We’re getting married!

Interview by bridesmaid: Kimberly Pruitt I recently sat down with Kiah and Korrey, better known as K2 Power. They are the owners and operators of the non-profit organization Empowerd Health, as well as award winning body builders. They spoke with me about their business, their relationship and how they maintain their wholeness.

Korrey: We met at the gym. She was mean to me. Kiah: *laughs* Korrey was in my area, and I don’t like that. You know how when you work out, you want your space? There was plenty of open areas in the gym but he comes right to where I’m working out and using the machine next to me. Korrey: *laughs* I just wanted to tell her that I thought she was doing a good job. But she wasn’t having it. After that, we would kind of see each other around different places, at the gym and at the grocery store and we would flirt and what not. One day we ran into each other at the grocery store. Kiah opened up an entire bag of rice cakes and started eating them in the store! *laughs* I had never seen anything like that. That’s that Sag-Nasty stuff*!” *(Korrey is referring to Kiah’s hometown, Saginaw, MI which is nicknamed Sagnasty because of high crime and poverty rates. Others view the nickname “Sagnasty” as a positive, meaning that if you’re from there, you possess a grit and toughness)* Kiah: I fully intended on buying the rice cakes. Korrey: But who opens up food and eats it around the store? Kiah: *laughs* Lots of people! Korrey: Yeah, okay. Anyway, I asked her if she wanted to go bowling. I was like, “if you like it and have fun then okay and if you don’t, then oh well and we’re good. No hard feelings.

Kiah: I just wanted a free date! *laughs* But no, I went and we had a really good time. From there we casually dated for about seven months until we became official. Korrey: We were exclusive in those seven months. Kiah: Yes, we only dated each other, but we didn’t want to become official until we really knew each other and knew if this thing could work. You know, I needed to feel him out, meet his family and what not. Korrey: I brought her to thanksgiving. Kiah: Yeah, and he was a real gentleman and I wasn’t used to that. That southern hospitality is something and it got me *laughs*. At first, I was like why are you opening my door? I can open my own door. I’m not weak! Now, I wait for him to open the door. Dating Korrey was a big change from the guys I dated up north.

Kiah: I would say our similar backgrounds. We had the same upbringing, even though he’s from the south and I’m from the north. We were both raised in two parent households and our parents are still together. We were both raised Christian so we have the same morals and values. Korrey: We both agree on how a marriage should function because of our similar background. We agree on what marriage and family and parenting should look like. And we do a a lot of things to prepare for marriage. Kiah: Yes, like right now we’re reading a really good book together, Marriage Made Easy. We read a lot together.

Korrey: Honestly, I communicate with Kiah. I think that’s one of the major things I do to maintain my wholeness. I look to talk to her about different things to get her perspective and we pray about it. Like anything that happens, I’m like, I got to talk to Kiah, and this is new for me. Usually I’d talk to someone else about things before I’d talk to my spouse. But now I talk to Kiah about everything and that is a part of what makes me whole. OH WOW. THAT’S AWESOME. KIAH, YOU'RE TURN. Kiah: How can I respond after that? *laughs* YEAH, THAT WAS PRETTY GOOD. Kiah: His birthday is coming up, I’d just like to mention that. He’s trying to get a good gift. *laughs* Korrey: *laughs* Not even. Kiah: Yeah, yeah. But seriously, for me, maintaining my routine is a big practice of maintaining my wholeness. If my routine is thrown off, everything is thrown off. I have to wake up, read my word, cardio, etc. Everything is checks and balances and I need that.

Kiah: Well you know I’ve always had an athletic background.* *(Kiah was a basketball and track star in high school and went to the University of Toledo on a track scholarship).* Kiah: So fitness was always apart of my life, but I really didn’t focus on it seriously until I began bodybuilding. That’s when I began to learn about nutrition and began focusing on what I was actually putting into my body. Before, I just worked out and ate whatever I wanted, and I stayed in shape, but when I began to focus on nutrition, that’s when my body really began to change.

