Center Grove Magazine February 2022 by Towne Post Network, Inc.

FEBRUARY 2022

LOCAL COUPLES SHARE STORIES OF MEETINGS, PROPOSALS AND MARRIAGES

MAGAZINE

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There’s nothing we wouldn’t do for the health and well being of our fellow Hoosiers. But sadly, COVID-19 has tested the limits of what health systems can accomplish on their own. And now, almost two years into the pandemic — desire, expertise and modern medicine are simply not enough.

We need help. Your help. The situation is dire. We have more patients in our hospitals than we have beds. We’re converting available units into critical care wards, just to make room. And as you know, the entire healthcare industry is operating on a short staff, which means our caregivers are running out of steam. It’s a daily challenge to treat incoming COVID-19 patients, as well as those who suffer from strokes, heart attacks, car accidents, cancer and appendicitis. We need action. Right now. Here’s what you can do:

Get vaccinated. Get boosted. Get tested. Get masked. And please remember, if you have a mild case of COVID-19, call your doctor or go to a MedCheck/Urgent Care facility. Do not go to an emergency room, as we’d strongly prefer to save those beds for the very sickest and most in need of immediate attention. Our strength is in our ability to come together. And it is together, that we will finally see our way out of this.

4 / CENTER GROVE MAGAZINE / FEBRUARY 2022 / TownePost.com

A TOWNE POST NETWORK PUBLICATION

IN THIS ISSUE

FEBRUARY 2022

For advertising information, contact:

PUBLISHER FREDDA KOVACS fredda@townepost.com 317.402.3051

TOWNE POST NETWORK, INC. FOUNDER/CEO TOM BRITT tom@townepost.com 317.496.3599 PRESIDENT JEANNE BRITT jeanne@townepost.com 317.810.0011 PRODUCTION COORDINATOR ERIN TURK DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT JOSH BROWN CREATIVE DIRECTORS TONI EADS VAL HACKER GRAPHIC DESIGNER ROBBY BERRY COPY EDITOR JON SHOULDERS

Nhyira International Market Brings Flavor Variety to Greenwood

Local Couples Share Stories of Meetings, Proposals and Marriages

MORE THAN A MARKET

REAL-TIME ANALYTICS Scan the QR code to see this magazine’s real-time reach and distribution numbers.

VANESSA WAHL CHOSEN AS INDIANAPOLIS COLTS 2022 PRO BOWL CHEERLEADER

HOW I MET MY OTHER

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MORE THAN A MARKET NHYIRA INTERNATIONAL MARKET BRINGS FLAVOR VARIETY TO GREENWOOD Writer / Julie Yates Photographer / Brandi Caplinger

Owners Francis Okyere and Linda Dadzie-Okyere 6 / CENTER GROVE MAGAZINE / FEBRUARY 2022 / TownePost.com

hyira means “blessing,” and Francis Okyere and Linda Dadzie-Okyere, the husbandand-wife team who owns Nhyira International Market, both hope their recently opened food store will become a benefit for the Greenwood community. The market specializes in African and Caribbean grocery items, but also offers goods from other countries and cultures. In an effort to offer excellent customer service, they will track down hardto-find, specific items a patron is looking for. Francis and Linda are from the Republic of Ghana but didn’t meet until they were students at Indiana State University. They were introduced by a mutual friend from the African Student Union. Both had always planned to come to the United States to attend college and join family already settled here. “I remember my dad asking me what I wanted to do,” Linda says. “I told him I wanted to take care of people and be either a caterer or a nurse. I ended up being a nurse from 2003 to April of 2021. Since I have five children and my mother has health issues, I am now needed at home. I have always liked to cook for people. I cooked for people when they were sick and people ordered food from me. I wanted to turn my hobby into a business.” For a while the market conducted business exclusively online. It became evident that a brick-and-mortar site was needed. When customers come into the market looking for ingredients for jollof, a rice dish from West Africa, they can find the specific rice and goat meat needed. Since parts of Africa were colonized by Great Britain, items from England such as digestive biscuits are TownePost.com / FEBRUARY 2022 / CENTER GROVE MAGAZINE / 7

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“We appreciate all the support so far and feel the community has embraced us,” Francis says. “This is our home and life. Our kids go to school here. We are here to support the community and in turn we need their support. We are looking forward to growing, being a staple in the Greenwood and Center Grove community, and contributing to the melting pot and international experience.” Job #:

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At the present time Linda continues to cook for people who know her. Once the market takes off, she hopes to be able to serve food. She also hopes to create a recipe book filled with Caribbean and African dishes.

