JOIN ATHENA'S ALL-ABILITY JUDO CLASSES
JUDO IS A SPORT THAT REWARDS TECHNIQUE, TIMING, BALANCE AND THE ABILITY TO ADAPT TO THE PERSON IN FRONT OF YOU. AT ATHENA PERFORMANCE, OUR JUDO CLASSES IN REDDITCH GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP THOSE SKILLS IN A SUPPORTIVE TRAINING ENVIRONMENT, WITH COACHING THAT HELPS YOU UNDERSTAND HOW AND WHY THE TECHNIQUES YOU ARE LEARNING WORK.
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SESSIONS ARE LED BY ATHENA’S LEAD JUDO COACH, JAKE ASHEN, WHO HAS REPRESENTED GREAT BRITAIN INTERNATIONALLY AND BRINGS YEARS OF COMPETITIVE AND COACHING EXPERIENCE TO THE MAT.
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COMPLETE BEGINNERS CAN BUILD THEIR KNOWLEDGE FROM THE FUNDAMENTALS, WHILE MORE EXPERIENCED JUDOKA CAN CONTINUE DEVELOPING THEIR THROWS, GROUNDWORK, TRANSITIONS AND RANDORI. ALONGSIDE THE TECHNICAL SIDE OF JUDO, REGULAR TRAINING ALSO CHALLENGES YOUR STRENGTH, FITNESS, COORDINATION AND OVERALL ATHLETIC ABILITY.
LEARN AND DEVELOP YOUR JUDO AT ATHENA
GOOD JUDO DEVELOPS THROUGH AN UNDERSTANDING OF MOVEMENT AND THE ABILITY TO APPLY TECHNIQUE AGAINST ANOTHER PERSON, WHICH IS WHY OUR COACHING GOES FURTHER THAN SIMPLY DEMONSTRATING A THROW AND ASKING YOU TO REPEAT IT.
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JAKE BREAKS TECHNIQUES DOWN SO JUDOKA CAN UNDERSTAND THE ROLE OF GRIPS, POSITIONING, BALANCE, TIMING AND MOVEMENT. AS YOUR EXPERIENCE DEVELOPS, THE FOCUS CAN PROGRESS TOWARDS LINKING TECHNIQUES TOGETHER, RECOGNISING YOUR OPPONENT’S REACTIONS AND MAKING BETTER DECISIONS DURING LIVE PRACTICE.
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THIS APPROACH GIVES BEGINNERS A STRONG TECHNICAL FOUNDATION WHILE PROVIDING EXPERIENCED AND RETURNING JUDOKA WITH PLENTY OF SCOPE TO REFINE AND DEVELOP THEIR EXISTING JUDO.
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WHAT WILL YOU LEARN IN OUR JUDO CLASSES?
JUDO COMBINES STANDING TECHNIQUES WITH GROUNDWORK, WHICH MEANS TRAINING DEVELOPS YOUR ABILITY TO MOVE, ATTACK, DEFEND AND TRANSITION BETWEEN DIFFERENT PHASES OF AN EXCHANGE.
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THROWS AND STANDING JUDO
THROWING TECHNIQUES ARE A CENTRAL PART OF JUDO, WITH SUCCESSFUL EXECUTION RELYING ON FAR MORE THAN PHYSICAL STRENGTH. DURING TRAINING, YOU WILL DEVELOP YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF GRIPPING, FOOTWORK, BODY POSITIONING, ENTRIES AND TIMING, ALONGSIDE THE TECHNICAL DETAILS OF INDIVIDUAL THROWS.
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YOU WILL ALSO LEARN ABOUT KUZUSHI, THE PRINCIPLE OF DISRUPTING AN OPPONENT’S BALANCE TO CREATE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ATTACK. AS THESE FUNDAMENTALS DEVELOP, JAKE CAN HELP YOU EXPLORE HOW DIFFERENT THROWS CONNECT AND HOW AN OPPONENT’S MOVEMENT OR REACTION CAN CREATE THE OPENING FOR YOUR NEXT TECHNIQUE.
