Fitness Friday: Why do you Fly?

If you’ve ever had the chance to take a Flywheel class, you know there’s something totally magical about the place. It’s not just the state-of-the-art equipment or amazing playlists. It’s the people. The instructors. And one of the best instructors in all the Flywheel land is the superfly Sarah Stankavage Pitts. I was lucky enough to interview her recently on what SHE loves so much about Flywheel and what she believes the Flywheel magic to be.

Thanks so much to Sarah for taking the time out of kickin’ tails all over the QC to sit down and answers these questions. Smarties, get to one of Sarah’s classes PRONTO – her energy is contagious and her playlists are solid. Check out her and her teammates’ schedules right here. See you on the bike!

Why should someone choose to come to Flywheel?

Flywheel is not just a workout, it’s an experience! We pride ourselves in giving riders and pulses a positive, fulfilling atmosphere from the moment they walk in the door, through their workout and onto the rest of their day. Flywheel is appropriate for people of all different fitness levels. We love our riders/pulsers who walk in saying they’ve never been on a bike/been to a barre class before, we motivate our riders/pulsers who have health/fitness goals they want help to accomplish and we push our riders/pulsers who are already strong athletes and need that extra intensity.

Sarah Stankavage Pitts, Southeast Lead Trainer, Flywheel Sports

What makes it so special?

Flywheel is special because of the people. Not only our instructors, facilities/club coordinators and managers, but also our riders/pulses make what we like to call “FlyFam” so special. There’s a sense of family, community, team atmosphere when you come to Flywheel. We have so many members who have become best friends after seeing each other in class day after day. I, personally, have grown very close to many of our riders/pulsers after developing relationships with them in each of my classes. There’s a confidence that grows in those who make the commitment to themselves and to us, as instructors, to better themselves by showing up and pushing out of their comfort zone that you can’t find in many other places. The “FlyFam” atmosphere makes Flywheel so special.

What makes Flywheel different than all of the other workout places in Charlotte?

I think the team of people we have who work to create the Flywheel experience is what makes us different. The simple passion for our work, the commitment to our riders/pulsers, and the excitement we get from working in this environment is what makes us different. From our managers who hold down the fort, to the club coordinators who greet everyone with a smile, to the men/women who work to keep the stadium clean and bikes working properly, to our strong instructor team who is passionate about their job and the relationships we build. We work as a team and we enjoy working together and I think that goes a long way in providing an experience for those who walk in the door. I always say there’s not one day I have ever walked out of Flywheel in my 3.5 years of teaching and not loved my job!

If someone has tried to Flywheel in the past, why should they come back now? Are the classes different than they used to be?

Our instructor team is one of the strongest, if not the strongest, in Charlotte. With experience, comes growth and I think if someone hasn’t been to Flywheel in awhile, they would be blown away by the growth of our team. We hold high standards for our team and want everyone to strive to become the best they can be. I think when you have those high expectations, there isn’t much room to fall behind which creates a strong, passionate team who provides a fun, yet tough experience for our riders/pulsers.

There is a certain energy when you walk into Flywheel, Can you share more about this?

I am addicted to it! We are all there because we WANT to be there! I think this is most important. I think I can confidently say that each of us believes in Flywheel. The energy is contagious. From the music pumping, to the smiles, to the engagement between all different kinds of people. We feed off of each other! I tell my riders, it is a vicious (positively vicious cycle), but as they give me energy, I give them more energy, which then motivates them, which motivates me, and we all walk out of class feeling pumped to take on our day. When you have a group of people who believe in each other, believe in the environment they are in and believe in the product they are supporting, it creates one “heck” of an atmosphere!

The instructors at Flywheel are certainly top notch and there is truly something special about them. We know you are involved in some of the training. Can you share a little about how instructors are chosen and trained?

As mentioned above, I believe we hold fairly high standards for our instructors at Flywheel. It is sort of an understood expectation that you are there to bring it! I think we all sort of feed off of each other. We all support each other, on good days and bad days. Again, we create a “FlyFam” atmosphere. I would call each and every one of our instructors part of my family and would bend over backwards to support them! This commitment to each other creates a special bond between our team. As competitive as we all might be as athletes, there isn’t a competitiveness amongst instructors. We are all there to make Flywheel better as a whole. I think the “OG’s” as we call them (the first few instructors – Jenna, Matt, Steve and Denise), really set a standard of teamwork, eliteness, and positivity that we all have learned to follow. When looking for new instructors, we want people that have this same passion for not only fitness, but for people and relationships. We look for instructors who can be a part of a team, who want to support others growth, who are here for more than just themselves.

Lastly, how has your life changed since becoming a Flywheel instructor?

I feel truly blessed for the past 3.5 years. I could get a little emotional talking about it in fact. I can’t imagine my life without Flywheel if that puts it in perspective. The people I have met both on the team and in my classes are incredible people! People of all walks of life, from all different backgrounds, who are all there for one reason…because they love it! I have learned to lead, I have learned to follow, I have learned to manage situations, I have learned to motivate people with all different goals, I have learned to be unselfish, I have learned to put my stress aside and enjoy someone else’s success, I have learned to love a 4:30AM alarm clock, ok maybe not really :-). I am a stronger athlete, I am a more intentional listener, I am a better communicator, the list goes on. I love my FLYFAM and couldn’t imagine my life without them.

Follow Sarah on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.

You can find Flywheel Charlotte at:

Flywheel Charlotte
2907 Providence Rd
Charlotte, NC 28211
(980) 819-8501
facebook: www.facebook.com/FlywheelCharlotte
twitter: twitter.com/fly_charlotte