One Year of Sweatworking Collective: The Adventure So Far

Hi there!

Is there something you always dreamed of doing?

Something you journaled about daily.

Something you imagined in your mind for years and years before it ever came to fruition?

I sure did.

I went back into my journal collection recently.

I've journaled almost every day of my life since I was a kid, and I've kept many of these journals as treasures, little pieces of evidence I can return to and reflect on.

In the journals from ages 24 to 33, my vision and goals were crystal clear: I wanted to create a fun place for women to move their bodies, make friends, and feel powerful.

A year ago today, that vision became my reality.

As I write this, I'm wiping tears of pride and joy from my eyes, because I wanted this for so long, and it is real.

All thanks to a lot of supportive people who believed in me, all of you who make up the Sweatworking Collective community, and the tenacious, go-getter in me who saw an opportunity and jumped on it.

In this post, I'm sharing the adventure we've been on this year, the highs, the lows, and what's coming next.

We also have our 1 Year Birthday Party on April 18th, and we'd love to see you there.

So grab a slice of birthday cake and let's get into it.

Where It All Started

It all started with a phone call from my friend Tony.

"Sarah, I know you're running classes for lifting, there's a unit next door to us available. Rent is pretty good because, well... the location has promise in the future."

I met Tony the next day to have a look at Unit 108 at 950 West Broadway. I saw potential immediately.

The construction out front was a lot, sure, but I could see exactly what he meant.

When it's done, we'll be right next door to the future Oak and Broadway SkyTrain Station.

"Let me think about it," I said. Then I called my partner Adam, my parents, and my mentors.

After crunching the numbers, second-guessing myself every five minutes, and having long conversations with optimists, pessimists, and jaded industry folks alike, I landed on one thought: well, if I don't try, I won't know.

Adam, my partner is consistently my biggest cheerleader.

He had watched me juggle full-time university and run a growing business for four years, and he knew I needed to channel my energy somewhere meaningful after graduation.

I had a month to get the gym ready… and three of those weeks I was going to be in Brazil.

Perfect.

That left me one week to transform an empty space into a gym. She loves a little pressure this one.

Nobody tells you that a small business loan doesn't get approved in a month. So I had to really pull the self-belief card and put my entire personal line of credit on the line.

As someone who didn't grow up with money, this was, and honestly still is - the scariest thing I have ever done.

Fast forward four weeks: all of our basic equipment is set up, Adam has helped with all of the building, my family came in to paint and set up, and I had taught myself (via YouTube) how to plaster, pour concrete, fix a leak, and put a business on Google.

On April 1st, 2025, we opened our doors.

All of my existing clients moved over with me, and we began running one-on-one sessions and Lifting Club classes in the new space.

Leah and I had our very first 6AM training session together, and I had to remind people: "No, this is not an April Fools' prank, I did actually open a gym today!"

Growing the Team

In order for the business to grow, we needed to start running regular small group classes.

But there was only one of me, and at this stage I was working 14 to 16 hour days.

I kept a blanket and pillow in the back, and any chance I got to rest, I took it.

I desperately needed to hire coaches, but I'd never done this for my own business before, only for gyms I'd worked for. And so the process of reading résumés began.

First came Tat.

Tat is a friend of mine and a world-class trainer, so I asked them first. When Tat said yes, I was elated.

Then came Annika's résumé, a soccer player who had just moved back from Australia with a great array of life and work experience. Yes, please.

Annika then referred Kristina, a fellow UBC Kin grad who worked with seniors at Livewell. A mountaineering queen and an absolute powerhouse in the gym, she was a hell yes.

Sam was also a huge part of the opening of Sweatworking Collective, and honestly the reason Lifting Club exists. Sam volunteered for most of the year, getting our social media running, creating flyers and posters, and helping us get off the ground.

As the gym began to grow and classes went from 0–3 people to full and waitlisted, the admin side of things became... a lot.

Enter Roxanne, our admin superstar, who came on board at exactly the right time to manage the inbox, the website, and all things technical.

Liz, a strength coach extraordinaire, and Alyssa, a budding physiotherapist, are also working behind the scenes helping to create programs for classes and one-on-one clients.

And finally, there's Chloe, a dear friend and soon-to-be business partner. More on Chloe in a moment.

Each one of these people brings their own unique flavour to their classes and their roles. I cherish every single one of them, and I can't wait to watch them grow.

A Year of Memories

Looking back on the year, there have been so many incredible moments.

From painting the walls of the gym, to watching our members become leaders in the room during events and workshops.

From taking a ferry with a group of strangers who didn’t know what to expect, to becoming friends and creating a vision for the future of Sweatworking after our first team retreat.

From getting a phone call in the grocery store informing me there was now a med-ball-sized hole in the wall, to crying because I didn't know how I was going to make the upcoming bills.

From jumping for joy when Katie really got her first power clean, to hearing the goals of the women in the room.

From helping people get strong before a joint replacement and then supporting them on their journey back to movement, to Sarah's iconic gift of toilet paper.

From welcoming new babies into the world and eating sushi in the park with our first seven members, to celebrating 40 group class members — and so much freaking laughter.

There is nothing I love more than sitting down with our members and getting to know them as people. I get to see a glimpse inside your world.

Many of the people at Sweatworking Collective are dear friends of mine, whether you've trained with me once, or I've seen you twice a week for the past six years.

What blows my mind is that there are now people who come to Sweatworking Collective who I haven't met in person yet.

This business is bigger than just me. It is truly a collective, and that my friend, is magical.

The Next Five Years

The past year has shown me what we're capable of with hard work and a team of superheroes. So what comes next?

Well, some of you already know, but for those who don't... I'm pregnant!

Baby De Lucca-Gartshore arrives at the end of July, and this is a whole new chapter for us as a family and as a business.

Here's what we're planning, with the help of Chloe. (Told you we'd come back to her.)

Chloe and I are going into partnership together. Because this version of Sweatworking Collective has been our test run. We needed to see what works and what doesn't when it comes to running a gym in Vancouver, and how we can weave in our shared passion for clinical exercise physiology and preventative healthcare.

So here's the dream, timeline pending:

Chloe and I hope to open a larger gym and clinic space in the next few years.

A space where we can run classes and one-on-one training sessions simultaneously, with room for allied healthcare so you can have all of your needs met in one place.

Our goal is to help Vancouver women, and eventually Port Moody folks too (Mama needs to shorten the commute one day), feel strong, age the way they want to, and do all the activities they love well into their 80s and beyond.

We want to offer a space where you feel seen, heard, and like a total baddie under a barbell.

Small group classes for womxn.

High-quality healthcare for our community.

A team that's educated, supported, and invested in.

Our eyes are peeled for a space in a similar location to where we are now, just a little bigger, with everything we need (like showers) under one roof.

This dream wouldn't be possible without all of you.

Thank you for being here.

Thank you for making this real.

From the bottom of my heart, I love you all so much.

Sincerely,

Sarah De Lucca

P.S Come Celebrate With Us! Classes Are Free on April 18th!

We're throwing a birthday party and you're invited.

On Saturday, April 18th, we're opening our doors for a day of free classes to celebrate one full year of Sweatworking Collective, and we want you there.

Whether you're a longtime member, a curious newcomer, or someone who's been thinking about trying us out, this is the perfect day to come move, meet the team, and be part of something special.

👉 Register for your free class here

Spots are limited, grab yours before they're gone.

We can't wait to celebrate with you! 🎉