Pam Hall: A woman of tenacity, heart and faith

Meet Pam (Hendricks) Hall, whose life weaves together the tenacity of a fighter, the heart of a helper, and the faith of someone who has seen God’s hand in every season. Growing up in Marion and eventually settling in Fairmount, she, along with her husband Mark, raised their family in a community that reflects her values. As a personal trainer, she has spent more than three decades encouraging people toward health and confidence. Along the way, she has faced life-altering accidents, a neurological disorder, and seasons of deep personal loss — each one reshaping her identity and deepening her compassion. Today, Pam’s fitness studio (F.I.T.2help) is more than a place to work out; it’s a hub where people of all ages find encouragement, connection, and hope, and where Pam continues to live out her belief that strength often comes through the most unexpected doors. Read her story below in her own words.

Early Life & Family Background

I am a daredevil. I can't be a daredevil like I used to be, because my body doesn't work the same, but you give me a cliff to jump off of, or tell me I can't do it … well, if I was told I couldn’t do it, my challenge was to prove that I could.

The youngest of six kids, I grew up in Marion and moved to Fairmount when Mark and I got married. We wanted to raise our family in a small town. 

I’ve learned a lot from my family, especially my mom. She is a beautiful example of the fruit of the Spirit. I hope one day to be like her, but I still have a lot to learn there.

My dad was the outgoing, talkative one. My mom was the quiet one. She has taught me how much you can say without words. She's also taught me how important it is not to be judgmental, even when I have convictions. She's taught me how to love. She's patient. Both my parents were pilots, and in their separate ways, they both were daredevils. I think I got that from them.

Family Life

Mark and I have been married 35 years and I am thankful we have come this far.  Mark has worked for UPS for 30 years.  He’s very good with his hands; he can fix almost anything.  He’s honest, a hard worker and loves his family very much.

Together we have four kids.  Courtney works in abstract and title work. Tristan, also good with his hands, is a CNC operator.  Meagan has a gift with animals and works as a vet nurse in a clinic and will soon marry our future son-in-law, Taylor. They all work in Indy.  Mackenzie is great with people and would love to own her own coffee shop one day.  She works in management at a coffee shop in Lafayette.

Time together and memories made with my family are priceless to me; birthdays that repeat too quickly, countless walks with our beloved animals, laughter around the table, and so much more.  I value being a mom and wife and cherish journeying the ups and downs of life together.  I am so thankful for their love and support.

Career & Business Journey

I've been teaching and working in the fitness industry since I was a junior in high school. As a personal trainer, I have a small fitness studio in Marion; I've been doing that type of work for over 30 years.

The studio opened in 2016, was my first brick-and-mortar location. I did personal training, taught aerobics, and worked in different gyms. I did corporate wellness, worked in people's homes, and managed Fitness Connection for years.

I love to work with and encourage people. There are awesome people (booty kickers) at my studio who come either to be personally trained or to work out. It’s a small studio, but I have a lot of regulars of all different ages. Some people who would not be confident to go into a big gym feel more comfortable coming into a smaller, safer space. What’s beautiful about work is I get to see a good circle of people encouraging each other and encouraging me regularly.

Health Challenges & Resilience

I’ve learned a lot from split-second changes, many times through accidents – through being hit by a semi when I was a junior in high school, through a surgery that put me on a cane for four years, through a tank accident that left me with five broken bones, through a motorcycle accident. The different accidents I've had have shown me how things can change in a split second. But those places where we just have to “go with it” are the places we build hope.

In 2002, I was in a fitness challenge, but I ended up breaking those five bones through my pelvic area. That was a big setback for me. I have dystonia, a neurological movement disorder that causes muscle jerking, and the accident brought it out more.

Then I had surgery in 2013 that put me on a cane for four years. I had to learn to walk again because the surgery triggered my jerking. At times I felt freakish in my movement with the jerking or in losing my voice. Sometimes I still have spells with it. God has kept the doors open, though. There are times that I would have completely quit what I do since I can't do it very well anymore myself. But I still love it and believe in it, so I keep going.

Faith & Life Lessons

My faith is very important to me. I see God as my rock and my friend; I am thankful for all the grace He gives. And I want to grow more in that; it's very important to me.

One of my biggest gifts has been doing Blankets2Bless, where we give away blankets to those who need an extra special blanket hug. One year when I went to the Mission to bless them with blankets, I literally didn't have a voice. My girls couldn't help because they were in college. Mark couldn’t help because of work. I talked to my mom, who was in rehab in the nursing home; she always encouraged me to never give up, so I went on my own.

Some of the men from the mission were helping me: The men receiving the blankets laughed for me, they spoke for me, and I walked away realizing I didn't have the identity I like to claim, yet I might have had a bigger voice without it.

It's okay to have your identity changed to really figure out who you really are.

I think there's a place where who you feel like you are changes, maybe without even thinking about it. Take for instance, the accident where I had five broken bones. My family was taking care of the kids, and I really had to learn to walk again, and then I was diagnosed with Dystonia, yet I was a personal trainer! My identity was turned upside down.

I wanted my identity to be that I was tough, yet now I realize that toughness isn't what it's all about. Learning to be transparent makes us better people. We’re stronger when we can be more real rather than hide who we are. I’ve tried to build my identity on a lot of different things that made me a more fake person than what I hoped to be. Ironically, I get closer to people by putting down that identity I’ve tried to build and just being a real, down-home, country trainer.

I value authenticity. I've learned that it’s hard to be real, but I’m trying to be a more authentic person. It's not a comfortable place to be, because I'd rather have a happy-go-lucky identity.  

Overall, throughout my life, my weakest physical places truly are my strongest places. And God challenges me to be vulnerable enough to be weak even when I put on a good, strong face.

 It doesn't take a lot to be happy. You just gotta rest enough to enjoy it. People need to slow down, including me. As for me, I'm just simple. And simple is good.