In April 2016, Catherine Merritt decided to buy the Peloton Bike to see what all of the talk was about. At the time, she held a demanding leadership position at a global marketing agency, on top of being a wife and a mother to two small boys. She quickly realized how much her time on the Bike was a release for her, allowing her to get out of her head and into her workout. “I found every time I did a class, it opened up my mind,” says Catherine. “I sweat out my stress from a demanding career and it gave me a place to focus on myself for 45 minutes.” Over time, she noticed that her time on the bike led to lots of creative solutions and ideas that brewed as her conscious mind focused on the ride.
These brainstorms eventually led to Catherine’s biggest idea ever: to start her own company. “In the years since I bought the Bike, my confidence grew which propelled me to take a huge risk by leaving my job and start my own agency,” says Catherine. “People would say I was nuts to walk away from it, but I’ve come to realize that we have a finite amount of time on this planet and we better do what we love or else it’s going to pass us by.” She continues to propel her ideas for her company forward by harnessing the words of support from Peloton instructors Christine D’Ercole, Cody Rigsby and Robin Arzon. “The way they motivate me on my Bike is how I try to motivate and inspire the people who work for me,” she says.
Catherine’s drive to keep improving in all areas of her life goes beyond her family and her business. In the spirit of ‘you didn’t come this far to only come this far, she decided to commit to the AIDS/LifeCycle race in California this year, a 545 mile race from San Francisco to Los Angeles spanning seven days. “I didn’t own a road bike, or most of the equipment I’d need, but I was strong and I knew that I could, and I had to do it,” Catherine says. “When I was ready to give up, Peloton mantras would keep me going on the roads along the ocean as it had on the Bike in my basement.” Catherine finished the race and helped raise $16 million supporting the end of AIDS. She also conquered yet another amazing personal milestone, showing herself yet again just how far she can go. “I’ve realized with Peloton that there is power with strength,” says Catherine, “and if you can harness your physical strength to influence your mental strength, it can lead to amazing things.”
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