Break Dancing Wallingford Workout

Now here’s a tale that’s just begging to be made into a movie, and all the more heartwarming because it’s true and it all happened here in Wallingford. And the best part is that this Saturday, you can see the story play out on 45th Street.

Adriana Medina of Fuerte Fitness tells us about the March day that Joseph Lee walked over from the Wallingford Boys and Girls Club and into her gym looking for gym membership. He was 16 years old and wanted to know how much it would cost. At $55 – $75 / month, it was way more than he could afford.

So Adriana asked him, why did a 16-year-old kid want to join a gym in the first place? Because he break danced, and didn’t have the strength to do some of the moves. Alright, she said, let’s see these moves.

Joseph kicked down on the spot and showed her his stuff.

Now, as coincidence would have it, Adriana had been training for a regional competition called the Emerald cup. She tells it:

It’s the biggest fitness competition in the Pacific Northwest.  I started competing in 2003 and have won 2 figure competitions (which is fitness without the routine) and one fitness.  The fitness competitions I participated in consists of 2 rounds, one being a strength, flexibity and athleticism choreographed routine and the other is a 2 piece bikini comparison. The reason I started competing was I saw how beautiful and flexible women’s bodies looked and I enjoyed the challenge of transforming my body and taking it to the next level!

As part of the competition, she needed a choreographed dance routine. She had the fitness part down (it helps to own a gym, we’re sure), but not the moves.

Now you see why we say it could be a movie?

So she struck a deal with Joseph and his friends Jonathan Nguyen, D’Andre and Cherrelle Davis, D’Lo, Isaiah and others: everyone gets their parents signature and they could work out three days a week in the gym, with a short break to help her with her routine. She said they would sometimes stay from 3 – 8:30 pm.

They worked hard and even came with recorded moves, ideas, and dance steps.  They were very encouraging and loved pandering me about my age..I would put them in place when we did workouts and stretching…they even used some of my fitness mandatories for there dance!  They came consistently Mondays and Wednesdays from March 13 until April 15, the day before my routines…They normally would go to the Boys and Girls club but we were able to work together!

Those kids found an outlet that where they do things they are good at and learn to take care of their bodies too.  We wouldn’t have found each other had it not been for Fuerte and I love that they keep coming!  I competed this year because because in Dec, my brother died and it gave me an outlet to get all the extra energy and sadness out.  It allowed me to cope in my own way and to focus on something bigger than me and it brought me to a different level and got me to ask for help in my routine.

And the climactic finale? The Club Kids will be putting on their routine at this Saturday’s Wallingford Kiddie Parade (Saturday, July 10th at 11 am down 45th Street). Come on over, check ’em out and cheer ’em on.

(Disclaimer: Fuerte Fitness is a Wallyhood sponsor).