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“It took a while, close to a year, to find this site,” Linda says. “We wanted it to be around the mall. We had been praying about it when I drove past the sign. It was my birthday and I called and left a message. I got a call back within an hour and we saw the place the next day. It was already set up the way we wanted. Before we knew it we were signing the lease.”

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available. Caribbean spices and plantain chips, both sweet and savory, are also offered.

Nhyira International Market is located at 1001 North State Road 135, Suite B7 in Greenwood. For more info, call 317-7438138 or visit nhyiramarket.com.

8 / CENTER GROVE MAGAZINE / FEBRUARY 2022 / TownePost.com

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Great care starts here. TownePost.com / FEBRUARY 2022 / CENTER GROVE MAGAZINE / 9

LINK TO THE VIDEO OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT

VANESSA WAHL CHOSEN AS INDIANAPOLIS COLTS 2022 PRO BOWL CHEERLEADER Story & Photos Provided

Earning a space on the NFL Pro Bowl Cheerleaders Squad is the crowning achievement for any National Football League cheerleader. Out of hundreds of talented women, only one from each team is chosen. For Center Grove alum and Indianapolis Colts cheerleader Vanessa Wahl, that honor was bestowed in epic fashion during the December 18 Colts versus New England Patriots game. Initially presented as an in-game promotion with Vanessa presenting the prize, it was soon revealed that the prize, in fact, was for none other than Vanessa herself. Everyone’s attention turned to Lucas Oil Stadium’s video screens as Hannah Mueller, Vanessa’s Mother and former dance coach, delivered the exciting news via a pre-recorded video clip. The entire presentation was captured on video (which has since gone viral) and clearly displays Vanessa’s surprise and emotions.

“At first, I thought my boyfriend was proposing,” Wahl says. “Then I saw my mom on the screen and it started to sink in that something really big must be happening.” This is her fifth year as a Colts cheerleader and second year as a captain. “I truly love every aspect of the Colts cheerleading team,” she says. “I’ve had so many amazing opportunities to dance, get involved in the community and find a close-knit group of friends. My favorite takeaway is the relationships I’ve built. I’ve met my closest friends and found my coaches to be my mentors.” “I also really enjoy what this organization stands for. I believe in the charities they support and how personable they are.” Kelly Tilley, Director of Cheerleading for the Indianapolis Colts, explains the selection process for NFL Pro Bowl Cheerleader.

10 / CENTER GROVE MAGAZINE / FEBRUARY 2022 / TownePost.com

“Pro Bowl selection for our team is done by a team vote,” Tilley says. “The squad looks for someone who embodies our team’s values and who will best represent Colts Cheer at such a marquee event as the Pro Bowl.” “Not only has Vanessa dedicated a lot of time to Colts Cheer, but she also has a huge passion for this squad. She has been an integral part of our uniform design and leadership team. Vanessa is an incredibly talented dancer that can memorize choreography in less than 10 seconds but most impressive is the time she dedicates to being a good friend to her teammates.” ‘Hard working’ and ‘dedicated’ are traits echoed by Mueller. “I had the pleasure of being Vanessa’s dance teacher and dance team coach as she was growing up,” she says. “I was hard on Vanessa and made her earn her placement just like everyone else. She was hands down the hardest working dancer I ever had.” “Vanessa has high standards and expects the same from her teammates. She just makes everything better.” Preparation started shortly after the announcement. Dance routines and cheers were sent via email and are expected to be learned by the time the ladies arrive in Las Vegas, the location of the Feb. 6, 2022 Pro Bowl. “We have all made a group chat and are already having a blast!” Vanessa says. “Ever since my first season, when my captain became that years’ Pro Bowl Cheerleader, I have wanted it,” she adds. “Not for the title but for everything that it encompasses. I wanted to be a good teammate, strong performer, give back to my community, be a leader and pour my heart into this team and program. To have this vision come to life is something I’m very proud of. I hope I’ve made my team proud.”

