They say it takes a village- community changed everything for Melissa.
When Melissa Strong joined Outlaw, she didn’t just need a gym—she needed a lifeline.
Melissa works as a visual manager for RW&Co., leading a team that designs product placement in stores across Canada. Her job keeps her busy, balancing remote work with frequent travel, often to Montreal. But it was during her maternity leave, shortly after the birth of her daughter Emma, that her journey with Outlaw began.
At just three weeks old, Emma was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. The diagnosis shook Melissa and her husband to their core. They knew immediately: if their daughter would need to live a healthy lifestyle, they had to lead by example.
Initially, Melissa walked through Outlaw’s doors hoping to “get fit” and lose some baby weight. What she found was something much more powerful. “I was shocked to realize this was a serious workout,” she says. “But more than that, I loved that the coaching met me where I was. It was about showing up for yourself.”
That philosophy—“just show up”—became a mantra. As her fitness improved, Melissa celebrated incredible wins, like a 225-pound deadlift PR. And yet, it was outside the gym where the transformation truly mattered.
Returning to work with an 8-month-old and grappling with the emotional weight of a terminal diagnosis, Melissa faced depression and thoughts of self-harm. “I don’t know where I’d be without Outlaw,” she shares. “The routine, the health, the community—it saved me.”
Through it all, Melissa kept going. She drew strength not just from her workouts, but from the people around her—other mothers, kind strangers, encouraging words. When she launched a fundraiser for cystic fibrosis, Outlaw members helped her raise a third of her goal—many without even knowing her personally.
“I have never felt part of a community the way I do here,” she says. “Thanks to Outlaw, I can show up for my family. I live a healthy lifestyle, and I love going to the gym. That’s the example I want to set for my daughter.”
Her advice for others? It’s simple but powerful, and one that we repeat often: Just show up 💜
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