Athena Fitness and Wellness is an Olympia-based gym centered on women’s holistic health. Owner and operator Tiffany Jones opened Athena in 2020 with the mission to “redefine woman-focused fitness and build community through action and education about what it means to love our bodies and live our best lives.” Three years later, Athena is a thriving community offering not only fitness classes, but dance workshops, nutrition and health coaching, massage therapy, and salt and sauna rooms.
“To me, wellness means that we look at health holistically . . . It’s about what we eat, how we sleep, self-care and nervous system support, and the quality of our social connections,” says Jones.
With group classes led by certified personal trainers, Athena is a great fit for all levels of fitness and weightlifting experience.
“What I love about Athena is that it is a safe place. The gym space can be intimidating but at Athena it’s not all about gains and personal records but more about conversations and connection,” says Nikky Castillo, an Athena member who was inspired to also become an instructor. “My role as an instructor is not something I take lightly and it has taught me the power of our words and community, and with that, we’re unstoppable.”
Athena offers a range of Les Mills programs, from weightlifting-focused Bodypump to high intensity, 30-minute bike sprint classes akin to spin, to calming and centering yoga and pilates. Class times range from 5:30am to 6:30pm and vary from 30 minutes to an hour, making catching a class accessible for all schedules. Athena also hosts open gym hours between classes for members and community-building events.
“Athena is such a special place. It’s different from other gyms because our mission is to build community and we are using fitness and wellness to do it. That sense of community is felt right when you walk in,” Jones says. “We are also opting out of diet culture and messaging that says our fitness should be tied to weight loss and instead we seek to tie it to how we feel, what it allows us to do, and using it as a tool to genuinely care for our body.”
For Additional Information
Athena Fitness and Wellness
athenapnw.com
BY KIYOMI KISHABA