Carrie Bendrock has worked at quite a few of the Elite Sports Clubs locations and in a few roles. (Seems to be a trend around here, doesn’t it? What can we say, we’re multi-talented here at Elite!) Right now Carrie is rocking a position in membership services at Elite Sports Club-North Shore and is also the Playroom Director. Here’s your chance to get to know a little bit about her!
Meet Carrie Bendrock:
What position(s) do you currently hold at Elite and any you have held in the past?
Member Services and Playroom Director
How long have you been working in the fitness/tennis industry and how long have you worked at Elite?
I worked with the YMCA running the children’s programming and camps prior to Elite for almost 3 years, and have been with Elite for 8 years come this September.
What made you want to start working in this industry and/or for Elite?
After I worked with the YMCA, I felt I needed to explore other opportunities outside of a fitness focused environment as well as working with children. I worked in sales very temporarily, among some other odd jobs. Ultimately, my love for health and wellness and working with kids came back around, I found a job posting for Playroom Director at the Brookfield location, applied, and was hired within a couple of weeks! Almost 8 years later, Elite has, in many ways, become my second family.
What is your favorite part about your job?
I truly love building strong relationships, not just with our members but other staff as well. I have met some of the most interesting individuals and made such great connections and friendships with people from all walks of life. Many have become some of my closest friends. I also love being able to help people, whether it’s working in the playroom and helping a mom get a little breather so she can take a quick shower, helping another co-worker with something even if it’s not my department, or just simply helping someone have a really positive experience coming to Elite.
What activities do you participate in at the club or outside of the club that are health/fitness/tennis related?
I live very close to our Brookfield location and primarily work out there about 3-4 days a week. My husband and 7 year old stepson are also members. My husband works out quite frequently, while our 7 year old plays in the Ezone, participates in Scamp, and has even had his Birthday Party there! Outside of Elite, I love to play volleyball, stay active outside (weather permitting of course), rock climbing, trying to cook new & healthy recipes, and mainly finding ways to have fun and be active with my family.
What has been your biggest personal struggle with health/fitness/tennis?
Consistency. I love working out and how it helps me mentally and physically, but time is always an issue for me. Like most of us, life continues to get more busy and there never seems to be enough hours in the day. I need to make more of a point to find the time and make exercising an absolute priority, not just for my physical health, but for my sanity and overall well being…mostly sanity. 😉
What has been your biggest personal accomplishment with health/fitness/tennis?
I think for anyone, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is a big accomplishment. There are a lot of distractions and “easy fixes” for things, but exercise and diet will always be, in my mind, the best ways to stay healthy and feel good about yourself. I wouldn’t feel good about preaching to others on how to stay healthy if I didn’t practice it myself. It’s a big commitment and not an easy task, but the end result is worth it.
What advice do you give people who are coming to the club for the first time?
Take it all in. We are not just a gym, Elite is an experience. Most people don’t come here to just work out. They come for the social environment, the relationships they build with the staff and other members, to get away from whatever problems they have going on at that time, and to help turn the negatives into positives. All our staff genuinely care about our members and pride ourselves on our service and everything we have to offer.
What advice do you give people who are struggling to make health/fitness/tennis a priority or are getting bored/burned out?
Breathe and don’t give up. Look at whatever is going on as a little bump in the road, but keep moving forward. I get very unmotivated sometimes, especially when the other stresses of life get in the way. Sometimes I have to force myself to get to the gym, even if it’s just for 20 minutes. It’s better than nothing. If you need to change up your workout because you’re bored, talk to a trainer or fitness staff for ideas or suggestions. We want to see you succeed, not get frustrated and fail.
What personal advice do you give someone who is looking to get to a healthier point in their life in general?
Why do you want to get healthier right now, at this point in your life? What has changed? To me, it’s not just making healthy choices for yourself, but making it a lifestyle, which is not an easy thing to do. You can’t do it for anyone else either, it has to be for yourself. As I tell most of the kids I work with, you are in control of the choices you make….I can give you tips and help guide you, but ultimately you are responsible for your actions and the kind of person you want to be. Look at the big picture, not the initial struggle. Overtime, it’ll just be part of your daily routine. Instead of forcing yourself to the gym, you’ll start to get excited about working out and will be upset if you didn’t get to that day. Take it one day at a time and just keep going.
Have a story to share? Tell us how you stay motivated to live a healthy life!
Share Your Story!