QC, THAT'S WHERE!
QC, THAT'S WHERE!
QC, That's Where we're becoming a fitness hotspot with the addition of Bungee QC
The Quad Cities is quickly becoming a fitness hotspot. On "QC, That's Where" we dive into the up and coming world of bungee fitness, which has found a home in Moline, Illinois. Stephanie Duffield, the brave pioneer of Bungee QC, shares her tale of venturing into the fitness frontier and the joy she's found in helping others discover their own 'Peter Pan' dreams.
In our deep dive into bungee fitness, we're graced with the insights of a certified instructor who specializes in aiding people with disabilities and injuries. She's not just an instructor; she's an inspiration, showcasing how this unique form of exercise can be tailored to individual needs and abilities. A testament to the resilience and versatility of the human spirit, she shares the story of her journey, from beginner to mentor, interwoven with her love for the Quad Cities, her hometown that cradles her through her bungee fitness voyage.
We'll give you a glimpse into the power of bungee fitness and how it's making waves among fitness enthusiasts of all ages. So, whether you’re a fitness aficionado or just someone looking for a bit of fun and movement, this episode has something for you. Join us and let's spread our wings in the enchanting world of Bungee QC.
QC, That's Where is a podcast powered by Visit Quad Cities. Through the people, partnerships, and personalities woven throughout the Quad Cities region, you'll meet real Quad Citizens and hear the untold stories of the region.
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When it's a group session, I can always tell you that half of the calorie burn is going to come from laughter, because when you know each other and you see someone all of a sudden doing something they think they're doing and then they go out of control, it's a riot.
Speaker 2:Where do you find a family of communities connected by the storied Mississippi River, where young explorers and dreamers, investors and entrepreneurs thrive? Where can you connect with real people living and creating in a place that's as genuine as it is quirky QC? That's when.
Speaker 3:Welcome to QC. That's when I'm, katrina, your host, and I'm so excited today to be talking to Stephanie Duffield, the owner of Bungie QC. Stephanie, hey, how you doing. I'm great. Thank you for having me. I'm so excited for you guys. We are in November of 2023. You guys just had your grand opening recently. Stephanie, what is Bungie QC?
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh, it is where you can find your wings, live out your Peter Pan dreams, do handstands, do moves that you never thought you could do. It is the best new kind of fitness that's out there. If you want to get started, we can help everybody from just getting started all the way to crossfitters. There's so many benefits with this.
Speaker 3:So Bungie Fitness. How did you get into Bungie Fitness and what's the backstory of Bungie QC?
Speaker 1:I always like to tell the story just because I find it really important and who I am. The very first class that I was ever signed up for, david Clevenger owned Phoenix Body Solutions down in East Moline and they were just kicking off. My friend signed us up for a class and somehow mine didn't get checked off or something. When we got there there wasn't space for me and I'm super high anxiety with new people looking at me. So I just was like, okay, I'll try again later in the left. And then COVID hit.
Speaker 1:So I kind of missed my shot and was sad about that and I manage a gym. So we were down for just a couple of weeks. But our clients were very adamant about coming back so we opened our doors back up. And as Phoenix started opening their doors back up, they decided they were going to move to Florida but they wanted to have trainers stay open in our area and keep Bungie alive. So I went down instantly, was hooked literally, and I didn't look back about two months in. I kind of let David know that I love this so much and I should probably buy the business from him because I'd already started changing things and growing and doing stuff and he kind of knew who he was handing the reins over to, so he knew what to expect.
Speaker 3:That's super interesting. So before you, even so, you were kind of already in the process of starting this as a business before you'd even really become like into it yourself.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I literally just was like, let me just. I ran a free fitness event at the Skybridge for the past five years, so I've been in fitness, I manage a gym, so you know, I'm just not. I don't want to do the typical running and lifting. I appreciate those things, but I've just done all of those things and I wanted something different, and so when I got this opportunity, I jumped for it.
Speaker 3:You jumped for it and you took. You know you took a risk and the cool thing about it was that it was intriguing enough to you and it had enough good qualities that you had at least heard about or observed, that. You had enough faith in it that like, yes, this is something that I can start to incorporate and introduce to the community confidently.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was really awesome to be able to just get introduced to it and then love it so much that I was. I instantly saw the benefits, especially going through ankle surgeries, knee surgeries, those kind of things where, you know, my running was limited. Things were different, you know, for me at that time. So being able to have this and just legit love it so much that I wanted to take it over was just huge.