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BO’S HAIR SALON Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photography Provided

1257 Airport Parkway Suite C Indianapolis, IN

317-999-8542

boshairsalon.com “I can’t compliment Bo enough for his work. His talent, skills and patience go far and above any other stylist I’ve ever been to. Five stars aren’t enough for him.” - Debbie Richards, a client of Bo’s

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The most common question Bo hears from clients when they step into his hair salon for a cut or color is, “What’s trending in the beauty industry?” The very nature of trends is that they change over time. That’s why Bo always answers in the most honest and thoughtful way he can.

“He’s a rare diamond,” Zach says. “So many stylists specialize in one thing such as highlighting but are not great at other services. Bo, however, is phenomenal at every single aspect - cutting, coloring and styling.” Not only do clients rave about his talent (as customer Sherri Marley says, “Bo’s an artist and hair is his medium”), but clients who move away, even far away, return to see him because they feel no one else compares. He’s got clients who reside in Hawaii, Colorado and Arizona who book appointments with him every few months, illustrating the level of trust his patrons have in him.

“My favorite trend is what’s natural and beautiful on you,” he says. “What looks good with your skin tone, your face shape and your hair texture - that’s what’s going to look best on you, and that’s what’s going to last the longest and be the most flattering. I really enjoy giving people soft, natural cuts and colors that complement Bo, who regularly pursues continuing them personally.” education classes, certifications and licensing to stay on top of what’s new “Our catchphrase is, ‘Hair is your ultimate in the industry, is happy that his clients accessory,’” adds his husband Zach, the call him an artist because that’s how he salon’s business manager. identifies. Bo’s clients appreciate that he takes the time to determine the most flattering cut, color or style for them. For those who have their heart set on a certain look, he can make their dreams come true. Balayage, the technique of painting highlights onto the hair to create a soft, natural gradation of lightness towards the ends, has grown in popularity in recent years and is one of his specialties. Bo, a seasoned stylist who has worked in the industry for 15 years, is also well-known for doing vivid fashion colors such as blues, purples and pinks.

“I absolutely love art,” he says. “I like to paint and sculpt and am also into science, so doing hair was a natural thing for me.” Bo’s Hair Salon is not your typical salon. For starters, though it’s 2,000 square feet, it’s not filled with 20 stylists, overlapping conversations and highoctane energy. Rather, there is just one chair and one stylist, Bo, making it a private, personal, professional experience. They have a 65” television screen so clients can watch a movie or

12 / CENTER GROVE MAGAZINE / FEBRUARY 2022 / TownePost.com

favorite show if they want. The salon stands out in another way as well. Bo and Zach care greatly about being environmentally responsible. Therefore, they use an entire line of shampoos, conditioners, styling products and styling aids that are 100% plant based. “There isn’t a single chemical in them,” Zach says. They also use organic, natural-ingredientbased color. In addition to being a notipping salon (the tip is built into the service price), there are no “men” and “women” haircuts. Rather, the service is based off of hair length. Bo charges by the hour as opposed to billing à la carte. Many salons will charge for, say, a balayage, then charge separately for a cut. If the balayage doesn’t turn out right, they’ll bill for the toner as well. “We don’t do that,” Zach says. “Whatever we have to do to your hair is included in the hourly price.”

app, so clients can schedule an appointment from the convenience of a smartphone.

All booking is done through the official website. Customers can book far out if needed, as Bo’s schedule is posted for the entire year. There’s also an online booking

“I can’t compliment Bo enough for his work,” says Debbie Richards, a client of Bo’s. “His talent, skills and patience go far and above any other stylist I’ve ever been to.

