News

Peloton announced the all-new Peloton Tread will be available in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom on August 30. This new treadmill is different than the Peloton Tread+ that was released previously and voluntarily recalled back in May.

The new Peloton Tread combines Peloton's content and quality design with integrated safety features to create an efficient and engaging total body workout experience.

"Our goal is to be the go-to fitness solution and the largest and safest home fitness brand in the world," said John Foley, Peloton's CEO and co-founder. "We've worked hard to make sure the new Tread truly earns its spot in Members' homes. We'll always continue to innovate our hardware, software and safety features to live up to our commitment to Member safety and to improving the full Member experience."

The Tread was built with elements that make it easier for athletes at every fitness level to achieve their goals with motivating total body workouts. Design elements like the intuitive speed and incline control knobs and jump buttons create a seamless experience that, combined with Peloton's signature classes and Instructors, redefines what a running-based workout can be.

The Peloton Tread features:

• 23.8" HD touchscreen with integrated speakers: Transition seamlessly between the Tread and the floor during your workout. The screen tilts up and down 50 degrees, so you can have the best possible view and sound while on the Tread, bringing you even closer to Instructors.
• Designed to fit your daily routine: At 68" L x 33" W x 62" H, Tread measures smaller than most couches and fits comfortably in most homes.
• Thoughtfully designed running platform: Tread has a 59" traditional belt to allow for uninterrupted runs.

The Peloton Tread includes the latest in software and hardware safety features to help Tread owners stay focused on their workouts, including:

• Tread Lock: A four-digit, digital passcode that each authorized user will need to enter to unlock the belt before a workout. All current Peloton Tread owners, both those with an All-Access Membership and those without, have access to the Tread Lock safety feature.
• Safety Key: The physical safety key helps a runner come to a quick stop during a class if needed. The safety key is also removable so that it can be stored away from the Tread to prevent unintended use.
• Intuitive design: Every part of the Peloton Tread is designed to remove any barriers or distractions between runners and their goals. The speed and incline knobs are conveniently placed on the side rails, falling within a runner's natural arm swing so users can simply roll the knobs up or down mid-run to change the intensity of their workout. Runners can also immediately stop with an easy to find Stop button.

Customers will be able to purchase the Peloton Tread for $2,495. The All-Access Membership, which enables Members to access Peloton content using the Peloton Tread, is separate.  

Wodapalooza is back for a 10th year in sunny Miami and will take place January 13 - 16, 2022.

What began as a grassroots 1-day fitness competition with 145 athletes and 500 spectators in 2012, Wodapalooza (WZA) has since established itself as the world’s premier Functional Fitness Festival. The Wodapalooza brings together thousands of athletes, spectators and fitness fanatics to celebrate fitness, community and life for four days.

There are multiple parts to WZA Miami, the fitness competition (the foundation of WZA Miami), the Weightlifting Faceoff (1-day Olympic Lifting competition, WZA Strong (a hybrid competition of Strongman and functional fitness movements), the Gauntlet (an exciting and fast race through three workouts within an hour), and the spectator experience- which includes one of the largest collections of functional fitness vendors and exhibitors as well as spectator workouts and seminars.

SAVE THE DATES:

• Individual Online Qualifier: October 4 - 13, 2021
• Teams of 3 Online Qualifier: November 1 - 10, 2021
• WZA Miami: January 13-16, 2022

Keep an eye out for more information on WZA social channels and wodapalooza.com.

The Barry's strength and cardio interval training workouts that you love are now available on Barry's X, a community-driven digital fitness experience. Barry's X features both live and on-demand classes across the web and mobile apps, bringing Barry's signature Red Room intimacy, atmosphere, and camaraderie to a screen near you.

With in-person studios located in Aventura, South Beach, and Midtown, Barry's is the high-energy interval training workout that helped define the boutique fitness movement. Founded in 1998, the signature Barry's method has remained the same for the past 23 years because it works: a 50 minute class can burn up to 1,000 calories, increase lean body mass, and raise metabolic rate up to 15%.

In 2020, Barry's introduced Barry's At-Home and Barry's Outdoors allowing Barry's members to sweat together, live, utilizing Bodyweight, Bands, Weights and Treadmill & Weights classes.

