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CHAPTER 3
“What?” I ask with annoyance.
“Nothing.”
“Tell me. I can feel your disapproval.”
“Are you wearing that?”
I stop the flow of almond milk into my cereal and look down at myself. “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?”
“It doesn’t match.”
“I never match. That’s how I like it. Reflects my personality,” I say, grinning.
“Mom, you’re about to meet your competition. These people mean business. You need to show them you are put together, that you know what’s what and you are a force to be reckoned with. Make them shake a little.”
“Oh.” I hadn’t really thought about it that way. Leave it to my daughter, ‘Liz Jr.’ to think of everything. “Okay, kid, you go pick out whatever you want and I’ll wear it.”
“Yay!” Reese claps and runs up to my room.
Make them tremble she says. Pfft. I’m the one trembling. In fact, my hands are shaking so bad I can hear the spoon clanking against the porcelain bowl as I walk to the kitchen table.
Today is the Keys to Key West Final Challenge Kickoff party at Maxx Boot Camp. This is the day where all the contestants will be introduced in person. We are the remaining four out of nineteen. Though I consider myself to be one tough lady, strong and damned confident in myself, these other people are just as strong of a competition as I hope to be.
Shit. I’m nervous. Not so much for today as I am for our itinerary for the following four weeks. Nope, today is going to be a breeze. Introductions, followed by a class led by our very awesome founder, Julie. Afterwards, there will be a marketplace open in the tea brewery store next door where they will be selling all kinds of health goods.
The real work begins next week. It will be the first of three grueling challenges, thankfully spread out over the course of a month. Each one will eliminate a competitor. A panel of judges comprised of existing franchisees have decided on the routines. Because Julie personally trained me, she has excused herself from any judging tables.
I’ve worked so hard for this; I can’t accept that I could be one of the eliminated. There has never been anything, other than Reese, that has inspired so much passion in me. I want to win, not just because of course I don’t want to lose, but because this is a dream.
Running my own gym in Key West. Inspiring others to fight for what they want as much as I have. To believe in themselves. And in fucking paradise, no less!
It’s been a tough road getting here, too. Getting the loan approved was hell. I have good credit, but not a lot saved. Of course, I would never tell Reese, but her school fees have taken a huge chunk out of any savings I’ve ever accumulated, especially with Len terminating all help when she turned eighteen. Luckily she’s been able to get scholarships and grants that have paid for her university.
The bank wanted collateral. Because I would be selling my house if I move, I could not use that. Good thing the woman at the bank knew of a few programs I could apply for that helped secure my loan.
Then there were the tests.
The last few months have consisted of interviews and physical challenges. I’ve gone against some very amazing men and women.
It’s all been nothing but numbers, never physically seeing the people I’ve defeated. Today I meet my rivals. No more behind the scenes competitions. These will be face to face, where I’ll get to see what they’re capable of, then somehow prove that I can do better.
Two of the contestants arrived days ago. The last one yesterday morning. Meg Lassiter from North Carolina, Jose Ortiz from Texas, and Dean Cooper from Orlando. I’ve never met any of them, not even Dean who’s only three hours away.
My co-trainers Tony and Sarah, have gone to fill in for Meg and Jose, while the Orlando gym already has enough coverage.
So yeah, I’m trembling. And if my smart-as-shit kid says I need to change, I’m going to listen. If I can make any of those people shake a little, put us on a level playing field, then I’m all for that.
“Sam Kensington here. Welcome to a special edition of Fort Myers Today! We are here at the awesome Maxx Boot Camp with the beautiful Julie Maxwell. Julie not only founded the Maxx Fitness parent company of Maxx Boot Camps and Maxwell Fit Apparel, but is also spokeswoman for the Pushing to the Maxx national campaign. So, Julie, tell us a little about what you have going on today.” The slim blonde flashes her pearly whites at the camera, before turning to Julie.
“Thank you, Sam. Today we have our Keys to Key West Final Challenge Kickoff! As you know, Fort Myers is where it all began twelve years ago. I was a single mother; my husband having passed away the year before. I didn’t have a job, or a career. When my husband died, I felt utterly lost and without purpose. Depression set in and it was only for my son that I was able to get out of bed every day. Other than that, I felt at home when I worked out. Jerry had taught me several of the exercises he did at boot camp when he was younger, and we often did them together. It was an amazing, fun way to workout. So, that gave me an idea.
“What if, with the money Jerry left me, I could open a small gym and focus on boot camp style workouts. Nothing fancy. But it would be fun and a place where I could join like-minded women, who needed support, something to lift their spirits. We could encourage each other and workout at the same time. It seemed like a win-win for me. I got certified as a personal trainer, opened my small gym and put an ad in the paper. One year later we were in such demand I decided to franchise. Today we have over three hundred boot camps in forty-three states, and counting.”
“That is such a wonderful story,” Sam tells Julie, then looks to the camera and says, “For more information on the world of Maxx Fitness, go onto our website and you will find the entire story, along with the biographies of the contestants of Keys to Key West. Now, this young woman sitting beside you is one of the remaining four contestants, Catherine Eberhardt.”
The camera turns to me and I instantly feel the thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of eyes looking at me through the live feed. Squirming in my seat from giddiness, I wave at them all and smile as wide as I can.