Five stars aren’t enough for him.” If you’re looking to transform your look, be pampered in luxurious style, or experience a stellar salon service after which you leave feeling great about yourself, book with Bo today.

TownePost.com / FEBRUARY 2022 / CENTER GROVE MAGAZINE / 13

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How I Met My Other

LOCAL COUPLES SHARE STORIES OF MEETINGS, PROPOSALS AND MARRIAGES

only I saw. I pulled it out while saying, “I can’t let you go through the night with salad in your hair.” That was the last I remembered from the night. Three months later I’m at the Vogue with my roommate and another friend. I see an attractive blonde girl and ask her to dance. She turns around and talks to her friends so I assume she rejected me. Really she was telling them the “Salad Leaf Guy” just asked her to dance. I had a nickname. She turned back around to me and we danced for hours, exchanged numbers and ended up getting married. At one point during small talk, I asked what her birthday was and she told me. I said “So is mine,” and she demanded I show my driver’s license to prove it wasn’t just a line. Shortly after we started dancing that evening at the Vogue, I asked if one of her friends wanted to dance with my roommate. She grabbed a friend and the two of them ended up getting married also. Love was in the air at the Vogue.

Story & Photography Provided

JIM AND DEBBIE WOLFLEY I went with a good friend to a Fiji fraternity party at Rose-Hulman, which in 1980 was all male at the time. Walking into the party room, two guys asked us to dance. Little did I know they were going “kamikaze,” which meant they asked the next two girls through

the doorway to dance. My husband likes to embellish this part with “even if she had two heads and three eyes.” We spent the rest of the evening together, dancing and talking. I was a townie and when I left the party, I blurted out my phone number and told him to call me. I then went home, woke my mother and told her I had met the man I was going to marry. We were engaged two months later and married in the summer of 1981. Forty years, three kids and five grands - and still dancing.

RYAN AND STEPHANIE ABBOTT My husband and I met in June of 2000. I was playing in my last eligible year for Center Grove Lassie League. Our assistant BRIAN AND CHERYL HARTMAN coach was dating a girl on the team, my best friend at the time, and said he worked with I’m Brian Hartman, a local ER doc. I met a guy I should meet. Ryan from Pittsboro my wife Cheryl, a local dentist, back in showed up at one of our games at the Lassie medical school. I was class president and she was interested in medical school, so she League for a blind date. The four of us went attended a student leadership dinner with a to Steak ‘n Shake after the game, me wearing friend and sat next to me. During the dinner, my dirty softball uniform. Our first solo date was a few days later at Applebee’s at the the waiter pulled her salad plate away and Greenwood Park Mall. We were engaged dropped a piece of lettuce in her hair that

TownePost.com / FEBRUARY 2022 / CENTER GROVE MAGAZINE / 15

September 22, 2006, and our engagement pictures were taken the summer of 2007 at the Lassie League, on the diamond where I was playing when we first met. We were married on September 22, 2007.

stepping in to connect us. We met standing in the Southwest Airlines boarding-pass line. We briefly chatted, long enough to tell him I lived in Maui, was visiting family in Indy, and that I was

sensation, a pause - a hesitation. I felt sort of breathless. I had to self-talk, “Mary, you’re not shy. Turn around and wave goodbye to that guy,” to get myself to turn around and wave goodbye. At the time I brushed it off that I was just nervous for my date (keep reading to see the real truth). I mustered up the courage, turned around and waved goodbye, and exited the aircraft. As I was looking for my date (pre-9/11, people could meet you at your gate), Mike came up behind me, handed me his business card and asked me to call him to let him know how the blind date worked out. The blind date was not a love connection. I headed to the airport the next day to try to catch an early flight. I had two hours to waste until my flight. This is where God steps in again. I tried to catch up on some phone calls but could not get cell phone reception. Remember, this was 2001. I decided to grab a drink. As I paid, in my wallet I saw Mike’s business card with a toll-free number (again, God. Mike wasn’t even a thought at the time). To relieve my boredom, I decided to call him from a pay phone. We chatted. Within two weeks he was traveling back to Indianapolis, only this time to see me. We spent two days together and then my parents took us both to the airport. This time he was headed to Omaha and I was headed back home to Maui. Despite dating across a four-hour time zone difference and 3,700 miles, we were married 18 months later.

