LTC's Member of the Month - January <~ Lori Mahn ~>
~ Lashley Training Center ~
By Sarah Elise
Go hard or go home.
Not the mentality of most, but definitely the mindset of our “Member of the Month” - Lori Mahn. As we roll into a fresh start in 2022, we celebrate the effort and energy that Lori brings to the LTC table. Whether at home, in the gym, or on the trails, Lori packs a punch full of knowledge, logic, wit, tenacity, and an eagerness to experience every square inch of life she can. In just 31 days in January, she’s attended (and crushed) 26 classes, sometimes tackling two in a night; and in the past six months, she’s taken 105 classes and counting. When asked how she’s enjoying her membership here at LTC, she exclaimed, “This was the BEST Christmas gift ever!” Her dedication to the Lashley Training Center is commendable, but it’s her natural zeal for life and bettering the lives of others that I find to be remarkably refreshing and contagious.
Born and raised in Mansfield, Lori entertained the idea of basketball for a year, pitched for her softball team, played clarinet in the band, and competed in Mock Trial before graduating from Madison High School in ‘86. She went on to major in Art History with a concentration in Interior Design at Kent State, earning Dean’s List regularly. College not only provided her with an education, but it also offered up a life-long partner in crime and company in the Reserves before becoming Active duty for the next 15 years.
Decades later, 30 years standing strong, now a devoted wife to her husband Gordon, Lori suggests that, “Compromise” and, “putting the other first,” are significant factors in their strong bond. Their commitment to one another eventually led to the creation of tiny humans who are no longer so tiny and the adoption of several fur babies. Her first born, Alaina, just recently gifted Lori with “Grandma status” after delivering a tiny human of her own this past January: a healthy, handsome grandson named Theo to join the family. Brenna, her middle daughter, recently relocated to New Orleans post-graduation from Calvin University (following her sister’s lead). Her youngest, Ethan, attends Rose Hulman Institute of Technology majoring as a Mechanical Engineer, and their Australian Shepherd Sage and cat Al complete the family Christmas photo.
Though an Ohio native, Lori has jumped around the country a great deal since leaving the nest. Due to the nature of her husband’s career with Battelle, Lori and Gordon have traveled and experienced more than most. Conceiving their first child on the West Coast in Monterey, California, they mixed it up with their second born on the East Coast in Bethesda, Maryland, before setting sail to Hawaii to create their third and final masterpiece. A military lifestyle might not be for everyone, but the Mahns take it in stride and find the positives wherever they settle down. Even during a time of chaos and confusion, Lori most recently resided in Tennessee, California and New Mexico for several months to assist in the efforts of sterilizing mass amounts of N95 masks for hospitals throughout the nation. The Mahns have set up shop all over the country, including Virginia, Texas, Maryland, Hawaii, and Maine (to name a few), but now call Centerburg, Ohio, their home.
Wife, mother, friend, Lori lives life to the fullest, for sure. When she’s not maneuvering escapes in Krav Maga, throwing elbow strikes in Fit to Fight class, or flipping tires in Bootcamps, this 54-year-young spicy Scorpio enjoys working out, completing projects at home, playing classical guitar, and overindulging in Kindle adventures. As a stay-at-home-mother, she has kept busy by homeschooling and tutoring children, creating backdrops for her church’s vacation bible school, and planning and preparing for challenging hikes on trails throughout the Upper Peninsula of Lake Superior. In 2019 and 2020, she and her 35 pound pack and gear have explored the East as well as the West Side of Lake Superior’s hiking trails including the breathtaking Pictured Rocks. In fact, it was these strenuous hikes in particular that led her to Lashley Training Center’s Fit to Fight classes in order to train intensely enough to withstand the long days spent trekking terrain with gear. Kilmanjaro is on her horizon, with just a few more Fit to Fight classes to get her ready to roll.
Lori’s tenacious outlook on life and the energy she brings to classes are enough to lock her in as Lashley Training Center OG’s January Member of the Month. Her best friend of 13 years and workout buddy, Sherri Penko, would agree - that where there’s a challenge, activity, event, or possibility to do something to make a difference - Lori will be there. With God in her corner, her faith set in stone, strong bonds among her friends and family, and a mentality of consistency over failure, NO obstacle stands a chance.
Congrats Lori!