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GROUNDWORK, HOLDS AND TRANSITIONS
JUDO CONTINUES ON THE MAT THROUGH NE-WAZA, OR GROUNDWORK, WHERE POSITION, MOVEMENT AND CONTROL BECOME EQUALLY IMPORTANT.
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SESSIONS CAN COVER:
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HOLDS
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ESCAPES
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GROUND TECHNIQUES
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TOGETHER WITH THE TRANSITIONS THAT ALLOW A JUDOKA TO MOVE EFFECTIVELY FROM STANDING JUDO INTO GROUNDWORK.
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DEVELOPING THESE CONNECTIONS HELPS BUILD A MORE COMPLETE UNDERSTANDING OF THE SPORT, AS YOU BEGIN TO RECOGNISE OPPORTUNITIES TO CONTINUE AN ATTACK AFTER A THROW OR TRANSITION INTO A STRONGER POSITION.​
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RANDORI AND APPLYING YOUR JUDO
AS YOUR TECHNICAL UNDERSTANDING GROWS, RANDORI PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY TO APPLY THOSE SKILLS WITH A TRAINING PARTNER WHO IS MOVING, RESPONDING AND ATTEMPTING THEIR OWN TECHNIQUES.
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THE CONTROLLED, LIVE NATURE OF RANDORI HELPS JUDOKA DEVELOP TIMING, DECISION-MAKING AND THE ABILITY TO ADAPT. TECHNIQUES THAT HAVE FIRST BEEN LEARNED THROUGH COACHED PRACTICE CAN GRADUALLY BE TESTED IN A MORE DYNAMIC ENVIRONMENT, HELPING YOU UNDERSTAND WHEN AND HOW TO APPLY THEM EFFECTIVELY.
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STARTING JUDO AS A BEGINNER
STARTING A MARTIAL ART CAN FEEL UNFAMILIAR WHEN YOU HAVE NEVER STEPPED ONTO A MAT BEFORE, SO OUR BEGINNER JUDO COACHING BUILDS THE FUNDAMENTALS PROGRESSIVELY.
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EARLY TRAINING CAN INTRODUCE SAFE MOVEMENT AND BREAKFALLS BEFORE DEVELOPING FUNDAMENTAL GRIPS, BALANCE, FOOTWORK, BASIC THROWS AND INTRODUCTORY GROUNDWORK. JAKE CAN ADJUST THE COMPLEXITY AND PACE OF THE SESSION AS YOUR CONFIDENCE AND TECHNICAL UNDERSTANDING DEVELOP.
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YOU DON’T NEED TO ARRIVE KNOWING JUDO TERMINOLOGY OR ALREADY HAVING THE FITNESS OF AN EXPERIENCED JUDOKA. FITNESS, COORDINATION AND MOVEMENT CAPACITY CAN ALL DEVELOP THROUGH REGULAR PRACTICE, WHILE THE TECHNICAL COACHING GIVES YOU A CLEAR FOUNDATION FROM WHICH TO PROGRESS.
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FOR ADULTS WHO HAVE ALWAYS WANTED TO LEARN JUDO BUT NEVER STARTED, THERE IS NO REQUIREMENT TO HAVE LEARNED THE SPORT AS A CHILD. BEGINNING LATER SIMPLY MEANS YOUR COACHING STARTS FROM WHERE YOU ARE NOW.
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DEVELOPING YOUR JUDO OVER TIME
ONCE THE FUNDAMENTALS BECOME MORE FAMILIAR, JUDO OPENS UP INTO A MUCH WIDER PROCESS OF TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENT.
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INDIVIDUAL THROWS CAN BEGIN TO FORM COMBINATIONS, WHILE GRIPPING, MOVEMENT AND POSITIONING CREATE DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES TO ATTACK. STANDING TECHNIQUES CAN FLOW INTO GROUNDWORK, AND RANDORI PROVIDES THE EXPERIENCE NEEDED TO APPLY THOSE SKILLS AGAINST DIFFERENT TRAINING PARTNERS.
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THIS MAKES ATHENA JUDO SUITABLE FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO CONTINUE DEVELOPING THEIR TECHNIQUE AND WORK TOWARDS THEIR NEXT STAGE IN THE SPORT, AS WELL AS JUDOKA RETURNING AFTER TIME AWAY.
