'Heather the Heat' Hardy - The "first lady" of Brooklyn Boxing

The other day I had the most amazing experience meeting and photographing Heather Hardy @heathertheheat - a truly phenomenal woman, mother, fighter. Here is her journey:

"My name is Heather "the Heat" Hardy and I am 35 years old. I am a divorced, single mom of my 12 year old daughter, Annie. I started boxing at 28, while I was right in the middle of my divorce, living with my sister and both of our kids. We were two single moms, not getting child support, doing what we had to do to get by. At one point I had worked up to 6 jobs, while my sister stayed home and cared for both of our kids. They opened a little karate school in my neighborhood and my sister urged me to go. Within three weeks I had my first fight, and it was like I knew what I was meant to do for the first time in my life. It was the first time I was good at something. Haven't been able to get me out of the ring since.
In eighteen months as an amateur I won eight titles- including the USA boxing nationals as well as the NYC golden gloves.
Since turning pro, I am 19-0 and a two division WBC international champion. I Am the FIRST woman to be signed to a long term contract by DiBella Entertainment. The FIRST woman to box in the Barclays Center. The FIRST female to be featured on a PBC undercard and the FIRST female to be televised on a PBC ubdercard. I am the "First Lady" of Brooklyn Boxing."
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Caroline Moles- studio manager at Barry's Bootcamp

I had a wonderful shoot this week with Caroline Moles.  She is such an inspiriting woman.  We had a wonderful day together discussing life, fitness, body image- How incredibly powerful women are and can be.  Nothing will keep us down!!!! 

"My name is Caroline Moles. I grew up in suburban Philadelphia, went to school at University of Richmond and moved to New York just about 3 years ago. While I've been an athlete my entire life, it wasn't until about 3 years ago, when I decided to turn fitness into a career, that exercise and movement took on new meaning and became more to me than just working out. To me, fitness is all about community and empowerment. The only feeling better than crushing a workout is crushing it right next to your best friend or a coworker or even a stranger. Whoever it is, when you go through it together, you both come out stronger. 

Strength comes in numbers, and success is sweeter when its achieved on a team. My goal as a personal trainer and member of the fitness community is to help people realize their strength through one-on-one individualized focus sessions, as well as through team workouts where they can be lifted by the energy of the people around them. I want to bring together like-minded individuals, especially women who can empower each other to strive for the best version of themselves through fitness. The fitness community in NYC is one of the most tight-knit, supportive and accepting communities I've ever been lucky enough to be a part of. As I continue to explore this community, I hope to expand it by spreading that feeling of acceptance to as many people as I can possibly reach."

Erica- owner of The Living Room Brooklyn

Erica from @thelivingroombk has such a wonderful fitness space and philosophy! Here is her story :

"I was 13 the first time I “joined” a gym. I couldn’t drive there, nor could I legally sign myself up, thus the quotations, so my Dad did both for me. From that point on though, it was all mine. I don’t think I know one person who made it through puberty gracefully with their body image and self esteem still intact. However, my experience felt particularly uncomfortable and um... wasn’t too pretty. (I’ve got plenty of photos to prove it) Having been active in sports since childhood that is where I found my solace. Going to the gym, in a different town than mine, felt like my own private little hideaway. I had no clue really how to properly lift or use the many and various machines, but in the freedom to experiment I found my own way and more importantly, I found my personal power through movement. For me, THAT intangible is the true beauty of fitness. THAT is my mojo!
I opened The Living Room Brooklyn in 2012 with the mission of bringing that same sense of personal power through movement to our clients. I’ve said a million times over, “my Mom can give you a workout that will make you sweat....” But, that’s not entirely the point (No disrespect to my Momma!) Exercise is about making that investment in your longevity. You want to be able to move and know your name for as long as possible, right? It’s not about ONE workout, it’s about a lifetime of healthy and free movement. Sure, aesthetically your body will change, but there are so many more miraculous things that happen INSIDE of you that cannot be visibly witnessed. Feeling capable and self confident is number 1 on that list.

I never in a million years thought I’d be a small business owner. NEVER! But, life is a crazy and mind blowing ride that somehow always leads you to where you’re meant to be. I love working out and feeling physically strong, it has given me self confidence that I have applied to a multitude of life experiences.... The chutzpah to open a business for one. But, what I am most passionate about is helping people feel good in their own skin. Maybe that means you can wear your skinny jeans again, maybe you walk up the subway stairs with ease now, or maybe that means the elimination of chronic pain you thought you’d never be free of, whatever it is I want to help you get there! I created The Living Room Brooklyn with the expressed goal of having our clients feel comfortable while exploring their body. What that means is small classes sizes (5 ppl max), where the instructor knows your name AND your body, and supreme attention to detail so that you feel as at ease and cared for as you do in your own home.

Exercise doesn't have to be dramatic or fancy. It doesn't have to be created inside a cutting edge facility or from a high tech machine. The beauty of fitness is that you already have all you need inside of you- you just have to MOVE it! What you will discover in the process is pure amazingness!" - Erica, March 2017