"Innovation and community have always been at the core of what we do," said Joey Gonzalez, Barry's Global CEO. "Barry's X leverages proprietary technology to bring the key touch points of the Barry's experience and its signature Red Room into an elevated digital setting. Users can choose to "see and be seen" with the option to turn their camera on during class. This allows the brand's best-in-class instructors to offer personal attention while also bringing the excitement and camaraderie of working out next to other people to wherever you are."

"It was important for us to cap class capacity, to guarantee that participants receive the personalized attention they need to maximize their workout," continues Gonzalez. "Barry's participants will also have the opportunity to forge real connections with the Barry's community that can translate beyond the digital realm."

Barry's X features include:

• LIVE AND ON DEMAND CLASSES: Live classes enable participants to sign up, keep themselves accountable, and join a live fitness experience with other members of the Barry's FitFam. The on demand library offers participants the opportunity to take their favorite instructor whenever, wherever they like, with different class lengths available (express and full length classes).
• SEE AND BE SEEN: The live class experience offers participants the ability to have their camera on to share their video with the instructor for real time training, in addition to customizable privacy settings (such as allowing only the instructor to view the participant). Participants can also share their feed with just their friends in the class, or to the entire community – a true simulation of the real Red Room experience.
• LET'S GET SOCIAL: Participants have enhanced profiles featuring their photos and bios and the ability to connect with their friends to view their schedules, stats, and invite each other to take class.

All classes will be filmed at bespoke filming studios in major Barry's markets across the United States and utilize best in-class production capabilities and technology.

Learn more about Barry's X at www.barrys.com.

If the Exhale Spa at the Ritz Carlton in Bal Harbour is your go-to wellness sanctuary, now's your chance to make it known!

The spa was nominated for a World Spa Award and you can cast your vote for Florida's Best Wellness Resort.

Exhale blends fitness and spa for a total wellbeing experience. From a menu of fitness classes to facials, massages, and more, you will get recentered, rejuvenated, and reconnected with your best you.

Click here to show your support and vote for Exhale Bal Harbour!

A staple of the fitness industry here in Miami, Legacy Fit announced a new headquarters and future location of their Wynwood studio this morning. Coming in 2022, this new HQ is going to be a new 7,000 square foot facility in the new Strata Building.

Here is what we know about the new space so far:

• Features 25 foot ceilings and floor to ceiling glass
• Bigger P.I.T. space
• Custom private weight room area
• Two custom ice baths
• Traditional sauna
• IV suite with The Osteopathic Center
• A floating shipping container that will serve as an office and conference/ podcast room
• A private staff lounge
• A smoothie, beer, and wine bar

As founder and CEO Manning Sumner said in his Instagram post, Legacy Fit started as a small 2,500 sq ft personal training studio that opened at a dead end street after a recession in 2008 and grew to 6 locations in 2021.

"We feel this will elevate our @nodaysoff brand and enable us to showcase our P.I.T. concept in the heart of Wynwood, increase our creativity, growth and most importantly our ability to SERVE our existing & future members/community," Legacy Fit said on Instagram. "WE are just getting started! Thank you to EVERYONE that has supported us over the years, we would not be here without you! The LEGACY continues.."

We'll keep you updated with more info on this new location as it becomes available.

Watch highlights of the STAY FIT 305 Summer Sweat Series 2021, Powered by Michelob Ultra Pure Gold at the Eden Roc Miami Beach Hotel. The yoga flow was led by Kata Bilanchone and Natali Melani during Swim Week 2021.

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Watch highlights from our Wynwood Bootcamp at UNKNWN, Powered by NOCCO, featuring Miami fitness trainer Starr Hawkins.

Last month, well known CrossFit news publication, Morning Chalk Up, published an article that CrossFit was opening a public RFP to bid on the company’s biggest competition – The CrossFit Games. As a local CrossFit affiliate owner, and veteran in the community since 2009, I just know Miami needs to somehow submit a proposal. 

Knowing it is not as simple as responding to the public RFP, which has an official due date of September 1, I scrambled to tweet our CrossFit loving Miami Mayor, Francis Suarez.

It’s no secret that Mayor Suarez is a huge advocate for our local fitness community, and he showed that through his advocacy for many gyms in the City of Miami and his participation in the “Stronger Together” grouping of affiliates through the lengthy COVID-19 related lockdowns that that threatened the very existence of the Miami CrossFit affiliate.

