This article was previously published on CambridgeToday.

Chelsi Rodrigues didn’t like working out.

In high school, she’d go to the extent of pretending to forget her phys-ed class clothes to avoid participating.

But all it took was the belief of one teacher to shift her outlook and set her on the path of healthy living. Now, she wants to help others discover their potential through her business, Whole Health Strength & Fitness on Water Street.

“I was overweight so I got bullied a lot and because I wasn’t active, I didn’t want another thing to be bullied about,” Rodrigues said of her hesitation to get involved with physical activities.

“This phys-ed teacher inspired me. I wasn’t going to go gym class one day because it was a run outside. She made me, she stayed by my side the entire time and I was the second in the class to finish the run. I had crazy endorphins.”

The feeling she had after the class prompted almost immediate change.

She took the summer to focus on personal growth and began working out regularly, eating healthy and spending more time in nature.

“That day with that teacher, I remember thinking to myself ‘I want to inspire people the same way she did,’” Rodrigues said.

After gaining her certification and working at a couple of gyms in the area as a fitness instructor, she began to realize the sales side of corporate gyms was taking away from her passion of helping people.

So, she decided to give it a go on her own and created Whole Health Strength & Fitness.

With the five year anniversary of the business approaching, Rodrigues is planning an event on June 29 on lower Main Street to celebrate.

Throughout the day there will be free 30-minute workouts taking place outside. A seminar on balance, live music, a bouncy castle for kids and various health vendors will also be set up on the street.

By sharing her personal story and putting on an event where people can give working out a try, Rodrigues hopes to make a positive impact on the health and wellness of people in the community.

“Find something that you like,” she said of how to get started.

“Any form of activity is going to help you, whether that’s walking or going for hikes, doing cardio, just something. If you get your foot in the door and try something to build confidence and observe what other people are doing, you’ll feel more confident to try new things.”