Today we’d like to introduce you to Minky Kim
Hi Minky, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I started training as a passion project outside of my career (at the time) to give back to the community. As someone who identifies with multiple marginalized identities, it felt important to me to put in time and effort into providing for others within that. It was only when the outside interest grew that I truly realized the extent of the need for a movement + fitness space that prioritizes marginalized bodies and identities.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Not entirely – before opening our brick and mortar location, my biggest reservations and concerns were about feasibility and logistics. I’m not a business major, I already had a secure and stable career that provided me what I needed to survive, and at the moment I was only just beginning to consider. The world had just entered the first summer of the global shut-down due to COVID-19. I also didn’t have a ton of capital moving forward, so almost every paycheck I received was going to have to go straight into opening the gym.
Running a small business in a way that also aligns with the values I wanted to uphold within the gym is also a constant challenge – how to employ folks ethically, how to navigate financial accessibility for members, all while navigating how to maintain the many costs of owning a business with a physical location.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
When it comes to personal training and movement – I think part of what sets me apart was and is my philosophy on fitness, movement, and bodies.
When it comes to the physical aspect of fitness, the primary focus is slowing down and finessing the form, as any good trainer should. I encourage folks to understand the nature of movement, the physics and mechanics of our bodies, and why various moves will look/feel/form differently for each body.
But what I try to impart most is the concept of body neutrality. To remove morality from the equation and to hone in on developing a relationship with your body that is not only physical but encourages the connection between what you are feeling physically and your intention.
It is my deepest belief that our bodies are the one thing we truly have a right over, and that means – to me – that it is my responsibility to understand it, to understand how it moves and takes up space and how to be intentional with that. In doing so, it creates room for us to become less uncertain and insecure about our bodies – it allows for trust in ourselves, which automatically comes with a depth of confidence that is instinctive and without thought.
To have been able to – and even now – witness folks within my communities become visibly stronger, confident in their posture, move without mobility aids, and regale me with stories of their body-related ‘wins’ throughout the week are some of my proudest moments.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
I don’t know that I see anything drastic shifting. I see how fitness and movement has expanded into so many various modalities and I imagine that sort of thing will never really change. However, I’m hopeful that the industry will continue to focus more on educating the public, on sustenance and on maintaining our bodies not only for longevity but for function.
Pricing:
- Tier I membership – $125
- Tier II membership – $215
- Tier III membership – $290
- Financial accessibility available by request
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hantrainingchicago.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/hantraining
Image Credits
All except group photo: Jolene Sage Photography
Group photo: Han Training