NE Franklin News

Maria Rademaker, the owner of THE MAX Challenge of Westerville Westerville, is revolutionizing the way people approach fitness, nutrition and overall well-being.

THE MAX Challenge of Westerville offers a distinctive ten-week program designed to empower individuals to lead happier and healthier lives by cultivating lasting, healthy habits.

"Our goal is, during a ten-week timeframe, by combining fitness, nutrition, and motivation, that we can help our members make incredible and lasting changes in their life,” Rademaker to NE Franklin News.

As THE MAX Challenge of Westerville kicked off its winter challenge on Jan. 15, the community looks forward to another cycle of transformation and empowerment.

Rademaker said what sets THE MAX Challenge of Westerville apart is its holistic and inclusive approach.

"We are truly all ages, fitness levels, injuries, we work with you around all those things,” Rademaker said.

The program's success lies in welcoming individuals of all backgrounds.

“I always just tell people, if you have a body then you can come to us,” Rademaker said.

“So that's the vibe and that's the spirit of the MAX Challenge. And I think we've formed a really tight knit community because of that. Just because it's just so welcoming and supportive to every person, every body, no matter kind of where you've been or the walk of life that you're on.”

THE MAX Challenge of Westerville operates as a hybrid program with both a physical location in Westerville and online offerings.

The program combines effective and enjoyable fitness classes suitable for all fitness levels, a straightforward nutrition plan with ongoing coaching and a high level of motivation and accountability.

Rademaker emphasizes that the focus is not just on physical appearance but also on mental transformation and overall well-being.

THE MAX Challenge of Westerville's community-driven approach provides a supportive and judgment-free environment, making it accessible for everyone.

Rademaker said all journeys at THE MAX Challenge of Westerville start with an intake interview.

“The first thing is something that we really work to uncover with people, and we have our initial conversation with them,” she said. “But understand first and foremost what your why is. Most people know they should do something but deep down I think everybody has a really strong reason as to why it's important to them. And knowing your why is what is going to keep you going when maybe that initial motivation has kind of dwindled a little bit.”

With New Year’s resolutions in full swing Rademaker said THE MAX Challenge of Westerville is seeing an uptick in interest.

“It's the time of year when people are ready to commit,” she said. “So our job is to really help people harness that motivation and turn it into commitment and self-discipline and create habits that are going to last, you know, the entire year well beyond January, because most New Year's resolutions die out by about mid-February. So our mission is to help make that not happen with our members and really help them fall in love with the process of getting healthier."

THE MAX Challenge of Westerville stands out as the only location in the Midwest among the national franchise's numerous outlets primarily on the East Coast.

Rademaker, along with her husband Kent, who is a co-owner and provides behind-the-scenes support, started the Westerville location in early 2020.

She said during the planning phase the Covid pandemic disrupted plans to open the business.

“We had the intention of opening in 2020, and I actually signed the franchise agreement and said, 'yes, I'm going to open a MAX Challenge,’” she said. “I made the decision to open this business in February of 2020. And then in March 2020, the world came loose and all gyms across the country were shut down. And it got a little crazy.”

Despite the setbacks, Rademaker pressed forward with a virtual-only program in January 2021, coaching workouts from her home through Zoom.

As the situation stabilized, the physical location became a reality and THE MAX Challenge of Westerville subleased a space creating a unique setting for THE MAX Challenge of Westerville.

Rademaker, whose background is in corporate marketing and communications, said she has found her true calling in fitness and wellness which used to be a side job for her.

“Once I started teaching fitness and had the opportunity to connect and help people in the way that I was able to do teaching fitness classes it's all I could think about and all I wanted to do was,” she said.

“So it was very clear to me that that was my passion and my calling. So opening the MAX Challenge ended up to be a really kind of beautiful combination of obviously a lot of my marketing and communications and business skills that I had seen through my career apply very much here. But then my passion for health and wellness and fitness and helping others is also what I get to do.”

Her passion for helping others achieve their health goals led to the creation of THE MAX Challenge of Westerville.

Rademaker's journey from corporate marketing to wellness entrepreneurship exemplifies resilience and dedication to making a positive impact on people's lives.