I absolutely love what this pair of women have created for other women! Moving bodies, getting strong and forming community is what Village Fit is all about. I encourage you to learn more and try out a free week with Lo and Darcy! You won’t regret it.
Let’s learn a bit more about you two!
Lo: I’m Lo McArver, my husband is Phillip, and my daughter is Emsley (7). I’ve lived in Austin for 18 years. Grew up in Columbia, South Carolina.
Growing up I was a dancer and played sports, and was very active. But due to some trauma I struggled with addiction and homelessness. I got pregnant with my daughter and turned my life around.
I enjoy working out, reading, hanging out with my Mama friends and dance parties with my kid.
Darcy: I’m Darcy Edwin. My husband is Eddie (yes. His name is Eddie Edwin). We have 2 little boys, Dony (4) and Milan (2). We have a bulldog named Porter and a mastiff named Marchie. I’ve lived in Austin for 4 years, and I’m originally a Marine Corps brat, so I moved all over, but spent a lot of time in St. Louis, Missouri (where my husband is from), before moving to Austin.
I grew up playing sports and working out with my parents, and fitness has always been a huge part of my life. I love kettlebell training, hiking with my family, and making art.
Tell us about Village Fit:
Village Fit is a fitness community for moms and their kids. We serve both the Austin Mom community, as well as serve mamas everywhere with our online live coaching programming. We offer a place for mamas of all fitness levels, and in all seasons of motherhood, to come together with an array of classes, both kid-friendly (Crew Fit) and Mom-only (Solo Sweat).
We officially opened in Jan 2022, after the Mom-Fitness outfit we instructed for abruptly shut down. We had many moms that didn’t know what they were going to do, and they looked to us for help. We knew we weren’t done and we knew the moms, and kids, needed their community. So with 5 weeks notice, Village Fit was born.
Because we started our own entity, we do not have the performance limitations of other programs. It allows us, as coaches, to dive deeper into training modalities and take our programming to the next level so it is truly impactful for moms.
Our coaches all have Group Fitness Certifications from ACE (American Council on Exercise), and each coach brings their own expertise and passion to their class. Some of the other certifications our coaches carry: International Kettlebell and Fitness Federations, Functional Fitness Specialist, Barre, Yoga, Run Coach.
Additionally, Village Fit is not just a place you go to workout and sweat. The community is paramount for us. Our kids have the ability to run and play, workout with mamas, and socialize. We want the kids to have a great experience, because that helps moms have a great workout.
We are incredibly passionate about teaching moms because we know what it’s like to love your kids endlessly, and constantly put them first, only to realize you need something for yourself too.
Lo: before teaching I was just a mom. I had lost all identity and I was lonely. So the passion behind it was having a space for moms to come as they are, be who they are, judgment free, and to love the skin they’re in.
Darcy: I can completely relate to Lo’s answer 100%. Additionally, working out after kids is different. I used to be a gym rat and I would wake up at 4am and feel great all day because I got myself moving, and I challenged my body and mind first thing. You don’t realize what a luxury that is until you have kids and your schedule is bound to others. Making it possible for moms to get their workout, have their community, and feel good fills our cup.
Where do you see Village Fit in the next five years?
In the next 5 years we hope to have a deeper impact and reach more moms both in-person and online. The more we grow, the more we can offer- and that’s the ultimate goal. We want our coaches to continue their professional education and growth, so we can bring that to our programming. We’d love to have 2 classes every single day, so it works for more moms’ schedules. And we are setting our sights on connecting the Mom community together with other like-minded businesses both in Austin, and online, such as nutritionists, sleep consultants, doulas, and others. Something we are extremely passionate about and one of our major goals as we grow, is to help the low-income or moms in shelters, and provide fitness and community for all populations of mothers in austin. We want Village Fit to be part of the community, and to support the community.
What do you love about having a small business in Austin?
We absolutely LOVE having a business in Austin because of the people and places. We can sustain an outdoor program year round with limited weather interruption. There are so many amazing parks, playgrounds, and fun things to do here. And with the number of transplants, Austin also needs to have supportive communities for moms. Many of us don’t have family out here and become each-other’s emergency contact at our kids’ school, or drop off meals when someone is sick. The mom community in Austin is unparalleled.
Do you have any favorite local small businesses?
Le Bum Co is a local, mama-owned, online shop that we absolutely love! Le Bum offers cute clothes at affordable prices for the whole family, along with other merchandise and home goods. The owner prints her own clothing and has done all of our Village Fit attire. She also does small customized orders. Le Bum is a fabulous place to shop that everyone needs to check out!
We also recently had an amazing sleep consultant, Michelle Read, come talk to our Village. She has incredible resources and has been in the trenches of sleepless kids herself.
Do you have any promotions or upcoming events you want to share?
Yes! We do!
-We always offer a Free Week to try all classes
-We created and offer a free 3 part online workout video series for moms: Get Fit in 12 Minutes, helping moms get fit and stay consistent in their fitness through their busiest seasons of motherhood.
-Every Friday we host a FREE workout and playdate, Sweat and Play, at Garrison Park.
-Saturday, October 29th: Village Fit’s Halloween Egg Drop (free pop up class! Come in costume, bring 12 filled eggs per kid, and we will hide them around the park, and hunt for them after the workout)
-Our online membership will launch Jan 1, 2023
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go, why, how long would you stay?
Lo: I would go to a small countryside Villa in Italy. It looks beautiful and peaceful, and I’d love to experience the culture and food.
Darcy: I want to go to Croatia. We are supposed to go next year, and I’m hoping it happens! My mom’s side of the family is from Croatia, and I grew up with my Nana telling us stories about her home country, and leaving on the last ship out before the Nazi’s arrived. It feels like I grew up hearing about such a different life experience, from one of my closest relatives, and I want to pay homage, in a weird way.