Fitness for all

“I was at a point in my life, in my gender affirmation exploration, where I realized that I was ready to be in my body—and I didn’t really know what that meant in an empowered way. I knew that I didn’t want to go back to this obsession with body image and weight and the real toxicity of that, but I wanted to feel present in my body,” McSpadden says. “My experience with powerlifting was transformative. I learned how to come into my physical self with attention and power.”

A diversity, equity, and inclusion professional at the time, McSpadden began taking on fitness clients on the side. As they were hearing more and more about clients’ and friends’ bad—sometimes even traumatic—experiences within the traditional fitness industry, a lightbulb clicked on.

“Bodies are political, right?” McSpadden says. “And different bodies moving through the world are impacted differently. It didn’t take too long for me to realize my relationship to movement and strength as a trans person, trauma survivor, neurodivergent person, and someone who is committed to body equity in general, that all of these factors could combine into a career. I thought, maybe this is one of the gifts I have to give to the world.”

In 2018, McSpadden struck out on their own, opening Positive Force Movement (PFM) in a converted garage space in Rochester, New York. Though PFM offers traditional strength and conditioning programs, McSpadden’s clients—ranging in age from 18 to 80—are generally interested in a more holistic approach to health and wellness, which can include education, herbalism, and mindfulness practices.

“Oftentimes movement is not the point,” McSpadden says. “It’s the catalyst for something much more expansive.”

In winter 2020, McSpadden prepared to expand to a larger space, but the pandemic effectively wiped out that plan. Instead, PFM moved completely online. Today, McSpadden’s wife, Christine, is part of the team, offering anti-diet nutrition services and accessible movement options as well as developing cool graphic design swag and custom PFM clothing.

The couple and their son recently moved to a 40-acre property in Brockport, New York. There, among the deer, toads, hawks, and hummingbirds, McSpadden hopes to build a new outdoor space for training and community events. McSpadden recognizes this is a growing field, and they are still learning. Currently enrolled in a master’s program for mental health counseling, McSpadden is also a 2022–2023 fellow of the National Board of Certified Counselors and is engaged in research on harm reduction–focused therapy for the LGBTQIA+ community.

While their road to acceptance and a fulfilling career has not been linear or easy, McSpadden says they are fortunate to have had so many mentors, friends, and supportive family along the way.

“My time at Andover included some of my first real, authentic friendships, where I was able to let myself be seen and be known and be clumsy and be weird,” says McSpadden. “That’s one of the things that's great about Andover—you don't have to fit into all the spaces, but you can find your people. I found them, and it was really powerful.”