I had the pleasure of sitting down with Donna to discuss her previous workout history, what led her to joining The Shop, and eventually becoming our choice for Spring BodyShop Athlete at our Manor Shop. In my opinion, Donna is a very humble and down to earth person. If you have ever shared a class with her then you know she would much prefer talking about you than about herself. She is sweet and genuine, hard working, and she represents a lovely part of our community! We are pleased to have her as a member, and so excited she became our Spring BA at Manor. However brief, this interview shares a bit about her. Please enjoy.

M: What brought you to Austin?
D: I moved to Austin with my son who is getting a Phd at UT. I also moved from the Northeast to get away from the long winters!

M: Why did you choose to get into fitness?
D: I have always been into fitness. An important part of my life.

M: What do you value about the classes you take at the Shop?
D: I like to attend Fusion and Sunday’s Wonder Women classes at Manor. I found that if I needed to motivate myself to exercise, I was not as successful – The class atmosphere at the Shop helps!

M: How does fitness fit in with your larger life?
D: The classes at the shop push me to challenge my limits. I have found I can do a lot more than I thought I could.

M: Do you have any specific fitness goals you’d like to share with us?
D: I plan to always get regular exercise. I feel it’s the only way I’ll continue to feel good physically. I want to be as mobile as possible, as long as possible.

M: Have you noticed any changes, physically or mentally, since starting at the Shop?
D: Dane’s Body Shop has definitely helped me get in much better shape than before thanks to the extra motivation.

M: How long ago did you move to Austin and where were you living before?
D: I moved to Austin in July of 2017 from Binghamton, New York.

M: Have there been any significant accomplishments you’ve had since attending the Shop? Any goals you’ve hit or plan to hit someday?
D: Since I started at Dane’s I’ve lost a little weight, but definitely have lost inches! My clothes fit better and I feel fit! My goal is to maintain if not improve my level of fitness.

M: What do you do to stay mobile and active outside of The Shop?
D: Outside of classes at Dane’s, I enjoy riding my bike and hiking as often as I can.

Your company, Pride Socks, has been so prevalent and inspirational to the Shop, and it means a lot to me that you include us as supporters and friends. For anyone that may not know, could you please tell us briefly about Pride Socks, the events you support, what it means to you and how you came about starting it?

Thank you Dane, you are too kind. Pride Socks is a lifestyle brand empowering individuals to take pride in who they are so they chase and accomplish their goals. Anyone can sell socks, but we sell socks that spread love, pride, respect and inclusion. When you feel that sense of pride in who you are, then we’ve succeeded.

We support any event that positively encouraging people to move forward in bettering who they are. We believe when you are proud of who you are and own your story, there is no stopping you. The world is yours. Of course it looks different for everyone. We’ve collaborated with Danes and hosted 4 fundraising concerts to benefit Ruby’s Rainbow (they provide scholarships to adults with Down syndrome to attend college) at the Manor shop and it literally is one of the best days of the year for me. We bring together the Austin, DBS, Ruby’s and Pride Socks community to help bring awareness and funds to Ruby’s Rainbow. I mean, seriously, how can you not fall in love with this community?!

Our latest addition to Pride Socks, is Custom For A Cause. It is where we collaborate with an individual and together we design a unique sock with proceeds going to their chosen nonprofit. So far we’ve worked with Sky Brown, youngest pro skateboarder from Japan, Ruby from Ruby’s Rainbow, and our latest, Jason Collins- first NBA player to come out as gay 6 years ago while actively playing. You can see all three here. Click on any of the videos on that link- you will fall in love!

Pride Socks has been around for 9 years- soo crazy!! It all started when my brother challenged me after me asking him if I could do sales for him at his sock business. At the time I was teaching special ed high school and after he challenged me, I knew it was on. I also knew I would eventually quit teaching but wanted to make sure I created a brand that had a global positive influence. After looking back on my life and piecing together my greatest influences, Pride Socks was born. Maybe it was the Deaf culture I was raised in, being incredibly poor growing up, receiving a card from my coach as a teenager, teaching special ed for 12 years or knowing what it takes to rise above? Maybe it was all of these influences that needed to come together to motivate me to build PrideSocks.

Things to know about our friend, Rachel Smith:

When I think of Rachel, I think of her smile, her wonderful energy, and that enduringly great attitude. Rarely, if ever, over the past several years, have I seen you truly in the dumps. Do you have any advice for our readers about staying so positive in front of others? Wow Dane that’s one of the best compliments I’ve ever received, thank you! I think in general for me, when I work out it naturally works out whatever negative energy I may be harboring. I believe that most of the energy we hold is the perspective we have on life. Life will not always be beautiful but when you realize something positive will always come out of every situation, it makes life easier. My best advice is: know that we will all make mistakes but once you realize there is a life lesson to be learned, which will help you grow as a person, it makes those mistakes or bumps or set backs, so much easier to deal with when you allow yourself to grow as person.

What do you think is the weirdest thing about you? (Please stay as close to PG as possible, if you will 🙂

Come on Dane, you know thats not a fair question! Well, ok the weirdest thing is I like to make noises/calls to let people know I am around or done with my workout or to encourage others. I was raised by Deaf parents and there were 5 kids. Our house was a zoo with lots of noises so it comes natural for me but takes a minute for others to realize whats going on!!! Just know, you know when I am around!

What type of workout/fitness is your favorite and why?

I LOVE any workout that deals with running, cardio, and stamina week. I love them because I can dip into my own head and go at my own pace. Those workouts require endurance, which I feel like I was gifted with so I walk away feeling like I moved mountains.

What classes do you take at the Shop and what do you value about them?

Well, let’s be honest, I love my 5 am warrior class which is the one I mostly attend. I occasionally do the Sat am class. I value the friendships and the sense of community we’ve bonded at 5am! I mean, I am still friends with 5 amers who have come and gone and its been years- there is just something about working out that early that creates the bond that I thrive off. If someone hasn’t come for a few days or a week, you can guarantee someone is checking up on them. Oh and let’s not forget the 5am Christmas party we host every year!

Do you have any specific fitness goals or thoughts you’d like to share with us?

My fitness goals change through out the year. I do a ton of travel June-August so my goals are to maintain any kind of fitness. Mostly to find a sense of balance in the changes of my schedule. When I am not traveling, I like to work out 4-5 times a week.

Have you noticed any changes, physically or mentally, since starting at the Shop?

I’ve been coming to the shop about a year after it opened so I’ve seen a lot of changes amongst myself. Becoming a member has been the best change for me, both physically and mentally.

Any favorite moments you can remember since you’ve been part of the Shop Community?

Yes, I have many moments that are my favorite. I mean, The shop has been a part of my life for the last 8.5 years. Thats a pretty tight relationship we have! What overrides any one of the moments, is the collective time spent getting to know people, knowing there is a community built around bettering who we are, and being able to count on any coach or athlete if need be. An example of this is Beth asking us the same questions on Monday and Wednesday, Stormie’s bright smile on Tues and Thursdays and Dane’s infamous dad jokes on Friday!!