From endurance athletes to weekend warriors, these inspiring individuals share how they stay fit, focused, and thriving. Discover their strategies for strength, balance, and lifelong wellness.
TRUDI AHART
The Cliffs at Keowee Springs
Tell me about your fitness trajectory.
It’s funny because I always detested exercise. And now I’m such an advocate! When I was in high school, I had a grumpy PE teacher who failed me because I wouldn’t run as fast as he wanted. And I was super uncoordinated with ball sports. So I started hating exercise. But once we began having kids, I started exercising off and on. Just as I got into a routine, I was thrown off a horse and broke my back. After that, exercise became something I had to do. When you injure yourself, you realize the only way back is through strength. And the only way to not reinjure yourself is to maintain that strength.
What do you focus on the most?
I’m trying to keep my back strong so I can enjoy my life, enjoy my grandkids, and be productive in my day. My main focus is to not get hurt. I am hypermobile, so it’s super easy to overdo it. When I was training for a marathon, the endorphin high got so addictive. I ended up with a stress fracture in my pelvis and didn’t get to run the marathon. I started water jogging in a deep pool, so there was no stress on my bones or joints. I began to look at other ways to push myself without getting injured.
What’s your weekly fitness regimen now?
I use the Keowee Springs Wellness Center religiously, five to six days a week. I don’t forgo it unless there is a really good reason. I do a lot of weight training. I find that is the best for me at this stage of life—building a stronger body and maintaining my metabolism. I work with [Wellness Director] Taylor Duckett through a fitness app that helps us customize a weekly workout plan. We typically do one or two days of cardio and core work, and the rest of the time I focus on strength. And I have a Pilates reformer that I try to use as often as I can.
How do you recover?
Swimming is a big part of my recovery. We have a lap pool, and in the summer, I swim laps and water jog. The water resistance is so beneficial for me. When it’s cold, I’ll just put on some leisure shoes and go for a long walk with my dog. I don’t bring my phone or AirPods. It’s a chance to check in with nature and with what’s going on in my neighborhood. And sleep is critical. I have a routine at night to set myself up for good sleep. Talk to me about nutrition and diet. Nutrition is huge for me. My grandson has some health issues, and it has propelled us to look at food and diet differently. I go to my functional medicine doctor and have blood work done. The food we eat does not give us everything we need anymore, so supplementation plays a big part in how I think about wellness.
How does living at The Cliffs help you to be more fit?
It’s so convenient. When there are no obstacles, it is much easier to achieve your wellness goals. The clubhouse and wellness center are brand-new and so beautiful. And every community offers something different—Valley has an indoor pool, Keowee Vineyards has a Pilates reformer. And the staff is in your corner, cheering you on.
What does overall wellness look like for you?
I think you have to have balance. As much as I work out, I’m not going to let other areas of my life suffer. It’s nutrition, it’s sleep, it’s a holistic approach.
JEFF MOSER
The Cliffs at Mountain Park
What is your fitness regimen?
I work out to prepare for the sports I love to play. I’m at the Mountain Park Wellness Center early in the morning, six or seven days per week. I meet with my personal trainer every week for a wellness assessment and personalized exercise plan. Much of my wellness program is based on Eastern philosophy— breathing, flexibility, alignment, core, and strength.
What sports do you play?
I play tennis, golf, and pickleball, and I race SuperBike motorcycles. If there were a few more days in the week, I’d get back into hiking and mountain biking.
Why do you think The Cliffs is the ideal place to train?
The location is incredible. We live in such a beautiful part of the country where outdoor activity is available all year long. If it’s too cold to play golf in the winter months, then I play pickleball. That will get your blood warmed up! And I take full advantage of the professional sports directors at The Cliffs. Lead Golf Instructor Sean Kennedy is my golf coach. Adri Atkinson and Rebecca Weaver, both racquet sports professionals for The Cliffs, coach me in tennis and pickleball.
What is your favorite amenity at your wellness center?
