CKO Kickboxing – A Way of Life

*This testimonial is written by CKO Franklin, New Jersey owner Darlene Pallay.

My weight loss journey started after the birth of my third child in 2009 at 41 years old. I had three children from 2006-2009 and gained quite a bit of weight. My goal was to lose 50 pounds. I never could have anticipated that the weight loss journey I set out to achieve could actually change my life in so many ways. I had driven by the CKO Franklin location for approximately 2 years before I actually decided to give it a try. I needed something new, something intense and completely different to keep me motivated. I found it hard to believe at first that you could burn up to 1,200 calories in one hour, so I tried a class – and after barely keeping up in that class, I realized this was the intensity and diversity I needed so I joined the same day. After about three months of steady weight loss and confidence building, my mother was diagnosed with cancer that was later proven to be due to her obesity after menopause. I was very concerned and upset that this too could happen to me if I did not get to a healthy weight. I decided to speak to the head instructor and tell her I wanted to push myself even further and she helped me challenge myself even more.

I later saw a flyer in the gym about owning your own franchise and decided that this was what I wanted to do! I lost the 50 pounds, gained muscle and confidence, trained to become an instructor and later bought the CKO Franklin location with my husband. It has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life! Not only do I get to incorporate health and fitness into every day of my life, I also get to reach out to people with similar stories and help them get to where they want to be! I find it so fulfilling to give back to these people and help them achieve the best health they can. I have so many success stories in our little gym and it makes me proud to be part of such a wonderful and proven method. We have grown our membership, opened a second location in Augusta, NJ in 2011, and moved our originally small location in Franklin to a beautiful new space of 8,700 square feet in 2013, continuing our growth. My husband is now an instructor as well and we live a healthy, happy lifestyle. CKO Kickboxing is not just a workout, it is a way of life!

-Darlene Pallay, owner CKO Franklin
*After picture by Sara McManus Photography