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IF YOU ARE COMING BACK TO JUDO AFTER A BREAK, JAKE CAN ADJUST YOUR TRAINING WHILE YOU REBUILD YOUR TIMING, FITNESS AND FAMILIARITY ON THE MAT.
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LEARN AND DEVELOP YOUR JUDO AT ATHENA
GOOD JUDO DEVELOPS THROUGH AN UNDERSTANDING OF MOVEMENT AND THE ABILITY TO APPLY TECHNIQUE AGAINST ANOTHER PERSON, WHICH IS WHY OUR COACHING GOES FURTHER THAN JUST DEMONSTRATING A THROW AND ASKING YOU TO REPEAT IT.​​ JAKE BREAKS TECHNIQUES DOWN SO JUDOKA CAN UNDERSTAND THE ROLE OF GRIPS, POSITIONING, BALANCE, TIMING AND MOVEMENT.
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AS YOUR EXPERIENCE DEVELOPS, THE FOCUS CAN PROGRESS TOWARDS LINKING TECHNIQUES TOGETHER, RECOGNISING YOUR OPPONENT’S REACTIONS AND MAKING BETTER DECISIONS DURING LIVE PRACTICE. THIS APPROACH GIVES BEGINNERS A STRONG TECHNICAL FOUNDATION WHILE PROVIDING EXPERIENCED AND RETURNING JUDOKA WITH PLENTY OF SCOPE TO REFINE AND DEVELOP THEIR EXISTING JUDO.
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DEVELOP STRENGTH, FITNESS AND ATHLETIC ABILITY THROUGH JUDO
JUDO PLACES A WIDE RANGE OF PHYSICAL DEMANDS ON THE BODY BECAUSE YOU ARE CONSTANTLY WORKING WITH AND AGAINST THE MOVEMENT OF ANOTHER PERSON.
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GRIPPING AND CONTROLLING AN OPPONENT CHALLENGES THE HANDS, ARMS, SHOULDERS AND UPPER BODY, WHILE EFFECTIVE THROWING REQUIRES COORDINATION BETWEEN THE LEGS, HIPS AND TRUNK. REPEATED ATTACKS, DEFENSIVE MOVEMENT, GROUNDWORK AND RANDORI ALSO CREATE A SIGNIFICANT CONDITIONING DEMAND AS A SESSION PROGRESSES.
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BALANCE, COORDINATION, EXPLOSIVE MOVEMENT AND THE ABILITY TO PRODUCE FORCE FROM DIFFERENT POSITIONS ALL DEVELOP WITHIN THE TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS OF THE SPORT.
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THIS FITS NATURALLY WITH ATHENA PERFORMANCE’S WIDER EXPERIENCE IN STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING AND ATHLETE DEVELOPMENT, GIVING JUDOKA ACCESS TO A TRAINING ENVIRONMENT THAT UNDERSTANDS BOTH THE TECHNICAL AND PHYSICAL DEMANDS PLACED ON AN ATHLETE.
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JUDO TRAINING THAT DEVELOPS WITH YOU
EVERY PERSON WHO STEPS ONTO THE MAT BRINGS A DIFFERENT LEVEL OF EXPERIENCE, PHYSICAL ABILITY AND CONFIDENCE, SO JAKE CAN ADJUST DRILLS, TECHNICAL COMPLEXITY AND TRAINING INTENSITY TO PROVIDE AN APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF CHALLENGE.
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FOR SOME PEOPLE, JUDO BECOMES A SPORT THEY WANT TO PURSUE AND PROGRESS THROUGH OVER MANY YEARS. OTHERS ENJOY THE TECHNICAL CHALLENGE, PHYSICAL TRAINING AND OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN A MARTIAL ART WITHOUT HAVING COMPETITIVE AMBITIONS.