Speaker 3:So I've been a runner the majority of my life and, you know, throughout that happens, there's little injuries that come up and things that, like you know, I had like an IT band injury for a long time. I'm like, well, my entire sport is out, like my only option is swimming. Swimming is great, but like for when you aren't a great swimmer like myself, you know I mean it, just it's not my favorite thing. So it got old fast. So really cool alternative.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I'm the same with you. So I I had ankle injuries. I'm due to having a really fun time at the trampoline park but getting my foot stuck and all my tendons being, you know, spaghetti noodles and they just wouldn't go back. And I've done a whole event for my free fitness event on a knee scooter because of, you know, an ankle injury from running and so being able to take the pressure off here is great. But I did the pool thing and with everybody moving I got motion sickness.
Speaker 3:Oh, wow, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:I love the benefit, but I instantly was like I have to get out of here. I'm going to be six.
Speaker 3:Of course. Well, you know it's cool, you know. So I saw you guys have been kind of gaining attention. You were on QC live, definitely definitely becoming of interest to people in the community. You know, what would you, what would you say to you? Know, you're kind of speaking to your former self, but to somebody who hasn't heard of it is unsure. You know, is this for me, is this safe? Like, what would you say to those people who just don't know about it?
Speaker 1:The number one thing I would say is sign up for a class, whether it be with somebody or by yourself. Because Myself, my bungee studio manager, we all have those, you know, those fears of going into groups and trying something new and being nervous about it. But we literally gave it a try and have not looked back, and that's kind of how it goes. When you come here, you can just let go of all of the expectations, all of the judgments, everything like that. We have such a supportive vibe here when we're doing stuff and we're learning moves and everybody's like you know, really honing in on their like abilities, everybody's cheering. It's just so awesome. And if and if you're nervous, come in for a one on one, because I'll take the time, get you in a harness and let you see that we're not jumping off of any bridges or out of any airplanes or feeder on the ground the whole time. So we definitely have something you've got to give a try.
Speaker 3:I saw two in the media reports that you guys are able to do some work with, like just cerebral palsy community.
Speaker 1:Yes, we had a huge thing about that. Last year I met Sydney. She came in and she had seen it on TikTok, did some research. She found my studio, reached out to me and I was like I'm not sure what I can do. I'm not a physical therapist, I don't have any medicine in that field, but I'm not going to turn anybody away from bungee because there is so many benefits. So she came in and legit, dropped her canes and stood like she had no fears for the first time and she was. It was a huge emotional thing. We've created such a good friendship. Our new area is a little bit different so I've been kind of working with different ways to help her get back in and just, you know, it's a stretch that you can't get in so many ways. If you have limits, you know we can take that away and just give you an ability to just stretch out.
Speaker 3:Yeah, oh, that's awesome and that sounds like a memorable moment. Can you kind of go over some of the highlights of you know the time you guys have been open so far?
Speaker 1:Yeah, so I've actually been on and off for about three years. We shared I have a problem. I take over everything that I love. I met my gym owner six years ago. He was just starting to open so I was like I'll come help you get some people in the doors, became the accountability coach so I took over that once I came down here about bungee down here, but I didn't want to share my time anymore with his time. So I was like can you please just get the whole building for me so I can have my own space, which he did because he believes in me. So I'm really, really happy to have that. But there was turf over here so we did have classes over on this side for a few months but we stopped in May of last year because there's divots. It's a lot to keep up with turf and make sure hands black, so we had to get all of that out of here and then get new floors down. So a two month project kind of turned into a seven month project and a lot of stuff had to go into making the studio happen again. So once we got that, we opened back up in January and we have just been hitting the doors.
Speaker 1:We've, like I said, I've helped cerebral palsy that was huge, huge part of my life and open so many things. I'm working on trying to get my mom down here. She is a stroke survivor. She had three and 30 days about four or five years ago. So I'm trying to get Harness and ways to hook her up so that she can get that stretch because she can't use that left arm. So you know, there's just a lot to learn and I started with seven routines. I learned seven routines from David and then they moved to Florida and you know I checked in with him. I made sure what I was doing was right, and then I just started going to different certification programs around the country. I've been working with people who work with SOLA, yeah. So I've gotten to meet a lot of amazing people and take seven routines and just grow and see what I could do with it, because there's not really anything that stops me. I just find a new way to do something more fun with it.
Speaker 3:So Okay, so explain to me. There's a saw like on your Facebook page as you're offering classes. There's like different levels level one, level two, level three. What does that mean? What's the difference between the levels?
Speaker 1:So level one is your basic beginner. We get you Harness. Do you feel you know? We get you on your bungee. We teach you those basic moves. Get you comfortable, because being in a harness is going to walk in the park. I always say welcome to your new relationship. You get all up in your business and so it's a new, trusting world. I really ask you to believe that I'm not going to let you fall on your face. So that's basic level one, just getting you comfortable and seeing what you can accomplish. Level two is we do require that level one for you to do two classes of that level one and it isn't too intimidating to you. For level two or level three, it's just again for those basics, making sure that you're comfortable in that harness.