Definitely the yoga room. I like to go in when the room is empty and spread out my mat, blocks, roller, Pilates ball, kettlebell, and bands. I like to look out the window and see the pond, the waterfowl, the golf crew preparing the course, and the morning dawn. I love living here.
What is the most important element of your wellness?
Movement is everything. Much of my workout is barefoot on my mat. Your feet are not two cinder blocks attached to your legs. When you walk, your feet absorb the energy from your stride and spring you forward in the direction you want to go. If the arch, muscles, and pliability of the foot are not performing this action in proper alignment, then you will have problems up the chain in the knees, hips, and spine. When I play golf, I walk— even at Glassy! My mantra is: The longer you walk and play golf, the longer you’ll play golf. And when I race motorcycles, my body needs to lean and move as one with the bike.
How do you recover?
A few years ago, I decided to be proactive about recovery. I added a personal trainer and weekly massage to my wellness regimen. The better your body is aligned and conditioned through exercise, and the better your muscles, tendons, ligaments, and fascia are massaged and in the proper place, the more ready you’ll be to hit the ball the next day.
How does nutrition play a role in your health?
Nutrition is so important! My wife DeAnn is also an athlete and fitness advocate. She researches and promotes healthy eating in our house. My last soda was over thirty years ago. I also think intermittent fasting is a great way to control calories and naturally leads to portion control.
What does overall wellness look like for you?
For me, true wellness is being fit enough to play the sports you love. I’m working to slow down the clock to enjoy these sports and movements for years to come.
DR. LORRI PERRY
The Cliffs at Keowee Falls
What is your daily fitness routine?
My fitness regimen includes a combination of cardiovascular training, strength training, and stability exercises. I think cardio is the most important element for me, specifically running. Running has more than just physical benefits. It is meditative and allows me to clear my head. It’s a time for me to be alone and recharge. It always improves my mood.
Do you compete in races?
I’m not doing competitive races anymore. In June I’m doing an event called 29029 Everesting. We will climb 29,029 feet—the vertical equivalent of Mount Everest—in thirty-six hours. It’s not competitive, but a personal challenge that will make me step out of my comfort zone.
Why is The Cliffs a great place to train?
I love running outside. We have gorgeous scenery and miles of nature trails right inside our community. The rolling hills push me to go a little harder when I run. Keowee Falls is full of fitness minded people. I am so impressed with how important wellness is to people in this community.
How often do you use the wellness center?
After my run, I always go to the wellness center to lift weights. I’m working more on stability and strength training. The sauna is my reward afterward. It helps relax my muscles and my mind.
How do you typically recover?
I try to stay in zone two [60-70% of your maximum heart rate] and then do sprint intervals throughout my workout to max out my VO2 [maximal oxygen consumption]. I drink plenty of water and stretch. And I always give myself a rest day to give my muscles a chance to recover.
What about mindfulness and mental health?
I feel my best—physically, mentally, and emotionally—when I’m exercising. Maintaining wellness is an ongoing journey, and I know I have to adjust my routine to accommodate life’s different stages. I also believe it’s important to continually challenge yourself, both physically and mentally, to promote longevity.
GEORGE HINCAPIE
The Cliffs at Keowee Vineyards
Tell me how you got into cycling.
I’m from New York. My parents are from Colombia, South America, and my dad was always really into cycling. My dad would take us out on weekend rides. We’d race in Central Park and Prospect Park. When I was twelve, I started winning a lot of races. When I turned sixteen, I was invited to the national team camp in Colorado Springs. I started going to Europe for a few months a year. Then I competed in the Tour de France seventeen times and was on nine winning teams. Incredible.
What does your fitness routine look like now?
I still ride all the time—four or five times a week—but not nearly like I used to. I play tennis and lift weights. I’m a more balanced athlete now. When you’re a professional cyclist, you’re pretty one-dimensional. All you do is ride a bike and everything makes you sore. But now I feel more functional and healthier.
Why is The Cliffs a good place to cycle?
We’re right in the mountains. I walk out our door, and there is gravel riding and mountain biking. The Jocassee Gorges has some fantastic routes with amazing views. Keowee Vineyards has a bunch of trails as well. And we have a really nice gym with tennis courts. It has everything I need.