Now feels like the right time for Miami to put in a bid to compete, not just at the CrossFit Games, but to host them.

What to know about the CrossFit Games

Miami is no stranger to larger competitions and the CrossFit Games are not your everyday event, which makes having the opportunity to host it even more exclusive. 

The first qualification stage for the Games, the Open, is billed as the largest participatory sporting event in the world, with over 415,000 athletes signing up to compete in 2018. The Games were sponsored by Reebok from 2011 to 2020 and now boasts NO BULL as their title sponsor.

The City of Miami is on fire, and that’s no secret. Much of this growth is attributed to our Mayor’s various campaigns to bring more business to our city and help impact our community in a positive way. Hosting the CrossFit Games would seem like a great next step in the continued growth of the 305.

Miami, as a host city, has the opportunity to capitalize on our experience with large scale events such as the Super Bowl, Art Basel, Emerge Americas, The International Boat Show, Orange Bowl, and the Miami Open, to name a few.

More notably within the CrossFit community, Miami has been home to Wodapalooza (WZA) since its debut in 2012. Founded by local CrossFit Games athlete, gym owner, and pioneer in the sport, Guido Trinidad, what began as a grassroots one-day fitness competition with 145 athletes and 500 spectators in 2012, has grown and is a clear indicator that CrossFit has a real presence here in Miami.

WZA, now hosted by Loud Live Sports & Events, has since established itself as the world’s premier Functional Fitness Festival and staple, offering the opportunity of a winter getaway for athletes from around the world. The CrossFit Games would be a perfect compliment to this annual stand-alone winter event.

The steps needed for Miami to land the CrossFit Games

Miami may already be late to the party. According to Morning Chalk Up, Sports Destination Management who issued the RFP, mentioned that any interested parties needed to submit a Letter of Intent to Bid to CrossFit by July 1. CrossFit HQ will request additional information about taxes, venue rental fees, or utility costs “if necessary” before making a final selection.

The good news? RFP response/proposals will be due by September 1, which will lead to CrossFit making a selection and setting up the final step. Contract negotiations will begin with the potential host city on November 15.

The CrossFit Games economic impact on the host city

According to an Ohio University Economic Impact Study cited in the RFP, the 2018 CrossFit Games made a $28.5 million impact on the city of Madison, Wisconsin where the games are currently held through 2022.

According to the RFP, The 2018 CrossFitGames averaged 17,000 spectators per day of competition. Attendees of the Games used 25,344 hotel rooms as 89% traveled to Madison for the CrossFit Games. 27% traveled internationally including athletes, entourages, and fans.

Think about what those numbers would look like in 2023 if hosted in Miami? Considering the convenience of international travel to and from Miami with our major airport and port access, it would seem like a logistical no brainer for the roughly 55,000+ guests who attend from all over the world. I also personally believe we could top that games visitor number should Miami be selected. Wodapalooza has already proven that Miami is a viable global CrossFit competition host city, supported by the massive local CrossFit community.

A selling point in the request for proposal is the transformation that takes place across the city. CrossFit specifically mentioned partnerships with local bars and restaurants to help create a memorable experience for attendees.

The economic benefit to the City of Miami as a whole, coupled with everything Miami has to offer, should be a clear indicator that Miami should “compete” to host the CrossFit Games, not just send our best athletes to them annually.

According to a new study by moveBuddha, Miami is ranked as the top 15-minute city in the United States.

The authors of the study described a 15-minute city as a city in which, wherever you live, everything you need is located within a 15-minute walk or bike ride away. The study looked at the nation’s 78 largest metropolitan areas, meaning a population of 250K+, and collected area data including walk and bike scores, access to dining, safety, child care centers, schools, medical facilities, and more.

Miami is the best city overall thanks to its high walk and bike scores, plus the highest scores for proximity to dining and parks, child care density, school density, and medical access.

According to the study, "Miami may not be the first city you’d suspect as a 15-minute locale, but thanks to a collection of small urban meccas across the city with pedestrian-friendly designs, the transformation is in full swing. Other efforts include projects like the Underline working to repurpose surfaces under the Metrorail into gardens, walking paths, and open-air gyms."

