GREENSBORO, N.C. — Julie Luther is a horse girl, plain and simple.
“I think it’s the connection you can get with them and the time you get to spend with them just hanging out,” she said. “I also really enjoy working with the horses and training them because you can always learn something new.”
Horses have been in her life since childhood.
What You Need To Know
Julie Luther has been riding horses since she was 10
It's her first passion. Her second is fitness
She owns PurEnergy Fitness Center in Greensboro
The gym used a special Facebook group during the pandemic to stay connected to their clients
“I started riding when I was about 10 years old, out of the Triangle Y Ranch,” Luther said. “Got my first horse when I was about 12.”
Riding and training horses is her first passion, but her second one is a little different.
“Jumping around and being fit is my second passion,” she said.
In 1989, she opened PurEnergy Fitness Center in Greensboro. It started as a 1,400-square-foot facility. But Luther did so well, she upgraded to a place around 7,500 square feet about 21 years ago.
She continued finding success until the pandemic.
“It was nothing like I’d ever faced before. We did shut down the third week of March in, what was that, 2020,” Luther said. “We didn’t open back up until September. During that time, we lost about two-thirds of our membership.”
They had to focus on creative ways to keep their guests engaged. That’s where social media came into play.
“I was looking for Facebook groups to help advertise our programs in, and I was surprised actually to find one that was made for putting out information to Greensboro,” Luther said.
She stumbled upon a Facebook page called Greensboro Fitness and Wellness. Trainers at a fellow fitness business — Pure Barre in Greensboro — set it up to help local gyms survive the pandemic by sharing information, posting links and providing content virtually when they couldn’t in person.
Luther credits the group with helping keep the gym afloat.
“We’re able to put out a post every day, if need be, to get people to come to our programming,” she said.
Luther has since sold the gym to her son. But she still goes just about every day, thankful it was able to weather the storm.
“Most people tell me they can’t figure out what they really love to do,” she said. “I was fortunate enough to love two things with a great passion.”
She's not going to slow down any time soon.
“I’m not ready to stop,” she said with a smile.
In fact, she now she owns JL Winding Road Farm in Reidsville, and you can find her there every single day training or riding her horses.