Never Give Up Training Opens in Manayunk

Ali Cook never gives up. 

It’s something her brother taught her.  It’s something she thinks about everyday.

“My brother runs triathlons,” Cook said.  “It’s something I wanted to try, just for the heck of it really.”

Cook then began to train with her brother.  Step by step. Mile by mile.

“While we were training, he kept saying over and over again, ‘Either you have it or you don’t, but you can never give up.’  He was my motivation, and I found myself saying it everyday.” Cook said.

Cook never did give up, and she is now a professional, sponsored triathlete who owns her own gym.

The gym is aptly named “Never Give Up Training,” and it’s located at 115 Levering Street in Manayunk.

“All of the training we do here is personalized,” Cook said.  “You can come to any class, and we’ll make the workout fit your level.  It doesn’t matter if you weigh 500 pounds or you run triathlons.  You’ll reach the same level of sweat.”

Cook says that one of the advantages to her business is that it’s located on what she has nicknamed Manayunk’s “fitness row.”

Never Give Up training is just down the street from several gyms, but Cook says they work together.

“Everyone offer something different,” Cook said.  “You can go from a spin class down the street to here.  The gyms supplement each other.”

Besides standard fitness classes, Never Give Up also offers more unusual services.

“We have race companions,” Cook said.  “If you’re training for a race, or just want to get out there and run, we have people who will run alongside you.”

Cook is also certified in personal training, nutrition and strength training.

“This is my passion,” Cook said.  “I’d rather be here than anywhere else.  I like it here.”