When someone as fit and accomplished as Nicole Hawker opens her
first-ever gym, you might think she’d call it No Pain, No Gain, or Good Luck Keeping Up with Me. An ACE Certified Personal Trainer and CrossFit Level 1 coach, Hawker, 50, has crushed half-marathons and the Richmond marathon. She’s a Prolyfyck Run Creww regular, Crossfit weightlifter, and certified yoga instructor. Oh, and she’s also mom to three adult children and countless foster children, holds a master’s degree in counseling, and, until last year, worked full time in social services.
But when the Charlottesville native opened her nonprofit gym in November 2022, she named it after her fitness philosophy: Heart & Soul Fitness with Nicole. “When we are emotionally and spiritually well, we have greater capacity to take care of ourselves physically and vice-versa,“ says Hawker.
A peaceful studio in the Cherry Avenue Shopping Center, Heart & Soul offers an inclusive space for fitness classes, coaching, and events open to all, regardless of age, athletic level, or ability to pay. “I was drawn to Cherry Avenue because of childhood memories,” Hawker says. “I wanted to be accessible to a community that may not have access to larger, more expensive fitness studios.”
Hawker also partners with the Women’s Initiative and Region 10 to provide women’s wellness classes, and this summer the gym hosted its first annual 5K community walk.
Whether you’re cranking out burpees or clearing your head, Hawker hopes you’ll find strength at Heart & Soul Fitness.