MIKE AND MARY GRAHAM An airport love connection - with a twist. We met in January 2001, before 9/11. I’m originally from Center Grove but at the time was living in Maui. I came home to see my family for Christmas. During my visit home, I decided to fly to Chicago for a blind date. That’s where we met, at the Indianapolis International Airport. Mike lived in Omaha and was flying home after his business trip to Indianapolis. Chicago was his connecting flight home. Side note - Indianapolis was not his territory but he was filling in for a colleague. This was God

on my way to Chicago for a blind date. I really wasn’t interested because my focus was on the blind date. After we boarded the plane we didn’t even sit together, and we had the option because we didn’t have assigned seats. When the flight landed, before we exited the plane I turned to look behind me to wave goodbye. I had a weird feeling. My grandmother had a funny saying that “someone walked over her grave.” I never understood that saying until then. This was the best way to describe how I felt when I turned back to wave goodbye. It was a weird

One of the more interesting details of our love story is that after 10 months of dating, we realized we had been in the same place at the same time just two years before we met. When Mike brought me to Nebraska for the first time, he took me to one of his favorite pizza places in downtown Omaha. Walking up to the restaurant I said, “I’ve been here before.” I’ve lived in a lot of places because I was a contract, traveling respiratory therapist. When you live in so many places, things start to meld together - or so I thought. Once we got into the restaurant, I knew I had been there before. It was when I took a travel assignment in San Francisco. I was driving from Indy to my assignment, and the first place I stopped to eat was in downtown

16 / CENTER GROVE MAGAZINE / FEBRUARY 2022 / TownePost.com

John and Sarah Mandabach

Omaha. I’m driving 2,000 miles across the United States and this is where I stop? God again. It was this cool, rustic place and there were cobblestone streets all around. This is why I remember it so well. When I informed Mike that I had eaten there two years prior, that’s when he told me his friend owned it and needed help bartending over the holidays two years prior. Mike only worked Friday evenings because he had a full time job. Then it hit me. I left for California the day after Thanksgiving, which was a Friday. I was there during the evening. I remember thinking the bartender was cute. That’s when I realized it was him that I saw. We had been in the same place at the same time. I had seen him before, but I was so tunnelvisioned on going to San Francisco, I didn’t pay attention. God was like, “Hello Mary, look at this guy, would you?” I believe now that is why I had that weird sensation on the plane when I turned around to wave goodbye. My brain (or my heart) knew I had seen Mike once before - the man I was to marry. JOHN AND SARAH MANDABACH My girlfriend Sarah Baker and I jumped out of a perfectly good airplane on December 23, 2004, in Houston, Texas. Prior to the jump, I arranged to have a huge banner placed in the middle of the landing zone that read, “SARAH, WILL YOU MARRY ME?” She said yes. It was her first and last skydive. SEAN AND ELLEN BRYK In February of 2014, our vendor sent Sean and me on a cruise for a conference and vacation. One of our dock destinations was Barbados where we snorkeled with sea turtles and visited the remnants of a shipwreck. It was a beautiful and romantic adventure. Afterwards as we walked along the beach, I kept trying to hold Sean’s hand, but he was oddly standoffish. We spotted a local fisherman standing knee-deep in the ocean. Instead of a typical rod and reel, he was using an empty water bottle with fishing twine, with a hook on the end that he repeatedly cast out and reeled in. I watched intensely for several minutes TownePost.com / FEBRUARY 2022 / CENTER GROVE MAGAZINE / 17

