The biggest surprise in regards to the birth of Lennon Gray Garrity was that her name wasn’t Rainbow or Sunshine or Meadow or something in between. Her parents were born hippies, raised hippies, grown into hippies, free spirits through and through that followed the ways of the land and the earth around them and nothing more, nothing less. Carson Garrity and Elsa Tortoricci practiced love together but never marriage, and as Lennon grew, she learned from them that unity wasn’t formed or defined by the metal ring that some chose to wrap around their fingers. The two were together, but apart, and it was due to their happy separation yet undeniable togetherness that Lennon developed most of her memories.

She was born in Corona Del Mar, California, but traveled to San Diego at a young age to run around on the beaches of Coronado and learn how to surf before she hit six. She was given freedom, as a child, and developed a fondness early on for finding her own sense of self without the guidance of her parents’ helping hand. She continued on with studying movement in the form of dance and gymnastics, always leaving surfing to the side until she was given the option to relocate to Seattle in the fall of 2001. Though it held nothing similar to the life she’d known in Southern California, it was a breath of fresh air and as far as Lennon was concerned, when she was given an opportunity to change with the wind, she was going to take it. So off to the cold she went and though the culture shock was undeniable, she made the transition with ease. Despite her gawky appearance and awkwardly klutzy demeanor, Lennon worked her way into a group of friends that accepted her quirky charm.

Years and college went by and though her degree in physical therapy was useful enough, her passion and excitement for the subject was something that dwindled quickly. Instead, the body became her focus, and her full-time, well-paying gig turned more into stints here and there, teaching cycling classes where and when she could until she’d developed a following that admired her and adored her for her flashing lights, loud cheering and hard beats. The following loved her enough to remain loyal, too, when Lennon took the brave move to open Spin Cycle, her own spin studio, that as of 2012, has been churning out good reviews and sweaty human beings on the regular.