Today we’d like to introduce you to Ash Galbraith.
Hi Ash, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My story has really been a journey of becoming.
Before I stepped into this chapter of my life, I was at one of the lowest places I had ever been — physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I was overweight, depressed, full of fear and anxiety, struggling with alcohol and drug use, and carrying a lot of shame from my past. I felt stuck in a body I hated and trapped in a cycle I did not know how to break.
Growing up, I was a fierce athlete. I trained seriously for most of my life, so I knew what I was capable of. But at that point, I felt so far removed from that version of myself. I could barely move without pain. I could not do the things I used to do. I could not even look in the mirror without feeling ashamed. Deep down, the belief that haunted me was, “I’m not good enough.”
Eventually, I had a very real realization: if I did not start changing, I was not going to make it. So I started with what I could control. I started moving my body again. At first, it was incredibly humbling. I could not do an air squat without pain. Push-ups had to be elevated. I could not hang from a pull-up bar. I was frustrated, constantly comparing who I had become to who I used to be.
At first, I thought I was doing all the right things. I cleaned up my food, followed a training plan, tracked my calories, and started building better habits. But I was still trying to change my life without fully surrendering the things that were destroying me. I was still carrying the same mindset, the same shame, and the same addiction patterns. On the outside, it may have looked like progress, but on the inside, I was still chained.
The real turning point came when I finally admitted that I could not do it alone. I reached out for help, even though I was embarrassed and terrified to let anyone see how much I was struggling. That was one of the first moments where I brought what I had been hiding into the light.
Then I started putting in the real work that had to be done. I was all in. This led me to a deep spiritual experience that changed everything for me. I felt Jesus meet me in a very real way. In that moment, I was able to face pain from my past, release fear that had controlled me for years, and experience forgiveness in a way I had never known before. With Jesus, I took reclaimed my power. When I opened my eyes, it was intense. It felt like I was breathing for the first time.
From that point forward, I knew that if I kept doing the work, I could be free.
Today, I am not who I used to be. I have been clean and sober for over a year, lost 83 pounds, and built a life around faith, discipline, health, and growth. Fitness is no longer something I just do. It is part of how I stay grounded, aligned, and alive. It helps me keep my mind clear, my body strong, and my spirit centered.
But the biggest transformation was not just physical. It was spiritual and emotional. I learned how to stop running from my past, take ownership of my healing, forgive myself, and allow God to use even the hardest parts of my story for something greater.
That is a big part of what led me into coaching and leadership at Hybrid IX Fitness. I know what it feels like to be stuck, ashamed, afraid, and convinced you are too far gone. I also know what it feels like to take that first step, and then another, and then another, until your life starts to change.
Now, as a coach, I do not just want to help people get stronger physically. I want to help them remember who they are. I want to walk beside people as they build confidence, discipline, faith, ownership, and belief in themselves again. Hybrid IX Fitness has become more than a gym. It is a community where people are challenged, encouraged, supported, and reminded that they are capable of hard things.
I am still growing. I am still becoming. I am still learning how to lead as a wife, mother, coach, and woman of faith. I am not saying every day is easy, but now I know where my strength comes from.
I remember what the darkness felt like. I remember what it felt like to be stuck in shame, fear, addiction, anxiety, and pain. That is why coaching means so much more to me than fitness. I know what it feels like to feel too far gone, and I know what it feels like to slowly find your way back.
Now I get to walk beside people while they do the same. I get to help them take the next step, find solid ground, and start believing that change is possible for them too.
To the person reading this who feels stuck, I want you to know: the woman you see now is not who I started as. It was not that long ago that I felt completely hopeless. But if you are willing to try something different and do the work, your life can change.
You are never too far gone. You are never too broken. You are never, ever alone.
I am living proof that miracles exist. And if He could do it for me, He can do it for you.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No, it has not been a smooth road. But I also do not think smooth roads create the kind of growth that changes you.
