Skildum's journey into the fitness industry began with a personal desire to learn weightlifting. "I actually decided to become a personal trainer because I was searching for one for myself and realized the need for trainers in Cook County was huge," she told Boreal Community Media. Becoming a certified personal trainer wasn't something she always aspired to do, but something she came to love. "In no way did I grow up with ANY interest in fitness, I thought I was going to work in the human services field, working with individuals with disabilities (what I have my degree in) but once I figured out what I wanted to do, that was all there was."

 An image rendering of Grand Marais Barbell. Image provided by Carmen Skildum. 

For the past six years, Skildum has been leading small-group workout classes in her own space. As her business has grown, the need for something bigger became apparent. "My husband and I knew we would need to build a new gym if I wanted to continue to grow since as we know, the opportunity for buildings that are already vacant is almost nonexistent...It wasn't a quick decision, but the more we talked about it, the more we became excited about it, and realized it was a good fit both for our community and for our family."

The new gym will cater to weightlifting enthusiasts, offering a comprehensive range of equipment including free weights, barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, and various weight machines. An upper floor will offer cardio machines, and the gym will provide amenities such as showers and lockers for convenience.

When it comes to safety, Skildum says that the facility will have many cameras and adequate lighting indoors and out. "The floor plan is also quite open (think warehouse style)," she added. 

Membership options will cater to diverse needs, offering standalone gym access, a combination of classes and gym access, or continued enrollment in LynxFit group classes (with access to the gym only during scheduled classes). As of now, Skildum does not offer personal 1:1 training, but is open to collaborating with other qualified trainers who may be interested in coming on board. 

While an official opening date is yet to be announced, a 2024 launch is the goal. 

Skildum expresses her sincere gratitude to the dedicated LynxFit members whose support has been pivotal in making Grand Marais Barbell a reality. "LynxFit has the strongest, most loyal, and wonderful people who have been supporting the small business from the start. I would never have dreamed of an endeavor like this without them. I LOVE the Grand Marais community, and am extremely happy and honored to be providing something of value to this town."

Learn more about and get updates on LynxFit and Grand Marais Barbell here, or follow on Facebook or Instagram.