These Black Women Are Making Boston’s Fitness Scene More Inclusive

Ashley Mitchell, Barry’s Bootcamp Instructor*

Barry’s Bootcamp only has one African American instructor. Yep, that’s right. Only one. And her name is Ashley Mitchell. Previously a Soul Cycle and Orangetheory instructor, she has been teaching in the Red Room for two years now and says that this disconnect is what keeps people of color from trying a Barry’s class or hopping on a bike at Soul Cycle—because no one in the room, or leading the room, looks like them. “I think the more we can immerse ourselves in cultures other than our own, which extends farther than black or white, we develop a wider sense of empathy,” she says. “It creates a space that is more inclusive and eliminates this feeling of other that can exist.”

*As of 2024, Ashley is no longer affiliated with Barry’s Bootcamp