Speaker 1:We've got a couple different styles so if you need to try something else, we're able to offer that. All of our bungees are different weight so we might have to move you around and try a different bungee so that you can get into moves a little bit differently, a little bit easier, or make it more difficult for yourself. So that's our level one and then our level two. You're more comfortable coming in, you feel comfortable. You don't just stand here, you actually get on your bungee and you're probably like floating around until last arts or trying things, because you're comfortable. And then on level three we really pick up that pace. Add in weights. We can front clip. We don't just do things from our back clip, we can actually like front clip things so we can add in like more unique moves, more technical things, everything like that. So we just kind of build it up, but we always make it you two of those level ones and then after that you're free to try any of the classes. So you do it at your own pace. So everything we have we modify from beginner to advanced. So whether you're in a level one or level three, you can do at your level advanced.
Speaker 3:Sure, and then whatever you've taken from each level you bring to the next one and yep, okay, that makes sense.
Speaker 1:We have simple things like holds where it's working your whole body. You know you're in this nice stronghold at a 45 degree angle. You're pulling resistance at that bungee. Now you can be there. If we're doing something cardio and it's too much, you're out of breath, you can go into that hold and it's still a nice strong whole body workout. So otherwise you can go, you know, and be doing the rest of the stuff. But whatever it is, we keep you moving and keep your body active.
Speaker 3:I love. It sounds so fun and I want to talk about the Quad Cities. So I have. You been here your whole life, part of it. What's your story with the Quad Cities?
Speaker 1:Originally from Texas. My mom's family and my dad's family were in Princeton Illinois, so when my mom moved us up here from Texas, I was about 11. So I stayed here till then. I've lived in Maui a couple times, been to and from California to visit my dad and my grandparents, all of that stuff, but Quad Cities has always kind of been my home base. And when we lived in Maui I have two boys who are now 18 and 21. But when they were six months old and three, we went out to Maui and let grandpa be grandpa for a few years before we had to plant them. You know, for good schooling we knew this is where we wanted to be to raise them.
Speaker 3:Okay, so what makes you, what makes you know that the Quad Cities can foster, you know kind of a unique upcoming fitness like this Because of its range of people.
Speaker 1:We have such a variety of cultures and people and fitness is just a huge thing. You, you know big. You've got the Quad City marathon, you've got you know yoga. You've got all of those things that huge where you know, huge for chiropractic. So that health, that good body feelings, and all of that is just really big here in the Quad Cities. And that's what's really amazing is that you can really pull in so many people to be like, wait a minute, bungee fitness, like let's give that a try. You know it is something so unique and there is one Within three hours of us. The next one will be in Dixon, illinois. I just certified I created a certification program, so I've certified a gym in Dixon where they have an aerial yoga studio and they're going to include some bungee fitness. So congratulations.
Speaker 3:That's super cool, already expanding yeah.
Speaker 1:I really I'm trying to do a lot of things and just bring it, because my regulars, our regulars here are in the Quad Cities. But we have people from Muscatine, from Cedar Rapids, rock Falls, rockford Clinton, people all come down here for private sessions. So we're really getting those people here in the Quad Cities to and they come down for a day. It's a girls trip, then they go out to lunch and stuff like that. So it's really nice to be like something that people plan to come to for the day.
Speaker 3:That's so true. So, like at Visit Quad Cities, we love to explain to people, people who aren't familiar with us or who have very minimal knowledge. I mean, it's such an important aspect of the Midwest that we are within a six-hour drive of 37 million people, and so when you come here, if you decide to make the day trip, not only do we have professional sports teams you can go and watch, you can get involved in our activities and you really hit the nail in the head of what an active community we are. But there's also crafting, DIY projects. You can do Buttercup Candles, you can come to Budgie QC and take a class. I mean there's so many you could fill your day literally, or a weekend, or a week, whatever amount of time you want to spend here. Absolutely, it's a drive away from wherever you're at. I love that and it's so cool that you guys have added to that arsenal of activities that we can offer people and just good experiences and memories that people can have forever.
Speaker 1:Yeah, there was a really fun group of older ladies that they meet and people live in different cities. We've got one that lives here in the Quad Cities. One of their friends lives in Michigan, ohio. They all planned and they went to a concert the night before and then they came here and I'm telling you what they're like the funnest people I've ever met. But that's what they did. They all had a plan to come to the city and do something fun and they spent a whole weekend just having a girls weekend and they were hilarious and they were probably one of my oldest groups, like the whole group of older ladies, and I think I had the most fun I've ever had with them.