How do you recover?
I take rest days and I stretch most mornings. But I don’t focus on it as much anymore because I’m not trying to perform at a hundred percent. I’m just trying to stay healthy and active.
How does nutrition play a role in your wellness?
I eat clean, simple foods. I also aim to eat fiber before a meal to minimize the glucose spike in my blood. Everybody has different protocols and ways that foods affect them, but I find that to be a helpful routine for me.
What is your take on overall wellness and mental health?
Everything revolves around your mental health. I think it’s all about gratitude. I am grateful for my family, my surroundings, and my health. We can take so many things for granted, but as soon as they’re gone, we see how important they are.
Tell me about the cycling program with The Cliffs.
I work with The Cliffs to host monthly rides for members with Bobby Julich and Christian Vande Velde who are professional cyclists as well. We have people at all different levels, some even on e-bikes, and we’ll ride around twenty-five miles or so. It’s been fun! I also host the Gran Fondo, a fall fundraiser ride, out of Hotel Domestique in Travelers Rest, and this year we raised almost one million dollars for the communities impacted by Hurricane Helene.
PAULA MITCHELL
The Cliffs at Valley
Tell me about your trajectory as an athlete.
Since 2005, I’ve competed in one self-supported ultra-stage race [a multi-day ultramarathon] every year. I’ve raced in the Sahara Desert, the Himalayas, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, the Atacama Desert in Chile, the Alps, the Rocky Mountains, and the Selkirk Mountains in Canada, to name a few. How incredible.
How do these races work?
In most of these races, the participants run 155 miles or more. Some are over five or six stages through really remote and extreme locations. We carry everything we need on our backs—a sleeping bag, clothes, medical supplies, and the freeze-dried food we’ll eat for the duration of the race. The only thing provided is water. And while we’re running during the day, the organizers set up tents for us at the end of each stage. The first four days we run about the length of a marathon each day. And on the fifth day, we run fifty or sixty miles to finish the race.
What is your training regimen?
Once I’ve decided on a race, I tailor all of my training to that location—to the terrain and the expected conditions. I break the eight months of training into four sections. First I build a mileage base. I do weights and yoga. After two months, I add hill climbing, sprint work, and uphill tempo runs to build strength and power. In the third section, I significantly increase my distances. I work up to comfortably running fifty miles at a time. In the last two months, I do back-to-back sessions with a weighted backpack. This year I’m going to race in Greece!
I would imagine The Cliffs is a good place to train.
It is like having seven different playgrounds with different terrains, different trails, and sometimes different weather conditions. If I’m training for a mountain race, I go over to Glassy. Or if I have a desert race, I run in the Lake Region during the summer.
What is your favorite aspect of the wellness center?
I think it’s the staff! They are so supportive and encouraging. They encourage every member—you don’t have to be some crazy stage runner. They meet everyone where they are.
How do you recover?
It’s important for me to be properly fueled so I can wake up the next day and do it all over again. During a race, the recovery times are usually condensed to twelve hours. So I use post-run recovery powders. And I stretch, I prop up my legs, I meditate.
How do you think about wellness overall?
I love doing these stage races, but it’s more important to me that I have a vibrant social life, that my mental health is in good condition, and that I stay active and involved in the community. It is so important to find ways to give back.
SCOTT EVANS
The Cliffs at Glassy
Tell me about your fitness trajectory.
I have always enjoyed sports. I started playing baseball at a young age and continued through college. I had a busy career that limited the time to do all the things I enjoyed. But I played racquetball and tennis and always found a softball team to play on in the evenings or on weekends. When I retired six years ago, I finally had time to pursue all the sports I love. Now I play softball, tennis, pickleball, and golf. I’ve started volunteering as an umpire for a little league team. And that’s an activity on its own—squatting down behind home plate 350 times a night.
What is your favorite sport?
I have played softball for forty years. It is my sanctuary. When I was working, it was my chance to get out on the field and forget about everything else. And I’m a huge baseball fan. I’ve been to every major league stadium in the country and just love the game.
