Home > Fit City > Archives > 2009 > May > 03 > Entry
Gladiator starts Austin bootcamps
I had coffee with Ally Davidson, an Austin native and winner of last season’s “American Gladiators” reality show.
You may remember her as the woman who tried out for the show on her wedding day. Even her parents and future husband didn’t know until after the fact. They forgave her, though, when she nabbed the $100,000 prize by topping the women’s field.
Since the show, Davidson has turned her 15 minutes of fame into a new career, launching a fitness bootcamp in Dallas. Now she and husband Jeff are moving back to Austin and expanding their Camp Gladiator business here.
Davidson, 25, who played basketball, volleyball and softball and ran cross country at Westwood High School, then went on to play basketball at Old Miss and Texas State universities, managed not to toss sandbags, pump iron or wrestle once during our meeting at Jo’s on South Congress Avenue.
We did, however, talk about what it was like to throw down with a cage fighter named Crush. (In a word? Scary!)
She credits her win on the show to agility and speed, something she worked hard on in the weeks leading up to the competition. Now she’s teaching others the same skills through her camp. It’s all about high-intensity training for short periods of time. It includes lots of timed drills, and plenty of variety.
“No more slow jog on a treadmill,” is how she puts it. Davidson promises she’s not a drill sergeant, and says everybody in the program pushes themselves to their own limit. It’s a challenging atmosphere with lots of group competition.
“It plays on people’s pride,” she says. “Adults get competitive and want to do well.”
The camps are held outdoors, in a park or parking lot. It’s a full-body workout for all ages and fitness levels. Multiple hour-long sessions are offered at six locations around Austin. The program costs $150 per month for unlimited classes. Those who return for a consecutive camp get half off.
Camps start May 18 at Austin High School, Westenfield Park, The Quarries lake, Steiner Ranch, Hill Country Bible Church and the Arboretum. A kids summer camp will also be offered this year.
Register online at www.campgladiator.com.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: general fitness
Comments
Click here to report comment abuse.