Did He Just Say "Jump Out of a Plane"?

For a short time during my former career as a nutritionist, I was fortunate enough to work at the posh Peninsula Spa on 5th Avenue alongside of Manhattan’s best trainers and group fitness instructors. It would be accurate to say that I was lucky to be surrounded by such a talented and inspirational group of individuals.

However with all of my experience working alongside such incredible professionals in the fitness industry, I realized in spin class last Friday that the instructor at Equinox Fitness Club, Tripp Doherty, is unlike anyone I have ever experienced. It was on this day that our spin class ringmaster and Ironman competitor announced to us as a class that our next field trip will involve not only biking up to 200 miles, but also to jump out of a plane.

Allow me to set the tone for you. Seventy of us including myself hear this in the midst of a heart pounding exercise class as Prince’s “Lets Go Crazy” pours out of the room’s speakers at a high volume. Basically this is one big party of adrenaline.  With all of this going on it was still rather easy to hear the same question being asked in all of our minds…

“Did he just say… jump out of a plane?”

Tripp has an amazing demeanor composed of passion, pride, love and a desire to accomplish the unthinkable. But this is not only for himself.  I believe that many people who frequent his classes including the first timers, the many regulars, and even myself often find us in a trance. Suddenly the unthinkable becomes a goal, a mission. We become inspired to feel the way Tripp feels, and there is only one way to do it.  Believe that anything is possible and heed the “Trippisims” that we hear every Tuesday and Friday morning such as “carpe diem” and “rip it” peppered with a few random references to movies such as “The Breakfast Club”.

After hearing one of Tripp’s many stories of amazing accomplishments such as climbing Mt. Washington in the middle of the coldest January on record, you cannot help but begin to imagine yourself climbing the treacherous mountain.  Some people have referred to Tripp’s classes as “a religion.” I refer to his leadership as remarkable. Tripp is a person who is not afraid to share stories of his past about being a stockbroker and the days when he was not quite as fit as he is today. One thing is for sure he is certainly not afraid of the present or future.

He admits openly that this not just an ordinary spin class but would never concede that the reason for the class being an experience unmatched by any other is due to any of his doing.   Together as a class we are discovering that all have some connection. Whether it’s that we went to the same University, or that we share the same triathlon goals, it is our job to discover that “one degree of separation.”  The camaraderie between teacher and students in this class is quite unique and each class no matter what hour and location has a way of taking on a life of its own. The class that takes place at six in the morning in Woodbury can be described as a serious group. This is opposed to the later 8:30AM class where Tripp opts to play Disco music and on one particular day a classmate handed out tambourines so they could all play along.  

With all of life’s stresses and time consuming work, it is amazing to feel your adrenaline go off the charts, even if it is only for one moment, just like the thought of actually, jumping out of a plane.

I would like to thank Jonathan Tafarella for editing assistance and Jack Briant whose inspiring writing on the TrippDoherty.com blog captures the essence of the weekly spin class highlights.