Kiah: Honestly, it was my desire to compete. I played competitive sports all my life and after college I was like okay, I need to find something to compete in. That desire wasn’t being fed, and one of my cousins, who is a body builder, suggested I try it. She was like, “I think you’d be really good at this,” so I gave it a try and I really liked it. It fed that desire I had to compete. WHAT ABOUT YOU KORREY? HOW DID YOU GET INTO FITNESS? Korrey: Well, I was pretty athletic in high school - Kiah: *giggles* You have to see his transformation pictures. Korrey: What? *laughs* You know I was pretty athletic in high school. But really, it was a bad relationship that got me into fitness. I used it as an outlet and eventually, the more time I spent working out, the more I began to enjoy it. I began to like coming home sore. I didn’t really take it serious until I was living in Germany.* *(Korrey served in the U.S. Army and spent time living in Germany)* Korrey: While I was there, I needed some more money and fitness is a universal language. I didn’t have to speak German to help people get in better shape. So, I got a certification and began learning more about how the body functioned and seeing how muscles grow. I really began to study the human body and like, okay what happens when you do this? And how quickly can you grow this muscle? Eventually I became an Exercise Physiologist under the german system. WOW. AND KIAH YOU ARE…? Kiah: My professional title is Wellness Coordinator.

Korrey: Well first, the name is misspelled on purpose Kiah: Yes, it came from our name K2 Power. Korrey: One day, I was typing things up for the business, and you know how when you’re typing, and you're in the zone? Well I misspelled empowered and when I went to fix it, I was like hey, I kind of like this. It’s different, and we just rolled with it. But, Empowerd Health is a startup healthcare/fitness company in Augusta, GA focused on empowering people to live a healthier, more fulfilling and more rewarding life. Our desire is to bridge the gap between therapeutic movements and fitness in our clients so they can have a healthier lifestyle through exercise and fitness measures. Kiah: Empowerd Health’s mission is to empower veterans and individuals to live a healthier and empowered lifestyle by using exercise and corrective wellness measures. Specifically, Empowered Health will provide services centered at helping clients with Osteoporosis, Diabetes, Hypertension (High Blood Pressure), Low Back Pain, and Overall wellness management. Our vision is to get individuals moving the right way.

Korrey: Well, we both work in fitness. We actually work for competing companies... DO THEY KNOW THAT Kiah: No, they don’t. Well his does, mine doesn’t, but it doesn’t really matter at this point.* *(Kiah learned recently that her company is closing) Korrey: And at our companies they are all about the bottom line and bottom dollar. It’s all about money, whereas we actually care about people’s health, and we saw a need around here that wasn’t being met. We met a lady and she was talking to us about her non profit and we thought, hey this sounds like something we can really do because we’re both really passionate about helping people change their lives. We chose to focus veterans because I was a veteran and I’ve seen how the injuries leave people virtually handikap and how they are just given pills as a coping mechanism, and I want to help combat that. I want to get them off meds and show them other practices to regain their mobility. But our business will be open to all, just the funding is geared toward veterans. Kiah: Yes, and our business will focus on osteoporosis and functionality. Korrey: We chose those two things because we notice those are big issues that people can really change if they had the right resources. We actually wanted to do two different things, but then we combined them into one. Kiah: He wanted to do osteo and I wanted to focus more on health education. We just molded those two things into one big plan. Korrey: And we really consider it a vision from God. Nobody else in the city of Atlanta does this, so we knew that we had to get started. But we will actually be starting in Augusta, GA because of non compete clauses and there is a big veteran community there. Kiah will do the organizing and I’ll work more with clients. Kiah: Yes, he loves people. *LAUGHS* YOU LOVE PEOPLE TOO. Korrey: Kiah can only people in increments. Kiah: *Laughs*

Korrey: We hope they will gain mental stability - faith. You know faith that they can live better lives and be mentally strong. We don’t want them to come in broken, but if they do, we want to them to receive something beneficial to their life. That’s why functionality is our focus. We want our clients to get off medication, get rid of walkers, learn how to eat, and make better decisions. It all boils down to choices, and we want to help with that. WHAT ARE THREE LIFE TIPS YOU’D BOTH GIVE ANY PERSON YOU MET? Korrey: Make conscious decisions. You decisions matter so much, so really put thought and effort into your choices. Kiah: Control what you can control. Don’t focus on things you have no power to change. That will drive you crazy. Korrey: And take it one day at a time - life is a marathon, not a sprint. THAT’S GREAT YOU GUYS AND I WANT TO THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH FOR SITTING DOWN WITH ME. I’VE REALLY ENJOYED OUR CONVERSATION. Kiah: It’s our pleasure. Korrey: Yes, anytime. *Two weeks after our interview Korrey proposed to Kiah during a vacation to Disney World, surrounded by both of their families. Kiah said yes!