Get to Know Erin & Robert Garner, RTC September 2024 Members of the Month!
What the Garners Love About RTC!
Unhappy with his current gym at the time, Robert Garner was the first to join RTC in 2022 at the recommendation of a friend. His wife Erin tried it out soon after, telling Robert she would “give it one month and decide if it was for her.” 2 years later, Robert and Erin hit the 300 WOD Club at the same time! Clearly, RTC was a perfect fit for them both. While each have varied fitness backgrounds (Robert had CrossFit experience prior to RTC, and Erin has done everything from training for a half marathon to yoga, spin, and more) and reasons for working out, they have in common an appreciation for the structure RTC offers, as well as the consistency and flexibility of the classes and the results each have gotten. “The coaches do an amazing job of staying punctual and efficient,” says Robert. Erin adds that she has “never seen and/or felt results like she has at RTC. I’ve found the balance of cardio/weights/nutrition/rest and confidence that is essential for growth and lasting results!” Erin also notes that it’s the people who make RTC special. “It’s become a family we didn’t expect and everyone is so nice and encouraging!” she says.
Like many RTC families, the Garners lead a busy life, juggling work, parenting, school, exercise, and travel. How do they manage it all? “We have a great support system in each other,” Robert says. “It is easy to fall out of routines, but we have made RTC a priority.” Robert also credits the results they’ve gained for keeping them motivated. “We have both come so far that we are afraid to lose it!” he says.Their philosophy of “work hard to play hard” keeps them young and fit, and allows them to travel and keep up with their kids. And lastly, they are flexible during times when they can’t be as dedicated to their exercise and nutrition routines. “Life happens!” says Robert, “but those moments pass and we do what we can to jump back into our routine. When you think and live that way, you will always be a better version of yourself than you were before.”
Get to Know the Garners!
Robert grew up in Columbia, SC and graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in education. After graduation, he worked for several insurance and financial companies in South Carolina and Florida. Erin grew up in Navarre, and graduated from Wright State with a bachelors in nursing, and then moved to St. Petersburg, FL with 2 college friends the day after graduation to escape the OH weather! Erin and Robert met while they were both in FL, and then moved back to OH in 2010, where Robert opened a State Farm Agency with offices in Massillon and Minerva. After working in cardiac ICUs and Gastroenterology, Erin has been a stay at home mom for the past 10 years. The Garner family includes Kylie,16, Clara Belle,12, and Bear, 9, as well as pets Winnie and Finnigan.
Fun Facts about Erin and Robert!
Favorite exercise:
Erin: toes to ring or handstands
Robert: bike
Least favorite exercise:
Erin: pull ups
Robert: thrusters
Favorite food:
Erin: Mexican
Robert: any wrap from Aladdin’s
Favorite movie:
Erin: StarGate
Robert: any comedy pre 2018
Best vacation spot:
Erin: Greek Isles or Maui
Robert: Santorini, Greece
People would be surprised to know that:
Erin: I love silence, preferably laying under a tree somewhere.
Robert: We have been to 22 countries together! We love to travel, eat exotic foods, explore the off beaten paths, and laugh over bottles of wine/bourbon and sunsets.
Something that always makes me smile:
Erin: Family, and when Robert brings me a cup of coffee in the morning before I even open my eyes.Then I know that all is right in the world.
Robert: Watching my kids grow up and the the mom Erin has become
If I won the lotto I’d:
Erin: I would make sure my family is taken care of for the remainder of their life, and then with what’s left, I’d buy land everywhere I love to visit and pay someone to maintain it all! And…a personal chef!
Robert: I dream of yachts and sailing the world.
Favorite activity we do as a family:
Erin and Robert: Making memories together traveling, sharing the experience of it together. Boating and fishing is our family time during the summer. We love being on the water and all the activities that come with it.
A goal I’m working on is:
Erin and Robert: Our fitness goal is to not get hurt. We are both happy (not complacent) and like showing up most days.
Robert: Be a better version of myself every day.
Congratulations to Erin and Robert Garner, the RTC September Members of the Month!
