Judy Dredge

She is now the owner of 9Round, a kickboxing circuit training studio, and watches lives being changed both physically and mentally. YMM: What does community mean to you? JD: Community to me is a support system, a place that inspires others and a reason to want to do good things for people in your community. When I opened 9Round almost five years ago, I wanted to build a community where everyone felt welcomed and knew that they would have the support they needed.  Watching our community be built in our 9Round was more than I ever imagined. It became a place where people felt like they were walking into Cheers.  Strangers became good friends and helped those who needed help, new people were amazed at the kindness of others, and our employees led in such a love that inspired. That’s community to me, a place that we are proud to call our home, one built on a strong foundation of love. Within each community are places like our gym that builds Fort McMurray to be a place that people should be proud of. YMM: What accomplishment are you most proud of? JD: Business-wise I am most proud of what we have built within our business, the friendships that will last a lifetime and the love I have been able to share because of my business. To inspire others to love in this hard world is my most important thing to accomplish every day. Personal-wise I am most proud of the family my husband and I have built over the last 10 years together. We have built a family based on love and we get to show people how love truly conquers all. YMM: What motivates you? JD: My family motivates me every day, my husband and kids are my biggest supporters and I continue to want to show them how hard work and love make the world go round! YMM: In your opinion, in what areas could Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo improve? JD: As a mom of six kids I would have to say the education area is definitely in need of some improvement as class sizes are bigger than ever and our teachers and admin support are overworked. I understand that this may be a global issue, however, our community has struggled for years with a lack of education support. As a brick-and-mortar business, I also feel we are struggling to keep small businesses open as commercial rent is an expense that many struggle to pay.  Our economy has changed so much over the years however, our commercial rent continues to remain so high that it deters many from wanting to open a business here. YMM: Who is your hero and why? JD: I have two: my parents. My father has shown me that life is too short to sit and worry for too long. At 77 he has never stopped moving and I believe that has kept him alive and happy for so long.  His simple ways in life have taught me to surround myself with things that are easy to do like helping and loving on others. My mother has shown me that sometimes we must fight battles that others don’t know about to protect the most important people in our lives, and when the time is right the battle will be a lesson for someone else’s journey. Today, I am thankful for those battles she shared with me when I became old enough to know so I could truly learn from them in a way I would have never understood when I was younger.  Sometimes we share our battles with our little ones long before they are ready to understand, and although my mom allowed us to live a life making many mistakes she protected us when it mattered most. I pray my children will feel the same.