Looking for a new fitness routine or studio? Have questions about nutrition supplements, GLP-1 medications, hormone replacement therapy, adaptive fitness or the emerging science of psychedelic-assisted therapy in mental health? You can find all that at the Colorado Springs Health and Fitness Expo on Aug. 22-23. But the annual event, now in its third year, is about much more than exercise, nutrition and wellness trends.
Founder Sandi Griffin has spent 20 years as a professional fitness and wellness coach, working with Olympic athletes and Special Forces as well as everyday people. For her, the Colorado Springs Health and Fitness Expo is about creating a place where all people feel connected, supported, informed and valued, no matter where they are on their physical and mental health journeys.
The fitness-focused community expo grew from Griffin’s deeply personal experiences with mental health struggles, suicide prevention and a desire to connect people with life-saving resources. And the gathering is designed to combine health, fitness, mental wellness, education and personal connection in one place.
We spoke with Griffin recently about the inspiration behind the event, why difficult conversations matter, and what attendees can expect this year. Here are highlights from our conversations, edited for length.
Please note: This dialogue includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org.
Springsmag: What inspired you to start the Colorado Springs Health and Fitness Expo?
Sandi Griffin: It actually began because we were a military family overseas for 17 years and no strangers to suicide in the military community. But shortly before we moved to Colorado Springs, one of our children attempted suicide, and shortly after we moved to the Springs, another one of our children attempted suicide.
Also, one of my clients called me in the middle of the night with suicidal ideations and a plan, and when I was helping that person, I recognized that I didn’t know where to find the resources. It was 2 o’clock in the morning, and I was trying to find resources for suicide prevention to get her help. There are a ton of resources in the community. But I didn’t understand what they were, where they were located or what services each one provides.
Being a mother who almost lost two of her children, I don’t want anybody to ever have to go through that. As a fitness coach, it’s no secret that mental health and physical health go hand in hand. It just seemed like a very natural thing for me to do to serve my community — to bring people together with health and fitness, which is really fun, but also including the serious topics of suicide prevention and suicide awareness.
Your connection to this issue is obviously very personal. How are your children doing today?
Luckily, both of my children are amazing humans today, and they’re thriving individuals. They just had a moment of crisis, but it could have gone several different directions, and I’m really glad that it ended up the way it did.
For people attending the Colorado Springs Health and Fitness Expo for the first time, what should they expect?
It’s not going to be what they expect — it’s so much more.
Because of the mental health platform that we’re standing on, we want to make people feel seen and heard when they walk through the door. This isn’t transactional. This isn’t sales pitches. This isn’t a typical trade show or expo they may be used to. This is experiential. This is real conversations. These are people that truly care about them as community members and want them to be healthy in all regards, and they want them to have fun.
It’s very family friendly. It’s inclusive of all of our communities, including our adaptive community and our Pride community. We just want to make sure it doesn’t matter if they’re starting their fitness journey, or they are taking their fitness to the next level. There is something for everybody and everyone should feel welcome, included, and seen and heard.
What are some of the panel discussions you’re most excited about this year?
We definitely approach this event as being unapologetic and having conversations that a lot of people are afraid to have.
One of our panel discussions is led by Cass Walton, the executive director of Pikes Peak Suicide Prevention Partnership, and she’ll be talking about how human connection is crucial to suicide prevention.”
We’re really excited to expand what started as a mental health conversation last year and is growing into its own conversation this year: the use of psychedelic medications and the treatment of mental health, specifically severe PTSD, anxiety and drug addiction. We want to make sure that people are informed and have fact-based information from experts in that field that can really share some good solid information. We want to make sure they have all the factual information, so they can make an informed decision for themselves and their family members.
Why is it important to discuss emerging treatments, even when they’re controversial?
When somebody hears the word psychedelic, most people mind’s go to like a bad ’70s acid trip. That’s what I thought of when I first started learning about it. But these medicines are so powerful. There have been decades of research done on these things. It was just kind of silenced for a while, and now it’s really coming back because of our mental health crisis in the United States.
Some of the traditional therapies that people have tried aren’t necessarily hitting the mark. There are other options available, but we want to make sure that you understand these. They’re not perfect for everyone. They’re not made for everyone, but they could be something that could be life-changing for someone.
The expo also includes some lighter activities, like Zumba and Pound Fitness demos. And tell us about the puppy yoga.
You’ve heard of goat yoga, but there’s also rescue puppy yoga. We have an amazing yoga instructor, and she has a heart for this organization that does rescue puppies. They will have the rescue puppies out. She’ll do a yoga class. You get to play with the puppies and get some good exercise and relaxation and stretching at the same time.”
And for anyone wondering whether they’ll actually get much yoga done?
It’s a lot more puppy than it is yoga most of the time.
How do you view the current health and wellness landscape in Colorado Springs?
We have a lot of work to do as far as the mental health of our city is concerned. Suicide ranks third for the cause of death for teens nationwide. In El Paso County, it’s the number two cause of death for teens. At the same time, we rank really high in the nation for physical health. We are a state that offers year-round sports. We are Olympic and Paralympic City USA. We have a huge number of outdoor enthusiasts.
It’s kind of this weird conundrum that the state of Colorado is in. On one regard, we’re setting the example. In another regard, we have so much work to do.
But I truly believe that if we come together as a community and work together and support each other, we can change that. Our numbers have started dropping. Last year, there was a fairly significant drop in our suicide rates, which is really encouraging.
What stands out most about the Colorado Springs health and fitness community?
There’s so much collaborative partnership happening. It’s so fun and rewarding to see different gyms and trainers and organizations and mental health organizations working together.
One of our missions is to pull together and spotlight these amazing things that are happening in our community, and all the collaborative work that’s happening between businesses and organizations in our community. Most of our partners, businesses, sponsors, our community and city partners truly believe that we are stronger together.
When people leave the Health and Fitness Expo, they’re going to go, “That was different.” And it’s because we work with people who truly believe that we do better together. We’re stronger together, and we can do more together.
How to Attend the Colorado Springs Health and Fitness Expo
When: Aug. 22-23
Where: Great Wolf Lodge
Details, Schedules, Tickets: cosfitnessexpo.com
