Elena Key | Staff Writer
What started as seeing a video on Tik Tok has turned into the student fitness organization, Girl Gains, with more than 300 online members.
Spoiler alert, it’s a girls-only club.
“So it’s kind of like everything under the fitness like we’re trying to incorporate a little bit of everything to kind of cater to everyone,” said Daniella Payan, founding secretary of FIU’S Girl Gains.
One of their events is called “Hot Girl Walk,” where members come together to walk around campus together.
“We’ll get bodybuilders, powerlifters, certified personal trainers, yoga instructors, and all that stuff to come here [FIU], and then we’ll do boot camps,” said Anabelle Diaz, co-founder of FIU’s Girl Gains chapter.
Their activities do not stop within FIU, they are also able to extend their outreach to the community.
Girl Gains Co. is affiliated with Gymshark, a fitness clothing company, while FIU’s chapter is not directly affiliated with Gymshark; they are still able to participate in events that the company hosts.
“[Gymshark] had a pop-up sale in Miami [and] we represent them in Miami,” said Diaz.
Spring 2022 was when the idea of an FIU girl gains chapter came to life.
Diaz found herself scrolling through her Tik Tok “For you Page” when she found a video talking about Girl Gains.
“They showed a snippet of what they do and then they were like if you wanna start your own chapter, click the link in our bio. So then I clicked the link in the bio, and then you just had to fill out [a] form,” said Diaz.
The form led to Diaz joining a Discord group chat with girls from all over the United States who wanted to start a Girl Gains chapter at their university.
The official Founder of Girl Gains contacted Diaz separately and told her that another student from FIU, Gabriella Montesino, also filled out a form. Diaz and Montesino sent emails back and forth and eventually came together to start FIU’s Girl Gains chapter.
“This club started here at FIU from scratch and we’ve been able to build it up in such a short time,” said Diaz. “We’ve been able to create this community and see girls become friends who otherwise […] would’ve never met.”
Members of the club shared how the community created through Girl Gains is something that they find to be the best part of the club.
“I feel super comfortable in this club too. It’s not awkward. Even if I show up in a room with 30 of the girls and I don’t know anyone, I feel that I know them because it just feels comfortable,” said Payan.
Along with comfort, Diaz says that being an all-girls club avoids “mansplaining.” Another factor that could possibly lure females away from starting their fitness journey at the gym.
“Nobody’s gonna be mansplaining something to you at a Girl Gains event… Like we get each other, like the girls know what the girls are going through, so who better?” said Diaz.
Girl Gains accepts any woman who is interested in starting their fitness journey, regardless of experience before joining. Girl Gains also does not have any fees or a point system to keep track of.
The club posts its upcoming event on @girlgainsfiu on Instagram and encourages others to join by clicking the link in their bio to receive updates through the mailing list.
“Give Girl Gains a shot. If you don’t like it, that’s okay, but you never know if you don’t try it,” said Diaz. “Don’t be afraid, just go for it.”
