Jean- A Client Journey and an Important Lesson in Facing Adversity

Mike Collette • December 17, 2020
A woman wearing a hat and sunglasses is sitting in a chair.
Jean Hanks is an OG Prototype member. She first joined when the gym opened, back in September of 2012. On day one she came home feeling old and defeated thinking she would never go back.  It was too hard. On day 2 she found herself back at the facility. Her competitive nature dared her to give it another shot. After that second workout, she was HOOKED. 
 
Since then Jean has participated in every program Prototype has to offer ( personal training , CrossFit , Nutrition coaching ) and says it is like a second home. When she tore her ACL and had to have surgery the community and the Coaches support became important. Each Friday Jean would be at Prototype doing her physical therapy with Coach Jesse. She notes how nice and generous he was for doing it at the facility so she could be with her friends. It was her happy place.
 
Then everything changed. Jean got the diagnosis of Cancer at the end of 2014 and her world turned upside down. She was afraid of how this would change her fitness and needed Prototype to be her “strong place”. She emailed all the Prototype Members to let them know what was going on. She requested that they treat her as normal and urged them not talk about the Cancer at the facility. This HAD to be her happy and strong place. She showed up throughout her treatments knowing that strength would help her recovery.
 
Year after year Jean works at her fitness, overcoming obstacles and adversity. When Covid hit she was once again SCARED that she would lose her fitness. Come March, Jean was on vacation in St. Marten. She remembers thinking, “ OH NO, I’m going to come home and the gym will be closed . I will lose everything I worked so hard for.” BUT when she returned home she transitioned to all the virtual options the gym set up. She never skipped a beat.
 
Many memories of camaraderie, friendship, hard work and happiness floor her mind. What she always remembers, in particular, is the owner, Michael Collette. When the gym first opened he worked around the clock. He was always striving to grow and build an amazing community. Jean is a #1 fan of Prototype!
 
Last year she began taking THRIVE classes when that program launched. She has been a devoted THRIVER since and has hardly missed any workouts. Her biggest success this year is her consistency with THRIVE. Her advice? – Just show up and do what you can do. With a year of Thrive under her belt Jean has accomplished some awesome workouts. She loves seeing everyone and has seen tremendous results and improvements with stamina! 
 
Jean also joined Prototype Empowered in July. Empowered is a program that helps women build strength and self-confidence. She has said that she is finally becoming at peace with her body and is developing a better self-image. She loves that Prototype not only helps her fitness but her mind and her emotions. Jean hasn’t missed Empowered since it began and has been a pioneer in pretty much every single one of our programs. Take a lesson from Jean! 
  • Try new things
  • Be consistent
  • Be ready to learn
  • Be present
  • Be willing to start again…and again and again. A beginners mindset with all things.
  • Take advantage of all your gym has to offer!

What’s next for Jean? Jean has planned to row a half-marathon this coming Fall with Coach Leah and other members. This is out of her comfort zone but Jean is ready to take on the challenge!

We are so proud of you Jean and can’t wait to see you crush the year of 2021!

Previous Blogs

By Mike Collette December 30, 2025
Greg is an amazing part of our community — consistent, encouraging, and ready to get after it. He truly represents what the PTS community is all about. Prototype of the Month is well deserved! Below, he answers a few questions about his time at PTS. Share your experience at Prototype—favorite memories, moments, or stories or what’s your favorite part/what do you look forward to? I definitely look forward to that feeling of clarity after finishing up a workout. I feel ready to tackle the rest of the day. Sometimes I have trouble getting mentally ready for a tough looking metcon, but I always feel better afterwards. Who at Prototype has made the biggest impact on you and why? All the coaches and members are great, I look forward to seeing everyone when I am there, but the person who has made the biggest impact is Bridget Owens. She is my motivation and always pushes me to keep going and push myself to get better. What are your hobbies and activities outside the gym? I love cycling and mountain biking, the workouts at prototype have definitely helped improve my fitness so that I can do better on the bike even though I don’t get out as often as I would like. Also spending time with my family, grilling and BBQing when the weather is nice and getting to the beach in the summer. How has Prototype helped you or solved a problem for you? Prototype has helped enormously with my level of anxiety, I was really struggling when we first moved into town, the community and workouts at Prototype have been a life saver for my mental health. What are your current fitness goals? I want to get better at gymnastics, maybe get some toes to the bar. Favorite Quote Two Quotes: “Bone on bone, stack it” -Jon “Activate the lower half” -Brian
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By Mike Collette December 2, 2025
Devon is a fantastic part of our community — always kind, coachable, easy-going, and consistently putting in the work. She shows up, supports others, and truly represents what PTS is all about. Prototype of the Month is well deserved! Below, she answers a few questions about her time at PTS. 1.) Share your experience at Prototype After what felt like an entire year of sitting during grad school, I knew I wanted to be more active. I came back to Prototype, and it was the best decision. I’ve made so many new friends here who make every class fun (no matter how tough the workout is) but my favorite moment has to be meeting my boyfriend Ed! 2.) What is your favorite part about being at Prototype? I used to do at-home workouts and always felt like something was missing. When I came to Prototype, it felt like I finally found that missing piece, the community! It truly makes a huge impact. Everyone here genuinely wants the best for you. 3.) What are your hobbies and activities? If I’m outside, I love playing pickleball, skiing, and going for walks. And if I'm inside I enjoy crocheting, reading, or baking! 4.) How has Prototype helped you or solved a problem for you? Prototype has shown me that if you put your mind to something, you can truly do hard things. I also know I will always feel better after going to the gym. Sometimes the hardest part is just getting in the car, but I never regret it once I’m there. 5.) What are you continuing fitness goals to this point? To get some form of movement everyday and to one day get a pull up. 6.) Favorite Quote “Laughter is timeless, imagination has no age, dreams are forever.” -Walt Disney
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