DBK Strength celebrated the grand opening of its first studio on Saturday, September 12, welcoming about 50 women, family members, and neighbors to 1249 Cocoa Avenue in Hershey. The day started with a ribbon cutting held in partnership with the Hershey Partnership and the Greater Harrisburg Chamber of Commerce, followed by an open house with food, music, and local vendors, a workshop called Debunking the Deadlift, and a deadlift party where women of every experience level came to lift or to cheer. For owner and head coach Becky Dugan, it was the day a dream she started chasing in 2023 finally had an address.

The women who train at DBK Strength are mostly in their 40s and older. Many arrive after a doctor's appointment that ended with "you need to get stronger," or a diagnosis of osteopenia or osteoporosis, wanting to keep up with their kids and grandkids and stay independent for the long haul. DBK Strength is not a weight loss business. It is a place where women build real strength so they can participate fully in the lives they want to live. The moment Dugan did not see coming that day came from two former clients who have become close friends and drove all the way from southern Maryland to be there, one of them as a surprise. "I cried," she said. "That is what this studio is really about."

Dugan's message is a simple one. When we get strong, we say yes to the hike, yes to the trip we have always wanted to take, yes to the new adventure, and when we don't, our world shrinks and we start to say no. You can learn more about the studio at www.dbkstrength.com. This is the studio she always wanted, and it is finally home.