until something else caught my attention everyone on the beach was cheering and clapping. I turned around to see Sean on one knee asking me to marry him. I looked around then looked at Sean again wondering if this was real. Indeed it was. I said yes and began to cry. He hugged me and everyone clapped and cheered some more. CRAIG AND PAULA BOAS While on one knee, my (now) wife kicked me down and screamed “Shut up” at me! Paula and I met when we were 14 years old at Center Grove High School. We were awesome friends throughout high school, and even double-dated for our junior prom. We lost touch for a few years as we ventured off to college but reconnected in November of 1996. In the spring of 1998, we drove to Marcus, Iowa, to visit her almost-100year-old great-grandma. We stayed at her grandparents’ house. Grandpa begged Paula to move to Iowa to teach. Paula said she couldn’t because it would be hard for me. Grandpa didn’t care that it would be

hard - we weren’t married and until we got married my career didn’t concern him. I jokingly said if he brought up marriage again, I would propose just to shut him up. He laughed. Minutes later he raised the subject again so I dropped to one knee and pulled a ring out of my pocket. Paula’s reaction was simple - she kicked me over. With tears in his eyes, grandpa asked her, “Well, are you going to say yes?” Days later the story made it into the local newspaper. We walked into a bar and the bartender asked if we were “the newlyweds from Indiana.” Small-town living at its finest. We married in November of 1996. We never moved to Iowa. Instead we raised two awesome kids in Center Grove.

MARK AND LAURA MINZES My husband Mark and I were married in September of 1993 at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Indy. An important part of the service to my family and I was to have the minister that married my parents and baptized me, and with whom I had developed my own friendship growing up, participate in our ceremony. While Reverend Ron Bowman didn’t conduct our ceremony, he did do a couple of scripture readings for us. Pastor Ron has literally done thousands of weddings over his long career, but to this day he still says that ours stands out to him as one of the most unique and beautiful ones he’s ever had the pleasure of participating in. Pastor Ron was born with one arm, and unlike so many

weddings before, he fit right in. He rounded out a group of people who included my husband, who is blind; our best man John, Mark’s brother, who was blind (now deceased); one of our groomsmen Scott, who uses a wheelchair; and - unusually progressive for the time in 1993 but perhaps not so much now - the female minister that married us, Dr. Linda McCoy. In particular, the line of men coming up on the groom’s side for the ceremony was quite entertaining, with Reverend McCoy leading the train out to the altar. Mark and I will celebrate 29 years of marriage this September, and like most couples we still fondly remember many aspects of our day - how it absolutely poured until we were ready to walk out to the waiting car, how we were able to “do the birdseed thing,” as my 8-year-old niece said at the time, and other such details. We’ve also often thought of our wedding with entertained and amused smiles when we think of the variety of all our friends and family who joined us in our celebration that day. CHRIS AND ANDREA KAHRER On October 16, 2021, I was first introduced to the “second line,” a New Orleans tradition, at a colleague’s funeral. The deceased, Carol, was a spitfire type of lady, so full of life and energy. At her funeral it was more than fitting for a second line to take the lead after the eulogy - such a perfect celebration of her. I did a little research and found that it was also appropriate to have a second line at weddings. We were married at a venue on Massachusetts Avenue in downtown Indianapolis, where we had our first date. We hopped from end to end enjoying the district, so it felt only right to include a stroll down Mass Ave with everyone. Chris and I have been in so many weddings. We are blessed to have many friends and family, and wanted ours to be something that no one had seen and something that no one would forget. We also chose a brunch wedding, cabaret-style, in the same venue. We wanted to go out with a bang, and how do you do that at 4 p.m.? You get a permit,

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hire a police escort and brass band, head on down the road to the place that was part of your first date, and pump your guests full of breadsticks. Since the festivities started early and the bar opened at 11 a.m., I knew by 4 p.m. our guests would need to have a snack or two.

to six of our favorite songs mixed by our wonderful DJ friends (it helps to work in the music industry). We also contracted a 1956 Rolls-Royce limo in which my father was able to ride. It is all he’s talked about these past couple of months. Everyone had

a blast - the vendors that participated, the guests and even strangers on the street. We had people stopping in traffic and coming out of buildings to cheer and wave. It was a perfect day that we will never forget.