For more information about the study, or, for the complete list of 25 Best 15-Minute Cities in America, click here.

Canadian gym startup Silofit is expanding to the U.S. and will open a Miami office after raising $10.25 million in its first round of institutional funding, the company announced.

Silofit’s business flips the classic gym membership model. Instead of offering monthly subscriptions, the company rents out small, private gyms to individuals at an hourly rate ranging between $20 and $40, no strings attached.  

The startup takes advantage of undesirable real estate, leasing studios between 500 and 1,000 square feet, usually with no windows inside the basements of office buildings, and turning them into high-end gyms.

“Given COVID, it’s an opportune time because of our supply, the real estate is cheaper, and the demand is also higher because so many gyms have closed,” CEO and co-founder Wilfred Valenta told Commercial Observer.

The company will use the new funds to open 50 locations across the U.S., starting with about five locations in Miami. But, it has not signed any leases yet and is looking for locations in South Beach, the downtown area, and Wynwood, Valenta said.

Silo already has 20 locations across Montreal and Toronto, with more than 12,000 users and 3,000 trainers.

With plans to open its first U.S office in Miami, Valenta hopes it will serve as the fitness startup’s North American headquarters as the company grows and expands.

Similar to its retail leases, the company has yet to sign an office lease. It’s in the market for 5,000 square feet in Brickell and South Beach to house 25 employees. For the time being, Silofit is based out of WeWork’s Brickell outpost with one full-time staffer.  

Whitecap Venture Partners led the funding round with participation from other returning investors, including Courtside Ventures and Alate Partners.

The king of Miami’s nightlife, David Grutman, is a new investor. Both Zumba Fitness founder Alberto Perlman and celebrity trainer Harley Pasternak, who once trained pop star Katy Perry, have joined as strategic advisors.

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This was originally published on Commerical Observer by Julia Echikson and can be found here.

Another re-vamped park for Miami!

Brickell’s Southside Park is set to be rebuilt with a design by the firm that oversaw New York’s High Line. The park will also be connected to The Underline’s Brickell Backyard as part of the rebuild.

The plans for Southside Park include:

• An enclosed dog run with dedicated areas for small and large dogs
• seating areas
• water features
• opportunities for public art
• playgrounds for different age groups
• a new basketball court
• space for active programming such as movie nights and community sports events
• an expanded canopy with new trees, and existing mature trees preserved where possible

A historic school house in the park will not be touched, but landscaping and hardscaping will be added around it to highlight it.

Plans for the rebuild were submitted to the county in June. Miami-Dade is overseeing approval rather than the city of Miami due to its location in a rapid transit zoning area. JDS Development Group is funding the park rebuild as part of a land deal to develop the 64-story 1 South Park tower next door.

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This was originally published on The Next Miami and can be found here.

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Planet Fitness, home of the Judgement Free Zone®, is opening a new location in Miramar in early September. The new location will be at 12531 Miramar Parkway, near retailers including Five Below, Publix, Ross, and CVS.

The new facility will occupy 16,000 sq. feet of space and offer state of the art cardio machines and strength equipment, a 30-Minute Express Circuit, rowing machines, fully equipped locker rooms with day lockers and showers, HydroMassage loungers, massage chairs, tanning booths, Total Body Enhancement booths, and more.

“Planet Fitness Miramar marks the 20th club in South Florida for our Franchise group, and we’re excited to continue our growth in this market with more clubs coming in the near future,” said Shannon Meyers, Vice President of Marketing, PF Atlantic Holdings, LLC, a franchise division of Planet Fitness. “Finding the right gym can be intimidating, but Planet Fitness aims to make fitness accessible, affordable, and Judgement Free for everyone, as well as safe and squeaky-clean with our spacious clubs. We invite everyone to visit our presale office to learn more about the amazing amenities we have to offer in Miramar and take advantage of our limited-time presale membership offers.”

As an introductory special, members can join now before the club opens for 25 cents down and $10 a month with no commitment during the pre-sale, occurring now through early September. Stop by the presale office located at 12515 Miramar Parkway or join online at www.planetfitness.com/gyms/miramar-fl.

