"Claire and Grady always show up with the biggest smiles on their faces. Having couples in class really brings me so much joy. Knowing that Grady fully supports our FIT4MOM venture is important to me. The two of them jive so well with one another. They are always in good spirits and it reflects on to little Holden as well. All smiles! I always look forward to seeing this powerhouse couple workout together." -Shannon, Fit4Mom Franchise Owner

Who are the members of your family and where are you originally from?

Grady, Claire, Holden (1 y/o), Murphy (4y/o golden retriever)

Grady is local to Alexandria and went to Edison High School and JMU for college.

Claire grew up in Springfield, Missouri and after Mizzou undergrad and grad school at Michigan, she moved to DC for work in 2016.

Where did you two meet?

We met through the Bumble dating app (so Claire had to message Grady first). We actually met for the first time for a happy hour at a bar in Arlington after work…. We matched on the app because we’d been swiping at work only 2 blocks apart.

Where can we find you? What is your Fit4Mom routine these days?

Most Saturdays you can find us at Springfield Town Center for a family workout, and Claire at the occasional weekday or Sunday class. This summer we will also be spending a lot of time at Springboard pool teaching Holden how to swim!

What are 3 of your favorite things?

Lately, it’s been the Mr. Softee ice cream truck that visits the neighborhood, dance parties at the water table on our back deck, and fitting in a good Netflix show/episode before bed (because who can last the length of a whole movie after getting a toddler to bed??)

You are given 4 hours of FREE babysitting. What would you do?

Go to a concert - it’s been a long time since we’ve gone to a show together and is something we used to do a lot more before having Holden. (Grady is an expert at winning free tickets on the radio - he won a trip to Paris to see Coldplay when we were newly dating and it was literally a life changing experience for us!)

What has being a parent taught you?

Grady: Be patient

Claire: Be present (and have fun!)

What is your funniest or most embarrassing parent moment so far?

Every time we go out to dinner with Holden, he tends to make friends with people at the table sitting next to us. He likes smiling and saying “Hi” to new people. It’s always really funny but also embarrassing because he seems to want to eat dinner with anyone but us!

Also, the first time we ever used our stroller to take Holden to his first doctors appointment and couldn’t figure out how to fold it down in the parking garage - we were panicking and checking YouTube tutorials, hoping he wouldn’t wake up hungry from his nap before we could get home.

Any words of wisdom for other parents?

It seems like having kids is a great excuse to become young at heart again: be silly, play and have fun. Someone once told me playing with your kids is a form of mindfulness and I feel like that is actually so true. Let loose and enjoy seeing and learning about the world for the first time again!

What is your favorite thing about FIT4MOM? What would you tell someone thinking about joining?

Grady: Dads can join the family workouts on Saturdays! Be prepared because you will get a good workout in and will also want to take a nap with your little one after.

Claire: Everyone has been nothing short of kind and supportive for every single workout - it is amazing to me. I appreciate being able to connect with other moms and the grace and safe space FIT4MOM has provided me.