Spartan racing promotes physical, mental and emotional growth

Looking for a new direction in life?

Ryan Sawyer and Heather Grover are eager to point the way. It goes over walls, through mud, barbed wire and even a fire pit.

The destination, if you reach it, might be a better you – physically, mentally and emotionally.

The vehicle is Spartan Fitness, which at first glance is equal parts triathlon, CrossFit and American Ninja Warrior.

Look deeper and you’ll find a philosophy of fitness, nutrition, and community.

With the passion of the newly converted, Grover calls it the “the new shiny thing” in personal fitness. However, your shine might be covered in mud from one of the obstacle courses that set Spartan Fitness apart from other disciplines.

“Discipline” is the operative word in the world of the Spartans; they even have their own code, a Ten Commandments of sorts for the goal-oriented.

Sawyer and Grover are certainly that. A former assistant football coach at Eastern Washington, Sawyer said his life was transformed by the Spartan philosophy. Grover, a former dance and yoga instructor, wanted a new challenge.

They got one last weekend in Whitefish, Montana, as they completed in the final two races of the Spartan Trifecta, the 3-mile Sprint and the 12-mile Beast.

Months of training – some of it in Sawyer’s back yard – paid off, as Grover finished first in her age group and Sawyer in the middle of the pack despite severe cramps.

Sawyer sees the races – indeed the whole Spartan philosophy – as a metaphor for life. Fail to clear an obstacle and you have to perform a series of burpees. “Just like life, there are different ways to get through the race – the only way to fail is to quit,” Sawyer said.

The next step could be even tougher: selling the Spokane area on Spartan Fitness. Sawyer and Grover are in the process of becoming certified Spartan instructors. This fall, they plan to go into business in Spokane Valley, marketing the philosophy.

Since being introduced to the Spartan philosophy, Sawyer, 38, said he’s “learned a lot of tools: personal growth, mental and physical health and meditation – and I want to share them with people.”

Sawyer, who’s married with two children, said that even as he coached defensive linemen at Eastern, he dealt with depression. “The biggest piece was the feeling that I wasn’t living life to my potential,” he said.

Grover, 28, has spent most of her life in the fitness industry. She owns Balanced Bodies, a Spokane Valley facility that offers fitness classes and nutrition counseling. Grover expects Spartan training will take that to a higher level.

“This is what fitness is all about, a full mind/body experience,” Grover said. Referencing the Spartan races, “I feel that you have to have balance. A marathoner would be challenged by the sandback, and a powerlifter wouldn’t have the endurance.”

“It’s an equal playing field,” Grover said.

Now Sawyer and Grover are trying to carve out a new fitness niche in Spokane. They were struck by the fact that the closest certified Spartan trainers are several hundred miles away – a good business opportunity, considering that Spartan races draw more than a million participants worldwide.

This fall, they plan to offer fitness, nutrition and lifestyle classes, using their own expertise and that of others. More details, including cost and class schedules, will be determined later.

“We’re looking forward to working with people and take them through a transformational process,” Grover said.