Mark and Mary Black (on left) recently purchased the Pump House Fitness Center in Grand Marais. They hosted an open house on Saturday, December 3 to give the community the chance to view the facility—and to meet motivational fitness speakers Chris and Lori Harder.
Two things about Lori Harder. One, she’s not pretentious. Not one bit. And two, she couldn’t be nicer.
As for ego? None of that, either. Which is saying a lot for a cover girl and Ms. Bikini Universe 2010 overall champion. She could have a big head, but then, the Lori Harder of today is the creation of hard work, dedication, perseverance, persistence, and patience, patience, patience.
“A lot of people told me to give up, but whenever they would say that it would motivate me to keep going—to try that much harder,” Harder told the audience listening to her on Saturday, December 3 at the grand opening and member appreciation event for the Pump House Fitness Center.
You see, this Lori Harder was at one time a young teen headed for obesity.
“When I was young I would watch fitness pageants on television and think that the women competing had it all. They were healthy, strong, and beautiful. As I got older I realized that my lifestyle and the way that I was raised were heading me in the opposite direction. I started reading everything I could get my hands on in order to change directions.”
And maybe that’s why there is no pretension. When she looks at a roomful of people like she did on Saturday, she sees a lot of herself in others who are at various stages of fitness.
There is no magic to achieving fitness, Harder told her audience.
“Take one goal at a time. If it feels overwhelming, chances are you have taken on too much. Fitness doesn’t happen overnight. This is a journey, but if you start now the rewards will show up,” she said.
As a fitness competitor Harder has placed in the top five of every competition she has ever entered. She works out with weights three or four times a week and does cardio workouts four to six days per week. As for her diet, she eats healthy foods and drinks a lot of water. She doesn’t use supplements and only occasionally will have a protein shake.
Both she and her husband said that when they aren’t working out they tend to eat junk food. “Maybe junk food triggers the dopamine in our brain. Whatever the reason, we try not to fall off of our schedules,” said Chris Harder with a laugh.
Chris, like his wife, is busy. He is a bank executive and business coach. Lori is not only a national level fitness competitor and a model, but she is also a gym owner, personal trainer and motivational speaker. So for them to have personal time, they have to carve it out of their busy schedules. And they do, oftentimes working out together and traveling together when they can.
When asked if he would ever compete, Chris responded emphatically, “No. If we both competed there wouldn’t be time for anything else. It’s far better that I support her.”
Lori told the group to set attainable goals, realistic goals, and to find daily motivation to attain them. “And when you fail, and you will fail—begin again. Find that balance. Never give up,” she said.
Lori ended by saying, “My main motivation for being fit is to able to have the energy to help my family and take care of them. That’s the biggest benefit to being fit for me.” Chris echoed her sentiments and then they took questions. Together.
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