Mass. fitness instructor uses pain from personal tragedy to inspire others

MORE THAN JUST A SWEAT. AWESOME. OH, EXCUSE ME. YOU WHAT? I DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT I FEEL GOOD INSIDE THE STUDIO. CHRIS FABRY IS A COACH WHO LEADS BY EXAMPLE, FINDING JOY THROUGH MOVEMENT AT STRIDE FITNESS IN BURLINGTON. THIS IS YOU TIME. THIS IS YOUR TIME TO DE-STRESS OUTSIDE THE STUDIO. SHE’S A MOM AND A LICENSED THERAPIST ALL DAY, EVERY DAY, MENTAL HEALTH IS HER MISSION. I LEARNED A LOT OF WHAT NOT TO DO AS A KID. I SAW A LOT OF PEOPLE JUST KIND OF IGNORING IT OR PUSHING IT OFF AND NOT ADDRESSING IT, NOT DEALING WITH IT GROWING UP, FABRY SAYS MENTAL ILLNESS WAS ALL AROUND HER. SHE LOST HER OLDER BROTHER TO SUICIDE WHEN SHE WAS ONLY 11 YEARS OLD. THAT ABSOLUTELY KIND OF TRANSFORMED HOW I THINK ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH AND IT CERTAINLY FUELED ME WANTING TO GO INTO THE FIELD AND HELP OTHER PEOPLE. IT ALSO FUELED HER JOURNEY INTO AN ATHLETE AS A DISTANCE RUNNER, MARATHONER AND ULTRA MARATHONER USED MY EXPERIENCE AS A RUNNER AND BEING ON DIFFERENT TEAMS TO KIND OF HELP ME FEEL POWERFUL IN TIMES THAT I FELT COMPLETELY POWERLESS THROUGH SHARING HER STORY, FABBRI HOPES TO CONTRIBUTE TO A LARGER MOVEMENT IN REDUCING THE STIGMA AROUND MENTAL HEALTH AND THE SHAME THAT COMES FROM ADDRESSING IT. WE HAVE TO HAVE THE CONVERSATIONS WE NEED TO NORMALIZE IT. WE NEED TO SPEAK UP ABOUT OUR OWN EXPERIENCE IS ASK THE HARD QUESTIONS HOW ARE WE DOING? TEAM? AS SHE LEADS A ROOMFUL OF RUNNERS, IT’S EASY TO FEEL INSPIRED BY FABRICE ENERGETIC AND UPBEAT PERSONALITY, ONE THAT IS BOTH GENUINE AND INTENTIONAL. ONE OF THE BEST THINGS, AND THIS HAS BEEN RESEARCHED AND PROVEN THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP OUR MENTAL HEALTH IS TO SEEK OUT CONNECTIONS WITH WARM AND SUPPORTIVE PEOPLE. WHEN THAT CONNECTION ALSO INCLUDES MOVEMENT, WHICH SCIENCE SHOWS, RELEASES ENDORPHINS AND REDUCES STRESS, FABBRI SAYS IT REALLY CAN CHANGE SOMEONE’S ENTIRE OUTLOOK FOR THE DAY. PEOPLE HAVE SAID VERBATIM, COMING HERE HELPS MY MENTAL HEALTH, AND FOR ME AS A COACH AND A THERAPIST, IT JUST IT BRINGS JOY TO MY HEART IN A WAY I CAN’T EVEN PUT INTO WORDS. AND FOR STRESSES, EXERCISE DOESN’T REPLACE THERAPY AND MEDICATION. AND IF YOU ARE REALLY STRUGGLING, THERE IS THE 9 TO 8 EIGHT HOTLINE, TOTALLY CONFIDENTIAL FOR MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT. EXERCISE REALLY DOES HELP THOUGH. JUST A LITTLE BIT OF MOVEMENT. HOW’D YOU FEEL AFTERWARDS?