Josh Sheldon, July Spotlight

Meet Josh, a Graviton member of three and a half years who brings dedication, humility, and heart to every workout—and every corner of his life. 

Whether he’s showing up for his family, advocating for the transgender community, or crushing personal records in the gym, Josh embodies the Graviton spirit of strength through community.

Josh first found his way to Graviton in 2022, when he was looking for a gym that took safety seriously following the COVID pandemic. After years of training in mixed martial arts, he was ready to return to in-person fitness but wanted a place that felt responsible and welcoming. “I found Graviton on the website, came to the gym, saw everybody masked up and distanced and stuff, and that was just the beginning of what the culture of Graviton is.”

But it didn’t take long for Graviton to become much more than a safe place to sweat. “As I got more involved and stayed with Graviton throughout the years, a lot of it became about the community… middle-aged professionals that are here just to work hard and have a good time and be part of a community.”

That sense of belonging has been one of the biggest motivators in Josh’s fitness journey—and a key reason why he’s stayed consistent with functional fitness into his late 40s. “I had done a lot of MMA… it was hard on the body,” he said. “I realized [Graviton] was a really good thing for my body—strengthening myself, making myself more flexible… I’ll be honest, at the age of 48 I’m stronger than I’ve ever been in my life.”

And he has the numbers to back it up. Josh’s biggest accomplishment at Graviton? “Deadlifting 355 pounds for my max.” But that kind of progress didn’t come overnight. “When I first started with Graviton I kept myself with very low weights at the very beginning just to make sure I was getting my form right… and then I really began to push myself… to limits I didn’t know I could reach—not only with deadlifts but with many other exercises as well.”

Outside of the gym, Josh’s life is full of meaning and purpose. He spends his time whittling wood (“even though I’m not that old yet,” he jokes), hanging out with his wife and son, and doing powerful activism work within the transgender community. Supporting his transgender son has fueled his advocacy and made him an even more compassionate leader—values that also shine through in the way he shows up at Graviton.

When asked about the biggest shift since joining, Josh points to something familiar to many members: accountability. “You’ve gotta sign up for a class and once you sign up for the class you’ve got to be there… it forces me—I work hard, I work really long days—but it forces me to stop at 5 p.m., get into the gym… it’s a significant stress relief.”

And what keeps him coming back week after week, year after year? “The biggest benefit to being part of Graviton is the community that you’re part of. Just wonderful people and the coaches really set the culture of good people all around, so you’re really enjoying yourself while you’re getting a phenomenal workout.”

Josh is proud to be 48. Proud of the strength he’s built. Proud of the life he leads. And we’re proud to have him as part of the Graviton community.