CHARLOTTE — As the Carolina Ascent prepares to hit the road for their next game, Channel 9 is learning more about the women on the team.
One forward faced the prospect of the end of her soccer career during COVID-19 but discovered a business idea that helped save her sanity.
Rylee Baisden returned to the United States after her professional soccer season in Australia was paused due to the pandemic and was unsure if she would ever step foot on the pitch again.
“I feel like it was kind of an identity crisis in a way because I knew I was good at things off the field, but to actually be like soccer isn’t going to be my job anymore was kind of like an ‘Oh crap moment,’” said Baisden.
In the face of uncertainty, she just kept moving.
“Got my personal training certification and did a bunch of live workouts on Instagram in this one-bedroom apartment where I lived with my dad. And then I was like, ‘Ok, I kind of enjoy this,’” Baisden said.
From that, Sweat Happy Club was born. It is a membership program whose goal is to create functional workouts and make health and wellness accessible.
Baisden said it’s growing, thanks in part to the support of her teammates.
“Because I started it on my own and, like, such a small business, it was kind of just like, ‘Let’s see where this takes me, and it was more of an online platform, so to have merch and have people walking around with it is really cool. It’s like a pride thing to see my friends support me, honestly,” said Baisden.
Baisden explained that when her playing career does come to an end, she can imagine running a combination fitness studio and coffee shop. She was a barista in Australia, so it would feel like a culmination of a dream that saved her during one of the world’s darkest periods.
“Just being healthy at the time and not having COVID, being able to move my body even though. I didn’t have any equipment at the apartment. I think that alone was just the bright light during such a crappy time,” Baisden elaborated.
While they are on the road, you can watch the Carolina Ascent from the comfort of your own home on TV-64.
VIDEO: Overcoming the odds: Forward Riley Parker’s journey to Carolina Ascent
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