Dooley Noted: 1/30/14
I’m a white girl raised in a white, rural Midwest town.
It goes without saying that I didn’t grow up a minority.
Flash forward to my 30s, and I’m a New Yorker. I’m now mixed within a melting pot of people, but I’m still not much of a minority.
Yesterday, I entered a Bronx gym as the only female on the floor of weightlifters. All the ladies were on cardio equipment.
Ah…I’m finally a minority with something to report.
I could feel the eyes cast upon me, but they became blocked by my coach’s advice charging through my head.
I left the teaching, patients, and studying outside the gym door and focused on my work.
But when you’re a minority in this Bronx gym, people let you know about it.
Leg Press Guy: “What’s that you’re doing?”
Dooley: “That’s the Turkish Get-Up, sir.”
Front desk: “You can do a lot of pull-ups.”
Dooley: “Sir, those were chin-ups. I can’t do a lot of pull-ups. But I will one day!”
Bathroom lady: “Are you a trainer?”
Dooley: “No ma’am. I don’t know what they know.”
Bathroom lady: “You look like one!”
As I left that gym and returned to lab, I felt that pang of isolation.
Then, I just got heated up.
Why am I the minority in the gym?
There’s no reason I should be the only one doing Turkish Get-Ups, when it’s the single best exercise on the planet that gym rats still don’t recognize.
There’s no reason I should be the only girl – or person – doing chin-ups and pull-ups.
There’s no reason I should be the only one not anchored to a machine or sitting on a bench.
So, my frustration morphs like it always does: right into rocket fuel.
I will encircle this earth, educating every trainer, coach, chiropractor and physical therapist that I can reach.
I will become so successful in these endeavors that people will have to raise their bar just to become competitive with us.
We will get people off the machines while understanding THEY are the machines.
I’ve been in the majority before. I want to be there again.
– Dr. Kathy Dooley