When I sat down in the makeup chair the morning of the wedding, the artist said to me, “You’re the talk of the town.” She had been at another event the night before and other vendors had gotten word about it, and were excited to see how it played out. Both Chris and my mom were a little iffy about this. They thought I was being “too extra.” I tend to do things over the top. Part of my career involves planning events. It had to be extra. We were only doing this once, right? At the conclusion they were both thrilled. We wanted to make our own traditions, and wanted the day to reflect our personalities and our lives together. We took shots of Maker’s Mark for our “Kentucky Hug,” aka unity ceremony, and danced our first dance

“We loved working with Mike, he was friendly, personable, and very, very knowledgeable. He accommodated every showing request we asked for, even at the last minute. We wouldn’t trust this process to anyone but Mike! We definitely recommend using Mike as a REALTOR®”

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As a professional bodybuilder and personal training coach, Nathan Epler is all about inspiring others to be the best version of themselves. “I love motivating other people,” Epler says. “I love getting on stage and not only showcasing what I was capable of doing, but also motivating other people. Even if they aren’t bodybuilders, I really just try to be an advocate for people to get healthy and push themselves to be the best they can be, whether it’s physically, mentally, in business or whatever.” A graduate of Greenwood Community High School, Epler first got into weightlifting while wrestling throughout middle school and high school. “I started weightlifting and I really enjoyed it,” Epler says. “It was a good outlet for me, plus it helped me train for wrestling.” Always a smaller guy throughout grade school, Epler competed in the 132 weight class of wrestling during his senior year. After graduating, his coach challenged him to start bulking up.

Lifting up the Community

PROFESSIONAL BODYBUILDER SET TO START NEW GYM IN GREENWOOD

“After my senior season of wrestling, my wrestling coach looked at me and said, ‘Are you ready to get big?’” he says. “That was the first real moment where I was like, ‘Alright. I want to put some weight on now.’ I just really started hitting the gym and gaining weight pretty quickly. I really enjoyed the process.” Epler eventually found himself competing in amateur, local-level bodybuilding competitions, which quickly progressed to traveling the country for higher-level competitions. “When you win a local show, you get your qualification for a national-level show,” Epler says. “There are only really three nationallevel shows that you can turn professional in, and then you have to win one of those. That was the USA Championships for me.”

20 / CENTER GROVE MAGAZINE / FEBRUARY 2022 / TownePost.com

Upon winning at the USA Championships, Epler entered his debut season as a professional bodybuilder in 2021, competing in three marquee events including the prestigious Mr. Olympia competition, in which he finished fifth. “Bodybuilding has been around since the ‘40s or ‘50s, and there have only been five people in the history of bodybuilding to place top-five in the world at their rookie Olympia,” Epler says. “It was a really, really good season.”

While finding success in his bodybuilding career, Epler has also managed to make another fitness dream come true - starting his own gym with longtime friend Tyler Whitlow. With an anticipated opening in March or April, American Muscle Factory will look to fill a gap in the Indianapolis fitness landscape. “We mainly have a lot of corporate-style, commercial gyms, and we have studios, with studios being small, privately owned, and pretty expensive with usually not a lot

TownePost.com / FEBRUARY 2022 / CENTER GROVE MAGAZINE / 21

of equipment,” Epler says. “We didn’t really have anything in this market that was kind of in the middle of a studio and a corporate gym.” Although he may be known as a professional bodybuilder, Epler wants residents in central Indiana to know that American Muscle Factory will be a gym for anyone and everyone looking to live a happier, healthier life. “I want to give people a different experience in a gym setting,” Epler says. “I want them to feel motivated to exercise but also welcomed into American Muscle Factory. I just want to give people the best opportunity to reach their true potential.” The 23,000-square-foot American Muscle Factory facility will be located at 7747 South Shelby Street in Indianapolis. Learn more about the gym and their membership offerings by visiting amfindy.com.

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