There’s a merge happening which may put a new spin into the fitness routine of many in the tri-city area. Earlier this month, fitness coach Kaycee Moeckel and spin instructor/business owner Stephanie Western joined forces.

Western first opened Surge Cycling Studio in the fall of 2018. Earlier this fall she approached Moeckel with a proposition. Motivated by her ability to lead a class as well as her passion and energy, Western offered Moeckel the opportunity to join her as a spin instructor.

Moeckel shared while she was flattered by the proposition, it was not one which spoke to her heart. While she loved Western’s energy and the way she worked with her classes the fitness coach saw herself more as a student than a teacher.

The proposition, however, was not without purpose and reason, as Moeckel found herself without work in an industry she’s long loved in early October. With a husband out of work, while caring for his father and a six-month-old baby on her hip, the fun loving coach found herself fighting off depression.

“After my week of great depression, I put my big girl panties on and I moved forward and it started small,” Moeckel said of her resurrection and the beginning of her business Grace and Grit.

“Pretty much explains my situation,” she said of her life currently. “2019, the only great thing that came out of it was the birth of my son. Everything else was horrible ... on top of, on top of, on top of. That’s where the grit comes in. It doesn’t get to define me. Life circumstances are going to come and go. It doesn’t get to define who I am or how I handle things.”

Moeckel spent four years of her life coaching clients from the Oakdale, Riverbank and Escalon areas in a boot camp environment. An environment which she first entered into as a client and had such a passion for she was offered a job. In early October the doors closed and the job ended, but her clients remained, many offering to hire her for personal training, while others offered to invest in her as a business venture.

“They see something in me. Just as I saw something in them and I love them for that,” the coach said. “We didn’t just create a gym, we created a family. I want to open that opportunity to those people that are out there afraid, in letting life determine their path.”

The fitness enthusiast, with a passion for people shared personally speaking she’s aware some might raise an eyebrow at first meeting. Since the birth of her son, she too has struggled with returning to her once fit body. The process now a bit different and more challenging than it once was before and she’s okay with that.

“Now I get to look at my clientele in a whole different light,” she said. “The struggle is real. It’s not coming easy right now. It’s a new learning experience. The grace part of it comes from the fact of being kind to myself in the process and to others.”

In the interim between relocating and opening Grace and Grit at the current Surge Cycle Studio at 122 N. Sierra, Oakdale, Moeckel set up shop in a home gym of a client who generously offered the space until something else came through. A transition spot she shared she was grateful for, yet was thrilled when Western approached her a second time and offered to share the space with her.

The two businesses will now operate under one roof, offering two services for one flat fee. Three days a week clients can pump iron and strength train with Moeckel and the other three get their cardio up spinning with Western. A monthly fee of $100 offers clients unlimited access. There’s also a drop in fee, as well as a punch card for those interested in limited visits.

“You literally get everything and your body is going to respond in ways, most bodies ... our bodies haven’t worked out like this before,” Moeckel said of merging the two workout opportunities.

“My motto has always been and always will be, that I’m going to give you the best 45 minutes of your day. That doesn’t include my stuff,” the coach said. “That’s always what I’ve been true to.”

As she looks to the new space and partnership, the coach shared she’s excited not just for the business opportunity but the ability to continue to touch lives. While some clients have stayed with her through the changes, others have found new paths and for her … that’s okay.

“Go embrace other people’s worlds too,” she said of her words to clients. “The best part about what I do and the reason why I love what I do, is because it’s like doing crafts with glitter. You can’t just get the glitter on the craft, you get it everywhere else too and you find it forever.

“If they don’t come back to me that’s okay, because they’re touching lives,” she continued. “Spread my sparkle.”

“If I was only doing this for the money, I’d be personal training,” she stated.

Grace and Grit and Surge Cycle Studio are open six days a week. For additional information visit their Facebook page or call (209) 272-6802.

“Right now I have an option to touch lives,” Moeckel added. “That’s why I’m doing what I do. I want to be the best part of somebody’s day.”