Today we’d like to introduce you to Ry-Ry Lim.
Hi Ry-Ry, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I used to weigh over 300lbs! I was constantly in pain, depressed, unable to breathe, and had zero self-esteem. I finally had enough, so they cleaned up my diet, started exercising, and immediately fell in love with the energy of the gym and the empowerment of looking and feeling strong.
After finishing about 9 years in healthcare as a nurse – first in the ER, then in family medicine, and finally in oncology – I quickly felt unfulfilled and frustrated working for a system that sets patients up for failure. Many of my patients had been prescribed medications for curable diseases or manageable pain. Many had no idea how to eat properly, let alone know what to do if they were told to start a fitness regimen. Patient education was limited to how to take their pills, and failed to give them any tools necessary to reverse their condition.
Once I moved to San Diego in 2016, they took the plunge to concentrate on their fitness career full-time. Disillusioned from corporate gyms’ business practices and poor treatment of its staff and members, my wife, Angeli, and I brought my vision to life with The Experience Fitness & Mobility Studio in 2019.
Now I gets to do what I love everyday: help others fall in love with themselves one session at a time, while serving the community I love and creating a safe environment for EVERYONE to meet their fitness and wellness goals.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
We opened just a couple months before the first COVID shutdown in late 2019, but as scary as it was, our membership wanted their gym to come back to. They supported us, and we pivoted to online classes and sessions until we were able to reopen.
We also faced a lot of skepticism in the beginning, especially from colleagues who discouraged me from taking the leap to opening my own gym. I’m so thankful I didn’t listen!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
The Experience is the only openly LGBTQ, wife-owned gym in Hillcrest. With a talented team, we host a one-stop shop for you and your fitness goals. We incorporate a fully comprehensive training program that combines strength training, metabolic conditioning, nutrition, and mobility, guaranteed to incinerate fat, build lean muscle, improve range of motion, decrease pain, and live a healthier lifestyle overall.
I help run the gym with my wife, see personal training clients for anything from weight loss to pain management, coach small group fitness classes, and train our obstacle course racing team. We also have a trainer development and mentorship program. I definitely wear many hats!
This gym is a testament to all the hard work and long hours I put in to get to this point. It will be one of my proudest lifetime achievements.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up I was a closeted queer in a rough part of West Virginia. I was homeless on and off for most of my youth, until I was adopted at the age of 14. I was always determined and resilient. I knew in my heart that I was meant to do big things, but I never quite knew what until I went on my own weight loss journey and fell in love with fitness. I loved video games and sports (and still do!).
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.theexperiencefitness.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theexperiencefitness
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theexperiencefitness
