After dealing with post-traumatic stress and depression brought on by an attempted rape I had put on a bit of weight and felt I needed to get back in shape. Since I was out of work I relished the thought of getting stuck into something physical so I joined a Virgin Active gym down the road from me.
Well, I had an initial training session with a personal trainer to show me ropes, and during my session I had a group of three guys staring at me whilst doing a medicine ball workout and they were making inappropriate comments (which the trainer laughed at). I ignored it.
The next time I went to work out I was on my own and 20 mins in I was on an exercise bike and a group of men hanging around the weights started calling out to me across the room things like “hey, darling!” “hey, sexy, why are you ignoring me?!” and they wouldn’t let up. I didn’t know what to do. It was a Sunday evening and the place was pretty empty. I just ignored them at first then got up and left.
I never went back.
I didn’t want to cancel my membership because I desperately wanted to go to the gym, but I was too scared to go alone. I ended up cancelling my membership after 9 months of battling with myself. I’m still too scared to go back. I needed my own space. I was recovering from a sexual assault and I needed to heal. I never got that chance. I barely go out now. I want to, but I know what will probably happen so I don’t bother.
– Gretch
Location: Virgin Active, Derby, UK
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beckie weinheimer says
could you write the gym and tell them what happened. Just so it doesn’t happen again to another female. That is so sad and so scary and so not right. I am sorry.
Jen says
Horrible, I really feel for you. This is, unfortunately, why I neither use the gym nor go running outdoors (yet another area of life that street harassment dictates – my health), but do make known your feelings to the gym – they should be seeking to make their premises a safe and friendly place, and this is hardly good publicity for them.
Earth Angel says
UGH! It makes me so mad that a place where you are supposed to be to be healthy is just a place for a lot of guys to harass—-REALLY! It’s the GYM! I’m SO sorry that happened. I was harassed at the gym too—and even when I contacted corporate they didn’t care—-but please believe they heard from me! I’ve JUST made three recent trips to another gym—and I’ve had to keep my pepper spray on me and stare down half the guys there (even with my bf scaring 75% of them away!) just to ATTEMPT to feel comfortable. I’ve decided on staying home and doing TurboFire exercise DVDs instead 🙁