew taking multiple classes a day also inspired me to push myself a little harder as well.”
Jessica Bauer, Palo Alto Revolutions:
“My fave part of ETS is seeing the community element of uforia at its finest!! So often working out can be an inward focused activity, and this really helps bring people together. I love that the team colors and common cause help us to make new friends, sweat a little harder and smile a little brighter!”
Melissa Olgun, Nob Hill Revolutions:
My favorite part of ETS last year was…winning! *wink* On a more serious note, I just love seeing so many Rockstars at the studio all the time. We don’t get to take classes with each other very often, and it’s always a blast!”
Moral of the story: Make memories. Challenge yourself. Sweat for a good cause. Embrace the Sweat with us in 2018! You can sign up for ETS by clicking here!