Speaker 1:So it is really any age. Our youngest is 14, and our lowest weight is 100 pounds. Just because these have resistance, you can't really do much more than that, and then our weight limit being 250 for our climate. But we always suggest you do an one-on-one if weight is a concern, because we are getting newer and better equipment that can handle more weight and stuff like that.
Speaker 3:I have to hear more about this group of ladies that came in. When they get on the, just in general, when you get a class, especially of newbies, I mean, is there some with the new kind of like weightless feeling? Is there some giggles?
Speaker 1:Is there some, like you know, yes, when it's a group session, I can always tell you that half of the calorie burn is going to come from laughter. Because when you know each other and you see someone like all of a sudden like doing something they think they're doing and then they like go out of control, it's just, it's a riot. And these ladies obviously were at a concert the night before. They were rowdy at that concert. I saw their videos. They showed me those they made. One of their friends made bungee necklaces out of like they're like mini bungees and they made necklaces out of them. So they had their little friendship necklaces.
Speaker 1:And I'm telling you what they came there like we're a little hungover, we're a little hoarse. You wouldn't have even known that they were, you know, out of energy. Because once you get on here and I always say that about myself, I'd be having the roughest day and be like, oh, I have to teach class and I'm tired and I'm just going to do everything off of bungee. And I get here and I'm on bungee in two seconds and I'm going all over the place Like, once you're here, you just get that kid like feeling that you just, you know, there's some people who are really nervous the whole time, but usually by the end I can get them, you know, fill in a little free and just letting go and flying in the air or trying to handstand Rejuvenation. It's insane.
Speaker 1:Wow, it is even with one of the people that I, one of the ladies that I worked with in Pennsylvania. She had the studio and she had an 81 year old rockets former rockets Lady there and she said she was doing a senior class and everybody's, you know, just kind of getting comfortable and after a little bit you can just see her kind of tapping her toes and getting that like you know, that little bounce and her stuff and everything like that so legit. You turn into a child.
Speaker 3:I Can totally see that. Where does your passion for fitness come from? How far back does this go for you?
Speaker 1:Well, it comes from mentally. I've always, like I said, I'm super anxious. I've always been really shy, people Never wanting to be in the spotlight, and I'm never feeling like I had anything worse being in the spotlight. So I really had to find that I I had about four surgeries in five years in my abdomen Through a bunch of different things that I had to go through, and so I started running slowly. Then I got a Fitbit I think that's where it came from.
Speaker 1:I got my first Fitbit and I was Challenged by people to get my steps and beat them, so it became an obsession. And then it got cold. So I went to the skybridge and Davenport and got my steps in that way and then I started thinking how could I get people to come, keep me accountable and join it? And so for the past five years I've had QC sky fit and every Sunday from November to March, people would come to the skybridge from the stairs. I would post positive quotes up through the whole place or jokes or just something funny to keep your mind going and play music. And then eventually I got businesses to donate prizes in exchange for free, like social media advertising. So I would have prize drawings and it started with probably like two or three people and my highest number was 102 People at the skybridge and Davenport.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so this is my first year that I'm not, and it is the saddest thing ever because I have people that have told me that that is their church, that I have saved their lives, that I've helped them lose 20 pounds, and all of that is very emotional. I get shaky my voice when I think about it. But I did just move to Tipton, iowa for this year to I'm Slightly thinking about expanding out that way it's. It's very early in stages whether what I'm gonna do, but so I am out further and I can't be here at 7 o'clock in the morning on all winter long.
Speaker 1:So sure but there are people who are still just. So, if you do hear this, I know there are some people who still go and you know, run the skybridge. It is an excellent resource because it's not used enough, so it's warm in there all winter long. So if you want to get those steps in, keep exercising, you need a free place to go. That's a great place to walk and get those steps in.
Speaker 3:Okay, you stumbled upon something that, again, I want to just bring back to like Quad City centric, because there are so many like Assets that have multiple purposes. So like, yeah, the skybridge, not only is it like a centerpiece, so to say we're like someone not from here would look at it and go, ooh, that's very pretty, and then not only is it kind of an asset visually, aesthetically, it serves such a great purpose for people like the group that you started and I think, with a group of 100 plus people, there is no concern that that's just gonna continue to evolve and grow and go forward. Hopefully, with some of those people who have been with you the longest they can keep it going, cause the ripple effect of what you started is just and it started somewhere before me I'd actually been.
