By Karly Vovk - Front Desk Associate
As a child, I always disliked to go to the turkey trots and triathlons.
My whole family has enjoyed being active and I did not. I tried tennis, volleyball, and other sports but I did not enjoy it.
November 2015 is when I decided to change my life. I wanted to work out more, eat healthy, and be fit! I decided to join CrossFit that November of 2015. I found out that I wasn’t the best at the cardio part but I loved the weightlifting part of CrossFit. I fell in love with the barbell and lifting heavy weight was my passion. I found my type of sport that I loved. Along the way, I became fit and gained muscle. I decided to put my heart into the sport of Olympic Weightlifting.
In the summer of that year and the second year, I qualified for youth nationals and participated in the competition. In my second year, I was the 10th best Olympic Weightlifter in the nation. November of 2017 was when everything changed for the worse. I injured my back again and again. The doctor told me it was only a muscle strain every time. Once I couldn’t continue with the pain, they decided to take an MRI. I have a degenerative disc between L3 and L4 in my lower back. I had to stop the sport I loved because of the injury.
I took a break and got back into working out, but with lighter weights and no compound movements. Then, I decided to start swimming because it had zero impact. I got a job as a lifeguard with only training for a few months with swimming. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, all the swimming pools in Los Angeles County are closed. I was out of a job for a few months. After not being able to swim, I joined classes at the Paseo Club. I was nervous trying them because of my injury.
I love the classes here at the Paseo Club. The teachers are very keen to warm up and stretch properly. Those things are so important for you to maintain working out for a long period of time. The great environment and fantastic people made me want to work here! You can always find me here at this awesome place. I am taking classes, working at the front desk, or studying for school.
I am very happy to call this place my second home, to work with great people, and to attend classes without further harm to my body.
Jen Azevedo is a tennis professional, pickleball professional, personal trainer, group exercise instructor, and the general manager of the Paseo Club. She loves the community at the Paseo Club and that it is also a safe and fun place for her daughter. Jen’s favorite activities are joining her tribe for trail races or her partners for tennis matches. Occasionally Jen slows down to relax with a book — she reads over 100 a year!
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