The PF Black Card® membership, which is $22.99 a month, includes additional amenities such as the ability to bring a guest every day at no additional charge and access to all 2,100+ Planet Fitness locations.

Planet Fitness prides itself on providing a high-quality experience at an exceptional value and being home of the Judgement Free Zone®, where members experience a hassle-free, non-intimidating environment. Membership includes a variety of other benefits, including brand name cardio and strength equipment, fully equipped locker rooms, flat screen televisions and free fitness training by a certified trainer through the PE@PF ® program.

For more information or to join online, visit www.PlanetFitness.com.

The 9th annual ZooRun5K & ZooKidsDash benefiting West Kendall Baptist Hospital and the Zoo Miami Foundation will take place on Saturday, October 2 at Zoo Miami.

The ZooRun5K and ZooKidsDash participants receive the following race day goodies.  

• Entry to Zoo Miami (valid for entry after the race)
• Premium themed race shirt
• Themed finisher medal
• Post-race festival and brunch featuring local restaurants, music, and dancing
• 50% off Zoo Miami admission for friends & family on race day
• Discounts and special offers from Zoo Miami and partners

Registration right now is discounted at $30 for adults and $20 for kids, with prices increasing after August 1.

Participants are also encouraged to dress up as their favorite animal and show their wild side!

For more information or to register for the races, click here for the Zoo's website.

While Peloton riders are devoted to their favorite instructors, the company is ready to enter the video game business.

Here is some of the preliminary information from Engadget.com:

Peloton is jumping in to the arena with its first fitness game titled "Lanebreak." The rhythm-based game is available on the fitness company's stationary bikes and has a simple setup: Players control a rolling tire on a track by pedaling and switching lanes with the resistance knob in the face of multiple obstacles. This being Peloton, the entire game is synchronized to a music soundtrack.

Lanebreak is the culmination of months of trials that saw select users playing mini games in two-week pilots. The idea is to export some of the core mechanics of gaming, chiefly rewards and progression, to incentivize Peloton members to exercise more. Music, according to Peloton, acts as the DNA that links its regular exercise classes with its new game in a bid to acclimatize novice players.

For now, Lanebreak is still in early access mode with a full launch planned for this winter.

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This story was originally published on Engadget.com by S. Shah and can be found here.

The University of Miami is looking for participants in an upcoming study on blood vessel health, body composition, and aerobic fitness, and they want to pay you to workout!

This 3-month program includes a 30-minute exercise program three times weekly for 12 weeks that can be done virtually via Zoom, or in-person at Sexy Sassy Strong in Brickell. The total time commitment also includes one hour of laboratory testing both before and after the program. Upon completion, participants will also be compensated for their time.

Volunteers for the study should meet the following criteria:

• Age between 18 and 45
• Gender is female
• BMI is between 25 and 45
• Non smokers
• Fluent in English

For more information on the study click here, or reach out to Gina Zito at gcz5@miami.edu.

ADAPT is proud to debut a 20,000-square-foot expansion to its North Miami fitness facility and announce the launch of its non-profit arm, ADAPT Foundation. The new space doubles ADAPT’s size and includes multipurpose courts, a parents lounge, locker room, and areas for programming that will take place under ADAPT Foundation, which will educate and empower local youth through wellness experiences that support lifelong personal growth.

Located at 14901 NE 20 Avenue, Studio A in North Miami, ADAPT was founded by Scott Grondin and Jorge Sanchez with the aim to create a comprehensive wellness center that emphasizes quality over everything. Passionate in their belief that physical activity and exercise fosters personal development and wellbeing, the expansion brings an opportunity for ADAPT to reach more members of the community and engage youth who are most in need.

“We’re excited to be able to expand our offerings and welcome even more members of the community into our ADAPT family,” said Jorge Sanchez, co-owner and director of performance at ADAPT. “We are passionate about the importance of physical activity and fitness for overall well-being, and it’s important to lay the foundation for that at a young age. Through ADAPT Foundation, we hope to provide a positive and productive environment for wellness experiences that support lifelong personal growth.”

ADAPT Foundation programming will include one-on-one mentorship focusing on nutrition, fitness and overall wellness as well as enrollment in ADAPT’s Youth Development Program (YDP) classes, which are geared to help young athletes to build power, speed, and athleticism. Participants will have the opportunity to join some of ADAPT’s other enrichment programs for all ages as well.