What does a typical week look like?
I have a pretty set routine. Monday is gym day. I’ve been working with a personal trainer at the wellness center to optimize my time there. On Tuesday, I play tennis in the men’s league here, or I have practice with my softball group. We are part of a senior league, and I coach and play on that team. Wednesday is game day. We play teams from Upstate South Carolina, Western North Carolina, and Eastern Georgia— sometimes we even play double headers that start at ten o’clock in the morning. And most games are a couple of hours away. So that accounts for my Wednesdays from April until October. Thursdays are an ad hoc day. I try to play golf or pickleball, anything to be active. On Friday, I’m back to men’s tennis at Valley. On Saturday, there is always pickleball. And on Sunday, I’ve organized a men’s tennis group at Glassy.
Why is The Cliffs such a great place to be active?
The approach to wellness here is world-class, with such a variety of things to do to stay active and fit. And it’s an active community. When the Glassy golf course is closed on Mondays, everyone is out walking the hills.
How does all of this affect your well-being?
Certainly, mental health is so important. Being active and participating in sports plays a huge role in my mental well-being.
ALEXIS RESSLER
The Cliffs at Walnut Cove
When did you start to really get into fitness?
I played Division One field hockey at the University of Vermont. Following graduation, I was looking for other ways to be competitive. I did a couple of sprint triathlons with a borrowed bike and no wetsuit. And I enjoyed it! Then I got busy with my graduate studies to become a nurse practitioner and took some time off. After I was in [medical] practice for a couple of years, I joined the Army Reserve. At that point, I bought my first time trial bike, signed up for a Half Ironman, and qualified for the World Championships. That was in 2013. My field hockey coach connected me with a world-class triathlon coach, and I did my first full Ironman the following year. I’ve raced competitively around the world since then. I also competed on the Army’s triathlon team. Every four years, there is a Military World Games, which is the second biggest sporting event in the world, next to the Olympics. It was a great decade of racing.
How many Ironmans have you competed in to date?
I honestly don’t know. I think forty? I had a serious medical issue in May of 2021. I rallied and won a half Ironman that December, but the following March I started having knee issues. I realized I needed a partial knee replacement, and I couldn’t race anymore.
So you just stopped?
Well, not really. I did a six-mile open water swim in Charleston and hiked Mount Kilimanjaro. I also won the nine-hole Club championship here at Walnut Cove. I think I’ll always be an endurance athlete, but golf is really challenging! Then I had my knee replacement in October 2023. I’m working on leg strength and thinking about new goals right now. This year I’m going to swim around Key West, and I will hike the Rim-to-Rim trail. Then I’m going on a trek in Patagonia.
Unbelievable. What does daily training look like now?
Here in Asheville, you can be outside all year long. We can hike from our house to the Blue Ridge Parkway and get to the Mountain-to-Sea Trail. We have so much access to the outdoors. The golf course is three minutes from our house. It’s great to train here.
What is the most important element of your wellness?
I have a massage therapist I see every two weeks. It’s so important to have a team—a strength coach, a physical therapist, a massage therapist, a nutritionist, a sports psychologist, and a coach.
Talk to me about your recovery routine.
I rarely take a day off. The best thing I can do is a little bit of active recovery, like an easy spin or swim. And sleep. I’m an excellent sleeper!
What role does nutrition play?
I have a healthy appetite. I like to eat! Nutrition in a race is an entirely different conversation. It gets pretty complicated with calorie and hydration goals. During a race I rely on alarms to remind me when to eat and drink.
How do you think about overall wellness?
I am a psychiatric nurse practitioner, and my husband is a psychologist who specializes in Buddhism and mindfulness. So it is top of mind. When I’m engaged in a long activity, it is very meditative. When I swim, I just count. I really like training on my own because of that. My self-care is moving my body, sleeping, and getting outside. We live in such a beautiful place.
This story was featured in Cliffs Living magazine. To see more stories like this one and learn more about The Cliffs, subscribe here.