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BOTH CAN TRAIN PRODUCTIVELY WITHIN THE SAME COACHING ENVIRONMENT BECAUSE PROGRESSION IS BASED ON DEVELOPING THE INDIVIDUAL IN FRONT OF US. AS YOUR TECHNIQUE, FITNESS AND CONFIDENCE IMPROVE, THE COMPLEXITY AND CHALLENGE OF YOUR TRAINING CAN DEVELOP WITH THEM.
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TRAIN WITH LEAD JUDO COACH JAKE ASHEN
ATHENA'S JUDO CLASSES ARE LED BY JAKE ASHEN, WHO HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN JUDO SINCE THE AGE OF 5 AND HAS EXPERIENCED THE MARTIAL ART SPORT FROM HIS FIRST YEARS ON THE MAT THROUGH TO INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION.
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JAKE HAS REPRESENTED GREAT BRITAIN INTERNATIONALLY, WON MEDALS IN INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION, BECOME A TWO-TIME BRITISH JUDO CHAMPIONSHIP MEDALLIST AND WON THE BRITISH UNIVERSITY CHAMPIONSHIPS.
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HIS EXPERIENCE AS AN ATHLETE HAS ALSO BEEN SUPPORTED BY FORMAL EDUCATION AND COACHING DEVELOPMENT. JAKE HOLDS A LEVEL 1 BRITISH JUDO ASSOCIATION COACHING QUALIFICATION, A FIRST-CLASS HONOURS DEGREE IN SPORT AND EXERCISE SCIENCE AND A LEVEL 3 PERSONAL TRAINING QUALIFICATION.
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THAT COMBINATION OF COMPETITIVE EXPERIENCE, COACHING AND SPORTS SCIENCE SHAPES THE WAY JAKE APPROACHES JUDO AT ATHENA. HE CAN DRAW ON YEARS OF EXPERIENCE PERFORMING THE SPORT WHILE HELPING JUDOKA UNDERSTAND THE TECHNICAL AND PHYSICAL PRINCIPLES THAT SUPPORT THEIR DEVELOPMENT.
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YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE ABOUT JAKE, HIS COMPETITIVE BACKGROUND AND HIS WORK AT ATHENA ON OUR JAKE ASHEN COACH PROFILE.
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JOIN JUDO CLASSES AT ATHENA PERFORMANCE IN REDDITCH
IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR JUDO CLASSES IN REDDITCH, ATHENA PERFORMANCE PROVIDES A COACHED ENVIRONMENT WHERE YOU CAN LEARN THE SPORT, DEVELOP YOUR EXISTING SKILLS AND IMPROVE THE PHYSICAL QUALITIES THAT SUPPORT YOUR PERFORMANCE ON THE MAT.
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OUR REDDITCH GYM/STUDIO LOCATION IS ALSO CONVENIENT FOR JUDOKA TRAVELLING FROM SURROUNDING AREAS INCLUDING STUDLEY, BROMSGROVE AND HALESOWEN. YOU CAN FIND US AT UNIT 3B PHOENIX WORKS, WINDSOR ROAD, REDDITCH, B97 6DJ. TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT JUDO TRAINING, SESSION AVAILABILITY OR JOINING ATHENA, CALL 07494 417682 OR EMAIL INFO@ATHENAPERFORMANCE.CO.UK.
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OUR TIMETABLE
AT ATHENA PERFORMANCE, WE UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF A WELL-STRUCTURED TIMETABLE IN PROVIDING YOU WITH THE FLEXIBILITY AND VARIETY YOU NEED TO ACHIEVE YOUR FITNESS GOALS. OUR THOUGHTFULLY CURUATED TIMETABLE IS A ROADMAP TO A HEALTHIER, STRONGER YOU. WITH A RANGE OF CLASSES AND SESSIONS SPREAD ACROSS THE WEEK, WE OFFER A SCHEDULE THAT ACCOMODATES DIFFERENT PREFERENCES AND LIFESTYLES. WHETHER YOU'RE AN EARLY RISER, A LUNCHTIME FITNESS ENTHUSIAST, OR A PREFER EVENING SESSIONS, OUR TIMETABLE ENSURES THERES A SLOT THAT SUITS YOU.
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FAQ
DO I NEED ANY EXPERIENCE TO START JUDO?