The expansion adds to ADAPT’s long list of amenities that include a functional fitness floor with top-of-the-line strength and conditioning equipment, recovery lounge, sauna, cold plunge, massage and therapy rooms. ADAPT’s fitness and specialty offerings include group exercise classes with four types of workouts, functional golf training, programming for kids and teens, and hybrid conditioning and technique-based sports training.

Its growing team comprises 30 expert wellness professionals including personal trainers, physical therapists, massage therapists, a dietitian and a yoga instructor. Individualized professional services include personal and semi-private training, Mindtap sports psychology coaching, nutrition counseling, and Chainwork physiotherapy.

Founded in 2015, ADAPT moved from a 6,000 square-foot facility to its current location last year, which opened just before the pandemic began. Despite the challenges of running a gym during a pandemic, the business found safe ways to operate, and quickly saw a need for expansion.

“We’re proud to announce this expansion after the year of uncertainty our industry faced during the pandemic,” said Scott Grondin, co-owner and director of operations at ADAPT. “We felt the impact pretty hard, having opened our new facility just six weeks before the shutdown, but we focused our additional energy on creating better systems and processes, educating our team, and improving and expanding our facilities to be prepared for the surge of demand that we saw coming on the other side.”

Scott Grondin and Jorge Sanchez founded ADAPT, Athletic Development & Performance Training, choosing to use an acronym that fit their goals and philosophy. Together, the duo worked to create a unique culture for their facility that focuses on improving the quality of a workout and correcting alignment and body positions in order to ensure the best exercise and prevent injury.

ADAPT’s four types of group fitness classes include Functional Strength Training, a full-body workout with functional movements; Torch, a high intensity interval training class; Flow, a sequence-based class that uses a single piece of equipment or tool; M.A.S.H. (Myofascial Release Active Stretch Habits) a maintenance class focused on releasing and lengthening tight muscles.. Membership prices start at $59.

For more information, visit trainadapt.com.

Registration for the 20th Anniversary Life Time Miami Marathon and Half Marathon is now open. The races will be held on Sunday, February 6, 2022.

Join runners from all over the world on a course that brings you across Miami and Miami Beach. Registration will be capped at 15,000 participants this year so make sure to secure your spot before it sells out.

The weekend also will include a family-friendly Tropical 5K race on Friday, February 5.

As an event, the Miami Marathon has evolved to become one of the fastest-growing annual marathons that hosts tens of thousands from around the world. Known for its scenic, USTAF-certified, flat, single-loop and Boston-qualifying course, the event attracts first timers and elite distance runners alike.

This year, participants have the option to complete their Life Time Miami Marathon, Half Marathon, or Tropical 5K virtually as well.

For more information and to register for any of the races that weekend, head to themiamimarathon.com.

The tallest diving platform in the western hemisphere soon will stand in Fort Lauderdale. Experienced divers will be able to plunge the equivalent of nearly eight stories from the 27-meter tower at the Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Complex. The rest of us will be able to climb to the top and contemplate it — without jumping.

The diving tower will be the first permanent structure of its kind in the western hemisphere and the second in the world, Laura Voet, manager of the aquatic center said. The other is in Zhaoqing, China.

It is designed to survive 146 mph winds, comparable to a Category 4 hurricane, she said.

“There’s a lot of excitement in the diving community,” Voet said. “They just think it’s awesome.”

Though the 27-meter platform will be available only to more experienced divers, community members will have the opportunity to dive off the shorter platforms and climb the tower’s 162 steps to the top, Voet said.

“You’ll be able to see what it’s like to walk up those steps and then contemplate what a diver’s thinking when they’re going up there,” she said.

Voet anticipates the diving tower will bring more swimming events to the area. People have already called to plan annual events at the center, which has been closed for renovation since April 2019 and plans to reopen next fall.

The platform, coincidentally, was set in place on the birthday of Fort Lauderdale High Diving World Champion Steven LoBue, Voet said.

LoBue was the first American to win a gold medal in the men’s 27-meter dive.

“It’s exciting for Fort Lauderdale,” Voet said. “It’s another first.”

This was originally published by Alex DeLuca in the Sun Sentinel and can be found here.