Speaker 1:There was a group that would meet there and they would like pay, you know, like with high fives and like support, and so I'd been to one of those, and then I never had gone back to it. And so once I went to the Skype and I was like oh, they're not here anymore, so let me try something.
Speaker 1:And I mean we had three Zumba every week. We had you know my gym owner would come bring kettlebells. We just we made it something huge. So I really do hope someone takes off and like kind of create something out of that Cause it was a really great community to grow So-.
Speaker 3:If you're listening to this and you were in Stephanie's Skybridge group, this is your sign to keep it going. Do it Right.
Speaker 1:There's two of them Alisa. Alisa, I know you're out there and you get there Shout out.
Speaker 3:So going forward, you just kind of mentioned that you're potentially looking at expanding into Iowa. What is the like long range goal for Bungie QC?
Speaker 1:To the long range goal would be for me to have my certification program on an app and I would like to be affiliated with other locations and start certifying other locations in our area. I one of my bucket list items is in power. Others and I. My studio manager is like my soul in human form. Her name is Keisha. You'll see her all over Facebook. She does all of the crazy dives and moves and pink hair and she's Miss Pink Bungie Babe. So she has just taken everything that I love about Bungie and she's the next level of it with me and she's helped me grow so much and she's helped my fire, like my passion, go because she loves it so much.
Speaker 1:So I did this a lot by myself, marketing myself, marketing Bungie just constantly, constantly, and to have someone be on my team that is as passionate as I am about it is amazing. It's a godsend, that's for sure, because we can take this anywhere, to any town, and help so many people. So if she doesn't wanna stay in the Quad Cities forever and she's ready to explore, then she'll be able to take Bungie QC into her new town or someone that loves it so much. A lot of all of my trainers have started here and then loved it so much. They're here every single week, multiple times a week, and they loved it so much they're like how can I become a trainer? So I have trained all together five, six girls and I have three currently two brand new ones that are starting to get on their schedule. But we can just really make something so great out of this if we keep sharing it with more and more people.
Speaker 3:I love that. Thank you so much for letting us kinda get a sneak peek what Bungie QC is all about. Sounds like you have a great team and really good plans for the future, so at this point I would love to have you fill in the blank QC. That's where.
Speaker 1:Venice can help you find your wings.
Speaker 3:I love that. I love that so much. Thank you so much, Stephanie. How can people find you on social? Where are you located physically?
Speaker 1:So Bungie QC. On Facebook, instagram we're on. Come Fly With Me. At TikTok. We've got our website. It's new and still growing, but it is Bungiefitqccom so you can go there. All of our how my life is, All of our things can take you to our scheduled place. You gotta do two classes. We always recommend that second class because by that second time you come here you're a lot more comfortable.
Speaker 3:So so come find your wings. Bungie QC Stephanie is harnessed up. She is going to get attached to the spongy so you can see that right in the center if you're watching on the video version. Okay, oh, perfect, doing such a beautiful routine. Let's see this. Okay, the jumping Legs all the way up, handstand and she's holding it Swing forward. Oh my God, that's too cool. It looks like fun. Okay, now she's running forward and jumping into the air. It looks like you could do lunges or any kind of alternative running exercise and you could just change it up for the Bungie. Oh my gosh, now she's literally flying through the air.
Speaker 3:Squats yes and push ups. Oh, that's incredible. You can't do that without a bungee. Throw your arms up in the air between each push up. Nope, you will fall on your face if you don't have the bungee on your side. Oh yeah, that's what we do a lot of our rolls.
Speaker 3:Our flies oh my gosh, too cool, these are too cool. Oh my gosh, oh my gosh. So handstand and then she's got her feet then coming back around like toward her head. Oh my gosh, awesome. And this so what you just demonstrated like what level would you say this is at?
Speaker 1:Level two and three. Really you can. If you're brave, you can always try these moves. So only.
Speaker 3:I love the push ups and the arms.
Speaker 1:Yes, like everything is really, you can make make it really fun. We always make time to play, but you can really work on the form too, so it can help you do all the stuff that you want to hear and move off a bungee also.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's, everything looks like, it's like modifiable, if that makes sense.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 3:Awesome. Thank you so much, stephanie. That was a really fun demo. So again just got a tout super unique, cool things happening. Bungee fitness, I think, is kind of an up and coming, and it's really cool that you're able to bring it here to the Quad Cities and expand out more. So thank you again, stephanie, we really appreciate it.
Speaker 1:You're welcome. I hope to see you soon.
Speaker 2:Thanks for listening to QC. That's where a podcast powered by visit Quad Cities text visit QC to 38314 for insider events, activities and updates sent straight to your phone. That's the ISIT QC. One word to 38314. Message and data rates may apply.