“I knew I was overweight. I was stressed out and ashamed of my size. One day I couldn't get up a hill when I went snowshoeing. I weighed too much and I didn't have the strength. It got dark and I wondered if I was going to die.”

That was former Taylorsville resident Heather Henderson at 250 pounds, on New Year’s Day 2021. That’s the day she decided to change her life – and found a supportive exercise community to help her. 

Luckily for Heather, the new 53,000-square-foot Taylorsville EōS Fitness location (5546 Redwood Road) opened just a couple of months after her harrowing time in the snow.

“I joined EōS Fitness in Taylorsville the day it opened and have been an active member ever since,” Henderson said. “I lived in Taylorsville at the time. But a few months ago I moved to Saratoga Springs. I still go to the Taylorsville location several times a week. The people there are so supportive. We’ve built a community of people who encourage each other.”

Earlier this year, encouraged by her workout community, Heather described her harrowing experience – and the fitness success she has enjoyed since – in a contest entry essay.

“The EōS Fitness Submit Your Fit contest is held annually as an opportunity for members to inspire others and share their transformational stories and before-and-after photos,” a news release states. “Contest winners share their stories of significant weight loss, triumph over health challenges and newfound confidence. Their collective experiences inspire and invite others to embark on their journeys of transformation. One gym-level winner from each EōS location is voted on by EōS team members.”

That’s the contest Henderson won after sharing a bit more in her essay.

“I feel strong. I'm not thin. But I am strong and healthy and capable. I'm not shy to walk into the gym anymore. Lifting has changed my confidence. Group fitness in particular has changed my life. I'm instructed, inspired and connected by movement. I don't feel limited by my own self anymore. More than anything, I respect myself. I am so grateful for the amazing people I have been so fortunate to share my journey with.”

Vera Pagan is one of Henderson’s EōS Fitness group instructors.

“I have seen Heather’s energy get brighter…she’s become more engaged, more confident,” Pagan said. “Now she comes right to the front of my class, makes eye contact and lets me know she’s ready to go. This is what I try to explain to people. Exercise leads to a positive emotional change. When that happens, the physical improvement is simply a byproduct.”

 After joining EōS Fitness in Taylorsville four years ago, Heather found quick success, followed by challenges.

“I weighed 250 pounds when I first joined and lost the first 50 pounds pretty easily in about six months,” she said. “Then there was a transition period when I was not losing weight but was gaining muscle. I started at 50% body fat and eventually got it down to 17%. But I didn’t get down to 150 pounds until last summer. And now, a year later, I’m keeping it off.”

Henderson, 52, moved around the world in a military family as a child. She landed in Utah in 1996 after getting a job to help prepare the state for the 2002 Winter Olympics.

“I was stupid lucky to get my job helping to construct Olympic venues,” she explained. “But I also put in the hours, put in the grind. I was young and worked hard.”

The Olympics came and went – but Henderson remained… at least until a different work opportunity took her to the United Kingdom.

“I lived in the UK from 2018 until the pandemic hit (March 2020),” she said. “That’s where I really packed on the weight. Ten pounds here and there – it slides on fast. That’s what led to the snowshoeing incident less than a year after I returned to the states.”

Touting itself as a “High Value. Low Price®” exercise leader, EōS Fitness has more than 175 gym locations open and on the way in seven states: Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, Texas and Utah.

As her gym-level Submit Your Fit contest winner, Henderson earned 10 personal training sessions and a $100 gift card.

“I haven’t even asked about the prizes,” she concluded. “I only entered the contest because my friends encouraged me. My prize is what I now see in the mirror and how I feel about myself.” λ