August is celebrated nationwide as Black Business Month, a time to honor and recognize the significant contributions of Black entrepreneurs. Among the 3.5 million Black-owned businesses in America , one in Colorado Springs stands out for its remarkable impact and dedication to the community.
Diamond Dunlap is the owner of the I Love Me Journey Fitness Studio in southeast Colorado Springs.
The former CNA took her love for health and wellness to the next level when she decided to open the business in 2020.
"They might be diabetic, and even though I can't treat a woman with diabetes, I can help them do the things they need to do, which is fitness,” Dunlap said.
The business idea started after her personal weight-loss journey during the COVID-19 pandemic. She wanted a lifestyle change after noticing she was out of breath and aching when attempting to play with her five children, she said.
“I found Xtreme Hip-Hop. I was like ‘Oh My God. That is so fun. I don’t have to go to the gym and lift weights, and it was a fun way to lose weight,'” Dunlap said.
Xtreme Hip-Hop is a high-intensity step-aerobics class involving music.
“It’s all hip-hop music. Things that we listen to on a daily basis, as far as our culture goes,” said fitness studio member Shanel Rhodes.
Dunlap lost 40 pounds doing Xtreme Hip-Hop exercises, and wanted to help others connect while exercising, too.
“[Losing weight] was the hardest thing to do by myself,” she said, “I was like ‘I wonder how many other women are just like me who want to lose weight, but they don’t have the motivation. They want somebody to [hold them accountable]. They need the help, and I was like, ‘You know what? I’m going do I Love Me Journey and help other women who are just like me do the same.’”
Now, she helps other women like Rhodes, an Army veteran, enjoy themselves while staying active after serving in the military for eight years.
“Working out in the military, you get kind of used to it, so you try to find something that you can keep yourself attracted to. I would go to the gym by myself, but it was lonely and boring,” Rhodes said.
For grad student Alexsiss Days-Felton, this workout class is her primary exercise and a one-hour window to leave behind academic stress.
“It’s just nice to come to a place where I feel like all that can be let go. Like I don’t have to worry about that paper that’s due in two days," Days-Felton said.
The Black-owned business opened four years ago and has been connecting people through fitness and nutrition ever since.
“It’s the sisterhood and the environment that they had made me want to come back,” Rhodes said.
Dunlap said she used the feelings of burnout as a mother of a special needs child and loneliness to create a better experience for other Colorado Springs neighbors through the fitness studio.
“Most of the people that come to class look like me,” Dunlap said. “They are sometimes overweight. Sometimes they’re looking for a place to fit in. Sometimes they just moved here and found my space and are like, ‘OK this is community.’”
Days-Felton said she’s had a similar experience.
“It’s nice to come and see people who look like you all doing the same thing or all working towards a goal,” Days-Felton said.
Diamond is certified in nutrition coaching, group fitness instructing, personal training and Xtreme Hip-Hop instructing. She believes that the fitness journey is most effective when shared with others and hopes to ensure that people in her community are aware of the support available to them.
“That was my ultimate goal for I Love Me Journey," Dunlap said. "[It] was to create a space where women could come together in a drama-free space and work on themselves and love on themselves because we go through so much in life that sometimes it brings a woman down. And without community, without support, without sisterhood, you’ll feel alone."
Dunlap offers a variety of classes to both men and women throughout the week. Visit her website to learn how to sign up.
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