Help Build Gemini Boxing Club

Hi! First off, if you’re here, thank you! For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Cortni. I’m a personal trainer, fitness and boxing coach here in Los Angeles. I’ve been a fitness enthusiast my whole life. I grew up playing multiple sports, eventually landing in high level soccer playing Division 1 at the University of Georgia, three seasons with the Atlanta Silverbacks, and then a season here in California with the Pali Blues.

As a coach and athlete, I’ve worked and trained in lots of spaces in and around the city of LA, and there has been one common denominator across all of them. None of them are Black owned. While this may not seem important on its face, as a Black, Queer, Woman who identifies as non-binary I know that building community starts with representation at the very top. Fitness is a predominantly white space, and I am hell bent on changing that. My dream has always been to create a space where EVERYBODY sees themselves in the faces and bodies around them. I know firsthand that this allows people to feel safe to explore the limits of their own potential physically, mentally, and emotionally.

SO, I’m finishing out Black History Month (because YES WE ARE CELEBRATING IT) with a very special ask: help me build that space.

Start up costs are high, so on top of grants and small business loans I’m turning to community for help getting this dream off the ground. As you can imagine, although Black women are the fastest growing demographic of entrepreneurs, we face more obstacles and have to work that much harder to establish ourselves. While lack of support tends to be one of those hurdles, I know that I am surrounded by people who believe in me, even when I don’t believe in myself.

Every cent donated will be used to physically build out the club, purchase high quality equipment, hire the best trainers, and intentionally cultivate a space unlike any other in the city. For those of you who know me, you know that I unabashedly take up space as myself in every room that I walk into. This is more than a gym. It’s an act of love and defiance in a world and industry where the knee jerk response to owners like me is “no, you can’t.”

Gemini Boxing Club will be a dedicated boxing gym that also offers general fitness personal training and conditioning. The gym will be located in the Silverlake area, where demand for a boxing gym is high. Currently, possible locations are all situated in neighborhoods with high foot traffic, established businesses, a high median income and apartment buildings at 97% occupant. As of now, I have a potential client list of over 300 people. All coaches will be USA Boxing certified, and all personal trainers will be certified by NASM, the leading certification in personal training and group fitness. Gemini will offer group classes run by coaches with boxing, MMA, and Muay Thai experience. The gym will feature a competition sized ring, as well as heavy bags, plus floor space for footwork and 1-1 mitting. Our coaches will also be available for personal boxing lessons for clients ranging from brand new to athletes preparing for competition.

The stress and fear in our country right now seems to be at an all time high for most of our lifetimes. On top of that, people like me are facing erasure on every level of our existence. Your donation isn’t just monetary, its a testament that you believe that every human deserves to feel seen, safe, and cared for. While this has been a long time aspiration of mine, I feel like embarking on this journey now means more now than ever.

Instead of shrinking and hiding, I’ve decided to put my whole self out there and build something as special and powerful as our community. Surrounded by numerous established successful businesses, very high foot traffic, and dense population, I am positive that this space has the potential to be great. That’s where you come in!

No donation is too small. I was taught at an early age that it takes a village, and, well, I’m asking for you to be a part of my village. Donors will be “founders” and receive a special founders membership rate and piece of merch upon opening. If you donate and are not in the area to take advantage of a full membership, you will still get you founder’s merch and have special access to the club when you visit LA. And I hope you do!

If you can’t donate but still want to help, I would love for you to share this link with your friends and family. The goal is to secure a space and start building out as soon as possible. I am positive that with your help, we can build something unlike any other facility or community in the city. Full stop.

I will post updates as they happen. In the meantime, thank you again for your time and your support. I hope that this stirs something in you and you feel compelled to donate. Again, no donation is too small. I can’t wait for you all to see this dream come to life, and hope that you all get the chance to experience it sometime soon.

I appreciate each and every one of you.

Lots of love.

C