Rhonda Goode never planned to become a fitness instructor. Here’s how one packed room and two quitting instructors changed everything.
Listen to the episode here:
She Never Planned Any of This
Rhonda Goode has been teaching fitness classes for fourteen years. Thousands of people have sweated, struggled, and kept coming back because of her. But here is the thing. She never set out to be an instructor.
Not even a little bit.
This episode of More Movement Please is the origin story. It is part one of a three-episode series recorded as part of Podcasts On, a global event where thousands of podcasters shine a spotlight on a charity of their choice. The charity Ashley is highlighting this week is the Humane Society Animal League for Life of Madison County, Kentucky. Links to donate and learn more are in the show notes.
Now, back to Rhonda.
Two Instructors Quit at the Same Time
Rhonda started working out in 2011 at age 35. She was just a student showing up for herself. But the only two instructors she actually liked, the ones who pushed her hard enough to make it worth her time, both decided to quit at the same time.
She refused to let that be the end of her workouts.
A few people from her gym went and got licensed in Zumba. Rhonda was one of them. Before she even finished her certification, she had already stepped in to lead a class when the room was full and there was no one else to do it. No plan. No prep. Just someone had to do it, and she did.
That is how legends actually start. Not with a big announcement. With someone stepping up when no one else would.
Starting Small on Purpose
After getting licensed in August of 2012, Rhonda did not go looking for the biggest stage. She went the opposite direction. She walked into Eastern Kentucky University’s community education program and asked if she could teach a Zumba class there. Small group. Low pressure. Time to figure things out.
She had two students at the start. Sometimes just one or two showed up.
She kept showing up anyway.
The Class That Fogged the Mirrors
Not long after, another instructor reached out and said she was leaving her classes at Berea College. She wanted Rhonda to take over. With almost no notice, Rhonda walked into that room and led the class.
It started slow. A handful of people. A few loyal regulars who told her they would never miss. They meant it.
Then something happened. Word spread. Students told their friends. Community members joined. What started as three or four people turned into sixty or sixty-five students packed into one room. Rhonda was teaching with six inches between herself and the front mirror. The room got so full, so warm, so alive that the mirrors fogged over completely.
That is not just a fitness class. That is a community that built itself around someone who refused to quit.
She Carried Her Own Equipment Up the Stairs Every Single Night
Here is something most people do not know. The sound system at Berea College would overheat from the bass in her music. So Rhonda bought her own PA system. Every class, she carried a mixer and two speakers up the stairs, taught the class, and carried everything back down to her car.
Every single time.
No shortcuts. No complaints. Just the work.
How She Ended Up at the YMCA in Richmond
Rhonda started picking up more and more classes. She was teaching at Berea, at EKU, and at another gym when the YMCA in Richmond called and asked her to sub. Two instructors were pregnant at the same time. They needed coverage.
She said yes.
Then she kept saying yes. She covered every format, sometimes with just a few hours notice. Boot camp. Aqua fitness. Low impact cardio. Formats she had never formally trained in. She figured it out each time. The suggestion box at the Y started filling up with her name. And eventually, the Y became her home base.
By the time everything settled, she was teaching twenty-three hours a week. Sometimes more.
What She Learned From Starting Over and Over Again
Rhonda says the same thing has happened to her in every job she has ever had. Someone throws her into something new with no training, and she figures it out. Fitness was no different.
She doubted herself in the beginning. She says that clearly. But she never felt like an imposter. She just did the work and got better.
That is actually one of the most useful things you can take away from this episode if you are trying to start or restart your own fitness habits. You do not need to feel ready. You just need to start. The confidence comes after the action, not before it.
What the Fogged-Up Mirrors Actually Mean
A room so packed that the mirrors fog over is not about Zumba. It is not about one instructor. It is about what happens when someone refuses to cancel, refuses to quit, and refuses to let a room full of people down.
It creates something people want to be part of.
If you are sitting on the fence about starting a fitness routine, this episode is worth a listen. Not because it will tell you which workout to do. But because it shows you what is possible when someone just keeps showing up, even when the class has two people in it.
Action Items
- Listen to the full episode to hear Rhonda’s complete origin story
- Think about one small, low-pressure way you could start moving your body this week, not the biggest version, just the smallest one you will actually do
- Remember that Rhonda started with two students and built from there. You do not have to start big
- If you have been wanting to try a fitness class, go introduce yourself to the instructor before it starts. That one step makes it easier to come back
- Check the show notes below for the link to the Humane Society Animal League for Life of Madison County, Kentucky and consider donating or sharing
Show Notes from this Episode:
This podcast is for entertainment purposes only and is not medical advice. Please consult a healthcare professional before starting any diet or exercise program.
Be sure to follow me online: https://famousashleygrant.com/fitness/
Learn more about Podcasthon: https://podcasthon.org/
Learn more about and donate to Humane Society Animal League for Life of Madison County: https://www.humanesocietyall.com/
Follow Rhonda online: https://www.facebook.com/fitnesswithRhondaGoode
—————————————
This podcast is supported by affiliate partnerships. Please check out a few of our partners below:
– Check out my Amazon Storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/theashleygrant?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsfshop_4EEZX1HN7ZCWEBZ33TK3
– Start a podcast today here: https://rss.com/?via=moremovementplease
– Create content from your own voice with Castmagic’s Suite of AI Tools: https://get.castmagic.io/dcjy15cirnts
– Want to help support our show? Buy a girl a drink perhaps? https://ko-fi.com/famousashleygrant
– Need content for your podcast or blog? Check out Tools for Motivation!
The links above are affiliate links. This means my podcast will receive a small commission if you order through any of them at no additional cost to you. Affiliate commissions are one of the ways my podcast makes money so that I can create episodes free of charge. If you do purchase anything from my links, I sincerely would like to thank you for your support!