NO PREVIOUS JUDO EXPERIENCE IS REQUIRED TO BEGIN TRAINING. JAKE CAN INTRODUCE BEGINNERS TO SAFE MOVEMENT, BREAKFALLS, GRIPS, BALANCE, BASIC THROWS AND GROUNDWORK BEFORE PROGRESSING THE TECHNICAL COMPLEXITY AS THEIR EXPERIENCE DEVELOPS.
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WHAT WILL I LEARN IN A JUDO CLASS?
JUDO TRAINING CAN INCLUDE FOOTWORK, GRIPPING, THROWING TECHNIQUES, GROUNDWORK, HOLDS, TRANSITIONS AND RANDORI. YOU WILL ALSO DEVELOP YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF HOW BALANCE, POSITIONING, MOVEMENT AND TIMING AFFECT THE APPLICATION OF DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES.
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CAN ADULTS START JUDO AS BEGINNERS?
YES. YOU DO NOT NEED TO HAVE PRACTISED JUDO AS A CHILD TO BEGIN LEARNING AS AN ADULT. COACHING CAN START WITH THE FUNDAMENTALS AND DEVELOP AT A PACE APPROPRIATE TO YOUR EXPERIENCE, CONFIDENCE AND PHYSICAL ABILITY.
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CAN I RETURN TO JUDO AFTER TIME AWAY?
YES. RETURNING JUDOKA CAN BUILD ON THEIR PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE WHILE GRADUALLY REINTRODUCING TECHNICAL PRACTICE, RANDORI AND THE PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF TRAINING. JAKE CAN ADJUST THE INTENSITY AS YOUR TIMING, FITNESS AND CONFIDENCE RETURN.
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WHAT SHOULD I WEAR TO MY FIRST JUDO CLASS?
IF YOU ALREADY OWN A JUDOGI, BRING IT WITH YOU. IF YOU ARE COMPLETELY NEW TO JUDO AND DO NOT YET HAVE ONE, CONTACT ATHENA BEFORE YOUR FIRST SESSION AND WE CAN ADVISE YOU ON WHAT TO WEAR AND WHAT YOU WILL NEED AS YOU CONTINUE TRAINING.
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WHO TEACHES JUDO AT ATHENA PERFORMANCE?
OUR LEAD JUDO COACH IS JAKE ASHEN, A GREAT BRITAIN INTERNATIONAL JUDOKA, TWO-TIME BRITISH JUDO CHAMPIONSHIP MEDALLIST AND BRITISH UNIVERSITY CHAMPION. JAKE ALSO HOLDS A BRITISH JUDO ASSOCIATION LEVEL 1 COACHING QUALIFICATION AND A FIRST-CLASS HONOURS DEGREE IN SPORT AND EXERCISE SCIENCE.
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WHERE ARE JUDO CLASSES HELD IN REDDITCH?
JUDO SESSIONS TAKE PLACE AT ATHENA PERFORMANCE, UNIT 3B PHOENIX WORKS, WINDSOR ROAD, REDDITCH, B97 6DJ. TO ASK ABOUT UPCOMING SESSIONS OR JOINING ATHENA JUDO, CALL 07494 417682 OR EMAIL INFO@ATHENAPERFORMANCE.CO.UK.
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ATHENA MONTHLY TRIAL
AT ATHENA, WE PROVIDE A ONE MONTH TRIAL THAT
INVITES YOU TO EXPERIENCE OUR PROGRAMME,
ALLOWING YOU TO GAIN A THOROUGH UNDERSTANDING
OF OUR OFFERINGS. OUR AIM IS FOR YOU TO EXPLORE
OUR SERVICES TO ENSURE THEY ARE THE PERFECT FIT
FOR YOU.
THE MONTHLY TRIAL INCLUDES:
- ACCESS TO 7 DAYS A WEEK OF COACHED SESSIONS
- MEMBERSHIP IN THE ATHENA COMMUNITY
- MONTHLY CHECK-INS
- EXCLUSIVE BENEFITS OF ATHENA MEMBERSHIP,
INCLUDING NUTRITIONAL SUPPORT & DISCOUNTS
WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES.






