A local septuagenarian is inspiring fellow gymgoers.
As the matriarch of MoveMore Fitness, Gale Helix has spent the past several years defying the odds, continuing to thrive decades longer than doctors thought she’d live. Far from a medical miracle however, she says her secret is simple.
“In 2003, I had liposuction done on my hips,” said Helix. “There was a one-in-ten chance of something going wrong; well, it did. I ended up with a pulmonary embolism, and almost died on the helicopter ride to Asheville. What saved me was coming to the gym – they didn’t think I was going to live to be 50, and now I’m 70.”
Following her brush with death, Helix resolved to change her habits, starting a regular exercise regimen to strengthen her body. Now, more than two decades later, it’s become second nature.
“Matt has a routine for me to do, and then I do the routine, or we modify it,” she said of MoveMore owner and general manager Matt Harlfinger. “Yesterday I did 50 step-ups on a 4-inch box, 40 box squats off a 21-inch box, 30 med ball slams, 20 kettlebell deadlifts and six burpees – well, I did five and a half because my legs got stuck on the rug. But, I write it down ... and then when I total it all up I’ll say, ‘Man, look what I did.’”
In finishing workouts that would be tough for people decades her junior, Helix has set an example for fellow gymgoers of all ages. While age and injuries limit her repertoire somewhat, MoveMore trainers tailor Helix’s workouts to her needs.
“She can do anything that anybody else can do; we just have to modify it,” said Harlfinger. “There was a situation where ... she had to call 911 to get her off the floor, and so that’s when we realized, ‘Well, Gale can’t get herself up off the floor. We might need to practice that here in a controlled setting so that she doesn’t get stuck on the floor – it could save her life.”
Despite three pulmonary embolisms, spinal stenosis and other ailments, Helix has scarcely missed a day, becoming a near-constant fixture at MoveMore four times per week. While her preexisting conditions can sometimes make workouts difficult, she says the key to her success is perseverance.
“It was the first day of CrossFit, and [we] were on the rowing machine,” said Helix. “This little girl ... was on the rowing machine, and what happened was I tripped over my feet and plowed right into her. She let out a scream, I let out a scream, and scared [Jon Lyon, Helix’s former trainer and current MoveMore lead trainer] to death. Come to find out I had cracked my tailbone. ... I go home and sit on the donut [pillow] and the towel for my spine ... and I was back the next day getting on that rowing machine with my seat cushion pillow.”
“She’s really inspired a lot of people by taking that mentality, too,” said Harlfinger. “I’ll have clients that kind of drift away, and I’ll say, ‘Hey, if Gale can make it here four days a week, you can be here at least once a week – you can do something,’ and they’re like, ‘You’re right – if Gale can do it, I can do it.’”
In showing up day after day despite her ailments, Helix’s work ethic has rubbed off on other MoveMore members. Additionally, she even helps the gym in more concrete ways.
“I’m the door-greeter, towel-folder, message-taker when the trainers aren’t here, and I also watch the Kids Zone,” said Helix with a laugh.
“She’s one of the most selfless people I’ve ever met. During the [Franklin High School] track season I have to leave at 3 o’clock, and I’m gone from 3 to 5,” said Harlfinger of his side job as the Panthers’ two-time state title-winning head coach. “She’ll sit here, and if somebody walks in and wants a membership, she’ll say, ‘Come here and give me your name and phone number for when Matt gets back.’ ... We’ve landed a couple new members because of her efforts.”
Between her tenacity, warm smile and altruism, Helix has become something of a figurehead for MoveMore, earning the gym’s Member of the Year award in 2022. To those in a similar position to hers 20 years ago, she says her advice is to never give up.
“My advice is to come here – there’s always somebody worse off than you are,” she said. “I’d encourage them, ‘Don’t quit.’ Some days I feel like quitting ... and that’s what happens with a lot of people. They’ll start off good, and then slack off and not come anymore, and then they kick themselves because they quit. Me, I hurt half the time and I still show up. ... The secret is to keep moving.”