Team » Bethany Parker

Bethany Parker

I was born and raised the small town of Shelbyville, just an hour south of Nashville. I escaped to Nashville to attend Belmont University and never went back!

My fitness journey started like many others. I was 17 years old and suddenly very aware of my body and all of its shortcomings as I perceived them. I wanted to be thin, or to be more precise, I wanted to be skinny (shudder). I observed that runners were skinny, so I sought out to become a runner, despite the fact that I’d never successfully run a full mile in my life. After many painful months of learning my true lung capacity and what the term “thunder thighs” actually means, I eventually fell in love and began running races very regularly.

I learned the hard way that high impact sports come with a price. After several injuries, I realized I had to start cross training. I introduced yoga into my routine, and I felt the difference almost instantly. Yoga also gave me, for the first time, a true appreciation for what my body is capable of doing. This allowed me to finally start to free myself of this ridiculous idea of what Ishould look like, and I began to shift my focus to making myself strong and healthy.

Somehow it still wasn’t enough! I needed something with high intensity. I needed cardio that didn’t destroy my shins, knees, and hips. I NEEDED cycling. I just didn’t know it yet.

A friend introduced me to Krank, and I was hooked instantly. The music, the energy, and the instructors made me feel a sense of belonging and home, and I never looked back.

Eventually my friend, the amazing Rhandee Gortney, convinced me I should consider instructing. And the rest is history!

Every day that I step on that platform, I feel inspired by the all the people who show up with their incredible energy, and my goal is to continue to empower and strengthen them by providing a place of refuge to let it everything go that doesn’t serve them and walk away full of hope and confidence.