For Donny Donovan (he/they), owner and founder of Free Will Health and Wellness, fitness goes beyond the physical realm.
Donny was born and raised in Pittsburgh and is a member of the LGBTQIA+ trans community. Growing up, he was very athletic, playing soccer, lacrosse, and running track. He received a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science from Mercyhurst University and a Master’s Degree in Exercise Physiology from the University of Pittsburgh. He is
currently in a program at Yale University for a Master’s of Public Health, which he says will allow him to pivot into a systematic role within public health. “I will always be an advocate for our community and try to push policy as best as I can.” He is also a member of the City of Pittsburgh LGBTQIA+ Commission.
While Donny’s background includes extensive physical fitness and education, he was also a musician in his 20s, in both a grunge band and an indie pop band. “Being in the music scene definitely helped a part of my authenticity bloom because of how diverse and supportive the community is, especially being part of the queer and trans community. That was a big part of my life as well, and still is.”
Donny has been a personal trainer since 2011, and in 2015, he started Free Will Health and Wellness, a Pittsburgh-based company that specializes in personal training, muscle activation, gender affirming fitness, health coaching, and exercise programming.
In March of 2020, Donny launched the brick-and-mortar version of Free Will Health and Wellness, which still resides in Pittsburgh’s East End, despite opening at the beginning of a global pandemic. The studio is dedicated to functional, inclusive, and equitable health and wellness.
Within a week of opening, pandemic regulations forced the business to close for three months. In that time, Donny held virtual sessions with clients, which helped everyone get through some of the many challenges during that time. “It was rough. So many times I wanted to quit, but I kept pushing through and here I am. 2020 was a huge year for everybody, but it was also the year I chose myself, and my community. I knew I needed to open a physical wellness space.”
However, Donny states that his business is for everybody, including allies. “Half of my clientele is queer, and about 25% are part of the trans/non-binary community. I work with everybody, but I definitely have a service and space for people in the queer community, especially being who I am.”
Donny acknowledges the need for a safe space for trans and non-binary people who want physical fitness. “In the trans community, it’s already hard to go to the doctor and wonder if they will affirm you or if you will have to disclose all of your surgeries and medications. There’s always this uncomfortable moment of ‘will they see me, or will they treat me a certain way?’ We want competency in our doctors, but we also want to be seen and appreciated and not feel shamed or judged.”
Donny says being trans is a huge part of his identity. “The main thing that has helped me through all the challenges with being part of the community is having autonomy and authority of my body, having access to gender-affirming care, and just doing the work that I do within our community. Personal training, physical activity and wellness has been a big part of my life.” He expressed the desire to have a larger studio space someday.
Currently, he sees approximately 40 to 50 studio sessions a week. Free Will Health and Wellness offers mainly personal training, but also focuses on small group classes, mechanotherapy, health coaching, and exercise programming. Donny was accepted into Ascender’s business development program and is in the process of creating an app called TRANSFORM for the trans and non-binary community. The app will provide remote training for clients while allowing Donny to be able to assist more people.
Statistics show less physical activity and more chronic diseases and the trans community suffers a lot, especially with addiction. “My goal is to make sure our community is healthy. When you don’t feel safe in your own body because of the government or your family, my goal is to be a representative, showing that you can feel safe and there is access to move your body. With my experience with our community, there’s such a dissociation because the body is so about the gender to the point where there’s a high prevalence of eating disorders, especially in the trans masc community. I want to keep advocating for preventative care and safe spaces where everyone can be themselves. Especially with wellness, which can be more binary.”
Running is a significant part of Donny’s life. He raised money for Point of Pride and ran on an all trans team in the Los Angeles Marathon this past March. “Being trans is already hard, but when you do something physically hard with your body, whether it’s running a marathon or showing up to the gym, there’s something that gives you empowerment, and I think our community needs that more than ever.”
There’s a vulnerability and danger that the LGBTQ community faces. According to the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center, one of the top concerns for the trans community is violence. Having the strength to defend oneself, or at least to physically move one’s body out of danger, is very important.
Donny has a background in trauma-informed care and lived experience as someone who is neurodivergent, which he says helps people feel a little more comfortable when reaching out for assistance.
As for the future, Donny says, “I want to build support, connect more deeply with the community, and create space for liberation. I want to be a resource for people who need it.”
Learn more about Free Will Health and Wellness at freewillpgh.com and follow on Instagram at @freewillpgh.