Welcoming Spaces Spotlight: Sam Leicht 

The Trevor Project interviewed Sam Leicht, the visionary founder behind Pridefit. Launched in 2020, Pridefit has rapidly grown into the world’s largest LGBTQ+ fitness community, offering the on-demand Pridefit App and the live, interactive Pridefit LIVE Zoom classes. Pridefit intentionally shifts the focus toward a supportive, sustainable journey and prioritizes safety, expert coaching, and a welcoming community. 

Leicht is redefining what it means to move our bodies with joy and confidence. He opens up about his own challenging experiences in athletics, passes on a powerful anecdote from his mother, and shares an inspiring message for LGBTQ+ young people who might find it difficult to show up as their full selves in a gym or workout class.

1. The fitness industry has not always felt accessible or welcoming to LGBTQ+ people. What motivated you to found Pridefit App and Pridefit LIVE?

Growing up in Appleton, WI, sports were the thing to do, but I always felt like a fish out of water. I remember walking into track practice in 7th grade and my teammates calling me “Sunshine” from Remember the Titans, and that was the first time I felt like the gym wasn’t a safe place for me.

I was pretty good at track in high school, which I think earned me a bit of acceptance from the team because I had a function. As long as I continued to perform well and help get points, it was okay that I didn’t completely fit the mold of the other boys. Naturally, that became a looming stressor for me because it did feel as though the requirement for acceptance was almost completely dependent upon me continuing to be the best athlete. Naturally, I decided to do theater instead!

We have the research (some of it by The Trevor Project!) to show that youth who have positive fitness and sports experiences growing up have a higher likelihood of continued fitness into adulthood. I made Pridefit because many of our members had negative fitness experiences growing up, and that made it much harder for us to move our bodies in a positive way as adults. But it’s easier when you’re in an environment of like-minded individuals who make you feel safe and welcome.

2. At The Trevor Project, we’ve seen that the power of acceptance, support, and welcoming spaces can help LGBTQ+ young people thrive. Can you share an example where you’ve witnessed the positive impact of a welcoming environment?

I’ll give you an example outside of the LGBTQIA+ community because I think it demonstrates exactly what you’re getting at and makes the importance of acceptance in queer-specific spaces even more powerful.

My mom has never been able to make strength training stick. She’s always loved being active and doing yoga, but even though she’s always wanted to lift weights, it never became a habit.

Fast forward to a trainer starting a class in Appleton, WI exclusively for women 60+. It’s finally an environment that makes her feel completely seen and safe. It’s perfect for her. And she hasn’t missed a single class in six months.

Sometimes the ability to show up in vulnerable situations is almost completely dependent upon the environment in which you’re being asked to show up. We need to create more inclusive and welcoming fitness environments for LGBTQIA+ people because that’s how we build sustainability in a fitness routine.

3. Welcoming spaces are crucial for the mental and physical well-being of LGBTQ+ people. How did you intentionally design Pridefit to be LGBTQ+ inclusive?

I always found it so disingenuous for fitness programs to sell the result rather than the process.

“David lost 60 pounds.”

“Look at Liza’s before and after pictures. This could be you!”

It’s a great way to get people in the door, but it sends two messages that are misleading. Firstly, that other people’s results will be your results. This is wildly untrue because every body is different. Every lifestyle is different. And comparing yourself to others will always lead to disappointment. And secondly, these tactics lead a new member to believe that fitness has a finish line. When someone starts Pridefit they go through an onboarding call with me where we talk about how it’s hard to hear, but there isn’t a finish line in fitness. You’re going to be running that race your entire life, so you can drive yourself wild by thinking that you’ll be happy when you just “lose 20 lbs” or you can remind yourself to enjoy the process. That way we can do a little bit of work every day, and hopefully not allow fitness to take over our lives, but still get the results that we want to achieve.

4. It can be tough for anyone to start their fitness journey. Can you share some words of inspiration for LGBTQ+ young people who might find it difficult to show up as their full selves in a gym or workout class?

Here are a couple of sticky note reminders I want you to make for yourself:

Fitness is better with friends. There’s a reason why sports and workout buddies are so popular. Fitness is hard in so many ways, so taking a class, inviting your friend to a workout, joining a pickleball league. These are all phenomenal tools to hold yourself accountable and make fitness more fun.

Some is better than none. I know we like to have this “all or nothing” mentality when it comes to fitness, but truly, you doing a 10-minute workout is better than you not doing anything at all. You going on a 5-minute walk around the block because that’s the only thing you have the mental capacity for today is so much better than not doing anything at all. 

Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. I know it feels like you need the “perfect” program to get results, but it’s not true. The most important thing is to get started before you feel completely ready. Because if you wait for the perfect time, you’ll be waiting forever. 

5. As a founder who cares deeply about supporting positive outcomes for the LGBTQ+ community, you’re innovating in an industry that has been around for generations. What wisdom do you have for businesses and future leaders in the exercise and fitness industry?

It’s scary running a business! Which means that it’s incredibly challenging not to have a scarcity mindset around your business practices. That being said, I implore businesses to continue selling the basics because those are what work. Avoid the quick fixes. Avoid the supplements that don’t have the research to back them up. Don’t prey on people’s insecurities and fears.

Creating a business that truly serves your customer is divine in more ways than one. When you create a good product, people come, so that’s how I want to run my business, and it’s how I hope others want to run their businesses too.

Sam Leicht is the founder of Pridefit, a fitness app for queer people and allies.