Kelli Gilzow’s journey from Sabattus back to Sabattus has been full of ups and downs. From it all, the owner of SPRQ Fitness Studio — now two years old — understands the true meaning of strength and endurance.

Name: Kelli M. Gilzow

Age: 29

Town: Sabattus

CNNMoney.com and Huffington Post have both profiled you, focusing on your journey from single mom living in a convent at one point and having to rely on a tremendous amount of government support, to being the owner of a growing business who is close to being off all support. What kind of reaction did you get from that exposure?

The only support that myself and my family are receiving now is the medical insurance provided through the state. At this point, we are on a sliding scale — meaning that we pay a portion for services. As far as a local reaction to the articles: It’s been more of “Congrats on your journey: You’ve come a long way. You used the system the way that it’s suppose to be used. Good for you!”

As far as nationwide reaction, there were positive and negative comments on both of the online articles. Many people inquired as to why I would stay with a past drug user; many people commented and assumed that I left abruptly and turned to the state assistance as a way of life. But then also there were some positive comments. One in particular was from a soldier stationed in Virginia. Below is what he wrote when he shared the Huffington Post story on his own Facebook wall.

“This is a case of pure mentality, willing to risk, and eliminating fear to become successful. And, oh-by-the-way, have an impact on other people’s lives. This is an American exercising American values. She is an inspiration to me. I hope she can be an inspiration to you.”

I never looked at my “story” as having anything to do with American values, but more so as a way to survive and finish at the end with a way to show my children that success can come even when you are in one of the deepest valleys.

Your story is full of challenges: A mother at 17; leaving your hometown of Sabattus to be with your son’s father in Arizona; then to North Carolina for special medical treatment for your daughter’s father; a divorce from him; moving back to Maine; and all while raising two children. Can you describe one of your lowest points, and also one of your highest points?

Lowest point: Definitely coming back to Maine from North Carolina and having no where to truly turn. If the timing were different, myself and the children would have been able to stay with my mom. But when I finally decided to leave, my mom’s boyfriend had his own family temporarily staying with them. That was the point that I knew that I was going to have to turn back to state assistance after making the pledge to never be on it again (when I finished up my associate’s degree with the ASPIRE program). It was a miserable feeling.

Highest point: The highest/happiest points for me would have to be here and now! Being able to share my story with others. I am not making hundreds of thousands of dollars and am still struggle with maintaining a budget. But I am off of the state assistance that makes you feel “needy” or “worthless.” I have found an adult relationship with one of the most supportive men I could have prayed for — someone who understands where our family of three has been (those lowest valleys) and has stepped into the role that my son’s father hasn’t been able to provide. My daughter’s father is still battling (health problems) but living back in Maine. We have found peace with our relationship and he is as active a parent as his health will allow him to be, which I couldn’t ask for more.

When you returned to Maine, you lived with your young children in a convent in Otisfield for about half a year. What was that like?

The experience at the convent was probably one of the most comforting places, although at that point in time I was reluctant to work on my spiritual relationship and I was the farthest thing from being pure. The nuns that lived at the covenant welcomed us with open arms. We were required to help with making dinner, cleaning dishes, doing our own laundry and helping with the upkeep; it was exactly what I needed to take my mind off the mess that was life. Friday nights we all gathered in the living room and played Wii baseball. That was Caleb’s favorite part. Mateja was still so little, but they housed animals (dogs, sheep, chickens, etc.) and she enjoyed helping with grooming them and feeding the ones that would come close.

Part of the process while staying in a shelter like this, is that they help to get you on that “right path.” They aided me in the process of Section 8, securing a security deposit. I had to pay back my security deposit, but in the end, I think that the process made me stronger. I was able to show that I COULD make it through. They helped tweak my resume and helped with searching for jobs and with the interview process (I hadn’t worked, besides minimal part-time, in close to three years). It was a whole new battlefield.

Was being on local and state assistance difficult for you?

The hardest part of being on local and state aid once again was that my pride was bruised. It’s easy to take money if it’s being handed to you without question, especially if you have bill collectors calling you every two minutes. The hard part is being self-sufficient and re-learning how to live without the assistance.

In two years, you went from teaching a senior exercise class in South Paris to owning your own fitness facility in Sabattus, offering almost two dozen classes and contracting with seven independent fitness teachers. All while raising your children. Would you have done it any other way?

If I was more patient, I would have researched more about commercial leasing and tenant rights. Our first location in . . . in Sabattus — although I was able to get a great rent — was full of black mold. Leaving me out of a location within the first six months of business and out nearly $7,000. If it weren’t for Bobby Morissette of Xtreme Self-Defense to truly come to my aid: He had been a previous tenant at the same location years prior and had dealt with all of the same issues with the out-of-state landlords. Bobby had space at his facility on Highland Spring Road in Lewiston that he offered to us for a manageable cost. He helped me absorb the losses that we endured by purchasing all of my equipment and helped me get SPRQ Studio back on our feet. After staying there from November 2010 to November 2011 we ventured back to Sabattus on our own. Sabattus is where our home was to be (it’s been in the plan since Day 1) and we have seen enrollments almost double since the move back. Of course, we are approaching summer, which means lower attendance, but cutting back on weekly offerings and working on establishing corporate off-site classes helps to regulate cash flow.

I love that my children see that hard work and perseverance pay off! I cant say “in the end” because we are just getting started! ;o)

How did you come up with the name for your business, SPRQ (pronounced ‘spark’) Fitness Studio?

SPRQ is derived from SPQR, which is the Roman Guard insignia for strength, integrity and endurance! The strength that makes SPRQ Studio is not from physical strength but from the emotional strength that was needed to get off the assistance and began yet again! Integrity is all I have. Without integrity your word is no good. Coming from the lowest valley, where you have no money, you have no belongings to call your own, you have to depend on others to help you provide for your own family. Integrity is all that I had. And endurance. Well, it takes A LOT of endurance to keep going.

BUT SPQR doesn’t sound like anything when you mash all of the letters together, so we changed the order of the letters to SPRQ and it sounds like SPARK. You need a SPRQ in your step to get you moving! My SPRQ was my children!

It fits in quite nicely to the fitness industry, as it takes physical strength, integrity of the instructors that are your motivation, and endurance from you to keep you going!

For more on Kelli’s story go to: Huffington Post at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/25/kelli-gilzow-sprq-studio_n_1519051.html and CNN Money at http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2012/news/economy/1203/gallery.government-assistance/2.html.

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