My name is Kelly Crosby and I am a mother, group fitness instructor, fitness director, former Army officer and personal fitness trainer.
As the Fitness Director at Montana State University, I was responsible for scheduling all the group fitness classes and implementing new programs. In the spring of 2010, two young men, Garret Garrels and Nick Milodragovich, the founders of Pink Gloves Boxing (PGB), stopped by my office.
They presented a brand new fitness program that included ideas of empowerment, acceptance, support and teamwork, as well as physical fitness. As the mother of two girls and the witness of the struggles of many young women as they grow-up, I knew this program was going to be valuable.
I learned a lot watching my daughters grow-up and seeing young college girls in their first years away from home. Life can be difficult for many of them – the expectations for success and pressures to perform are beyond extreme. While many young women navigate this path without too much difficulty, others suffer. It is a challenge to grow up with confidence in your own voice and to believe in your own vision. Then there are those, who love to lead and are always looking for new ways to challenge their own abilities. PGB is a fitness program for any woman who walks through the door. At our training camps, we get women between 10 and 70 years old; star athletes, marathon runners, and those who have never worked out in their entire lives.
While a PGB workout is, without a doubt, a physically challenging activity, the great truth is that ANYONE can achieve success with it. This is due to the philosophy that everyone has a champion within, and they need not compare themselves to anyone else.
In a PGB class, the only requirement is to work toward SELF-improvement. And this is not limited to physical fitness; it also applies to your attitude toward yourself and others. Camaraderie and support are key elements that you find in any PGB class. It was because of these unique characteristics that I chose to bring this program to Montana State University.
Pink Gloves was an immediate success! Its popularity was directly due to the impact it made in the lives of its participants. By sharing their stories, experiences and successes, the members became the best advertising available. I have seen timid, reserved, weak, and shy participants evolve into confident, open, strong and sharing members of their PGB family. The emotional high and confidence achieved by participants in class flows naturally into their lives outside the gym.
I watched PGB help so many people on campus that I wanted more places to experience its positive influence. In 2013, I resigned my position as director of group fitness at Montana State University to join Garret and Nick in making Pink Gloves Boxing the best fitness program possible; and to show people that everyone has a champion on the inside. I wanted to help women find strength, endurance, confidence, and compassion. There is not a single woman who could not find personal success in this program.
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