Photo courtesy of Maddie Mulligan ’24.
Pretty Tough is Hamilton’s only fitness club for women and non-binary people! The club is run by Maddie Mulligan ’24 and Emily McGovern ’24. They host workout sessions and social events for people of all exercise levels and experiences. Their most recent event was Taylor Swift Aqua Jogging this past weekend, but they have hosted Frolic in the Glen, Dance Fitness and Folklore Yoga as well. In addition to these larger group activities, Pretty Tough has a buddy pairing system where people with similar exercise experiences and goals can work out together and motivate each other. People are paired into groups of two or three and matched based on availability and fitness interests to give them a partner for going to the gym or any other activity! This semester, there are monthly buddy challenges; if groups complete the tasks, they are entered into a raffle to receive a smoothie from Euphoria. If you do not want a buddy, though, you are still welcome to join and participate in all the club events.
Mulligan ’24 and McGovern ’24 started Pretty Tough because they know the gym can be a very intimidating place for people with limited fitness experience. They also wanted to create a social community on campus for women and non-binary individuals that want to get active. The club leaders are “grateful for the incredible amount of support” that Pretty Tough has received, as well as for the campus’s excitement for the events they host. One club member said, “I was a lot more active my freshman year, and I remember having a lot of fun at the free skate social. It felt pretty good to have a small group of girls who had similar exercise commitments, and the gym definitely felt less scary.” Overall, the club has garnered great success with its events and in creating a welcoming environment.
In the future, Mulligan ’24 and McGovern ’24 hope to “collaborate more with other campus organizations to bring even more fun events your way, both social and athletic!” So be sure to check your emails for more Pretty Tough events to try them out.
Pretty Tough hosted a Taylor Swift aqua jogging event last weekend. Photo courtesy of Maddie Mulligan ’24.