Doing the Next, Right Thing with FTW Rider Will Stocker.
Let’s face it, we can be moving pretty quick as we head into class and get our head in the game. We set up our bikes, peek at the white boards to see what we got ourselves into, and hurry to fill our water bottles before the action begins.
It’s time to put a little extra umph into class, and your instructor is telling you to sweat for everyone in the class. We push a little harder and feel the electricity in the room, but we know it feels a whole lot better when we know the class around us. We all know the feeling of wishing we spent our post-class warm up socializing with the bike-next-door.
If you’ve been to the Fort Worth studio in the past year, chances are you’ve taken a class with Will Stocker. You’ve hopped on the ski-erg next to him in THE22 or caught his beat in a ZYN class, but have you had the chance to get to know the all-star on bike 5?
Here is a little bit about Will, straight from the source.
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When I first came to ZYN22, my life was an absolute train wreck. Despite being a fairly successful accountant and things looking alright from the outside, I was completely broken on the inside.
After gaining about 75 lbs. in 8 months, lost a 5 year relationship, and finally coming to terms with the fact that I had been battling a terrible addiction to alcohol, it could no longer be a part of my life.
I had to find myself in the midst of complete and utter chaos, and I would not have been able to do it without the people at ZYN22.
I remember my first class vividly. It was Kathryn’s 5:30pm class at the Uptown studio. August of 2017. Having no idea what to expect, I sat in the in the very back row in the corner. I threw up on the floor 3 songs in…It wasn’t pretty, but the energy in the dome kept me coming back the first 10 classes.
I had never experienced anything like that in a workout setting. My first couple classes were BRUTAL. I was so out of shape and overweight that I really struggled to be able to follow along. The way I felt mentally/emotionally at the end of each class, however, kept me coming back that first month.
ZYN humbled me in a way I had never experienced, and I am no stranger to humbling experiences. I have had several times in my life where I had been knocked down a peg or two. This was different. To feel victorious after every class, in the midst of complete defeat, was insanely powerful.
Prior to finding ZYN, my pride and ego ran the show. In order for me to grow, I HAD to check it at the door. That was when I really saw changes in the dome and in other areas of my life. My life looks completely different now than it did—in almost all respects. When you get outside of your comfort zone, change happens.
Through my relationship with ZYN22 and interactions with other riders/instructors, I started to see people differently. I’m not as quick to judge, I think a little longer before I speak, and I understand everyone has bad days.
I saw how strong each of us can be when we want to be, need to be, and when we really push ourselves. It truly is amazing how capable we all are under the right circumstances.
I started eating better and became pretty rigorous about working out. I take around 10 ZYN classes a week and take THE22 three times a week. The combo of both has been amazing!
ZYN22 helped me to identify what was really important in my life. The things I have learned through my journey with ZYN have allowed me to pursue what really makes me happy. I now understand that everyone I come into contact with is on their own journey and doing it the best they know how.
ZYN22 meets people right where they are in life and gives them exactly what they need that day, month, or period of life.
My goal in life is simply to do the next, right thing. ZYN22 has helped me stay true to that.
For anyone new to the studio, DON’T GIVE UP!! It’s really, really hard but so worth it. Change doesn’t happen overnight . You will take a few steps backwards but as long as you always take one step forward, you will see positive change.
No one is watching or judging you in the dome/on the turf. Do your thing and don’t worry about what other people think!
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Next time you see Will, go for the knuckles, give a high five, or just a simple hello. You never know who the person next to you is, what they’re going through, and how they’ll change your life.