A lot of my biggest struggles were internal. I had to learn how to stop believing the old narratives I had carried for so long.
Sobriety was a major part of that. I had to face the things I had used alcohol and drugs to avoid. I had to sit with discomfort instead of numbing it. I had to learn new tools for stress, anxiety, shame, and fear. That was not easy, but it was necessary.
Comparison was another struggle. Because I grew up as an athlete, I constantly compared who I had become to who I used to be. I wanted to skip the rebuilding process and get right back to where I once was. But healing does not work that way. I had to humble myself, start where I was, and learn to honor small wins.
I also had to learn how to be seen again. When you have lived with shame for a long time, community can feel scary. Letting people in and asking for help took courage, but it also became one of the places where healing happened.
So no, it has not been smooth. But it has been sacred. Every hard step helped shape the woman I am becoming today.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My work is a little bit of a lot of things, which is why I often joke that I am an “Ash of all trades.”
At Hybrid IX Fitness, I serve as the COO, a coach, a leader, and honestly, wherever else I am needed that day. Some days I am coaching classes, helping members move better, encouraging someone through a hard workout, or having a deeper conversation with someone who needs support. Other days I am behind the scenes working on systems, social media, marketing, lead follow-up, events, operations, schedules, or whatever needs to get done to help the business and community grow.
I am also a wife and a mom of five, so I am constantly learning how to lead, serve, organize, adapt, and keep showing up even when life is full. On top of that, I help with The Fool Café, so you might also find me making bowls, helping at events, serving customers, or jumping in wherever an extra set of hands is needed.
So what do I do? A little bit of everything.
But at the center of all of it, my work is really about asking, “How may I serve?” Whether I am coaching a workout, writing a post, supporting The Fool Café, or encouraging one of my kids, I care about helping people feel seen, supported, and capable.
I think what I am known for is being real. I care deeply, but I also believe in holding a high standard. I lead with a balance of compassion, honesty, humor, and accountability. I know what it feels like to be on day one again, so I have a lot of grace for people in that place. But I also know that change requires ownership and action.
What sets me apart is probably that I do not fit into just one box. I am a coach, a leader, a mom, a wife, a business operator, a content creator, a café helper, and a work in progress. I bring all of those parts of me into what I do. I am not perfect, but I am willing. I am willing to learn, willing to serve, willing to lead, willing to do the behind-the-scenes work, and willing to jump in wherever I am needed.
At the heart of it, I want people to know they are capable of becoming stronger, healthier, more confident, and more connected to who they really are. That is what I am most proud to be part of.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
The way I think about risk has changed a lot.
I do not see risk as being careless or impulsive. To me, risk is being willing to trust, take ownership, and move forward when staying the same would cost more than stepping into the unknown.
Sometimes the biggest risk is not saying yes to something new. Sometimes the biggest risk is staying where you are because you are afraid to change.
One of the more personal risks I have taken recently was writing and releasing a song about my story called “Day One…Again” by Hybrid IX. It is actually available on most music platforms. That song came from my own journey of starting over, choosing another Day One, and learning that beginning again is not failure. Sometimes beginning again is exactly how healing happens.
Putting that part of my story into music felt vulnerable because it meant letting people see more of my heart. But I also knew that if it could reach one person who felt stuck, ashamed, or hopeless, then it was worth it.
When something feels risky to me now, I try to come back to the tools that help me find the next right step — prayer, stillness, honesty, wise counsel, and action. I do not need to figure out the whole path before I move. I just need the next right step.
Figuring it all out is not my job. That is Jesus.
For me, risk has become less about having every answer and more about surrendering to the next right step. If something aligns with my faith, my values, and the person I believe God is calling me to become, then I try to move forward with courage, even if I am scared.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hybridixfitness.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/galbraithashleigh?igsh=MTk3bXhiMXhxZGx6NQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashleigh.jefferson1?
