Soul Stories: Giovanni

Soul Stories is a series where we shine a light on the incredible individuals who make up our community. Each story will feature a different rider or instructor, sharing their unique stories, passions, breakthroughs and milestones. From inspiring journeys to everyday achievements, we aim to celebrate the diverse perspectives that enrich our community. 

Join us as we dive into their experiences and discover what makes our community so great.

Meet Gio. He’s the British-Italian SVP at Coach who now calls New York his home and is a part of the Soul community we affectionately call the Nomaddi Baddies. 

Describe your crew in one word.

Diverse. Everybody comes from different walks of life. 

How did the group first start coming together? When did you realize it was something special?

It started in Hudson Yards during the pandemic, when everyone was going through some heavy stuff. Riding together unified so many of us, especially with Trammel. So, when he moved to NoMad, we moved with him. 

We started going to brunch after class every Sunday across from the studio. Each week new people come and it gets bigger and bigger. That’s when we understood it was special: when we started to be in each other’s lives, not just the same classes. 

How has being a part of this community impacted your life?

It has changed my life. I’ve met all of my best friends in New York at SoulCycle. We travel together, we celebrate each other’s birthdays, we’ve gone through highs and lows together. My parents visited to celebrate their 60th anniversary and my entire SoulCycle family came. It’s been my way to develop a family in New York City as a foreigner. 

What motto does this group live by?

“1% better”, which was coined by our very own Lamar Johnson. We made tshirts for his birthday with the motto on them last year and we all travelled to Montauk on a 6am train to ride with him. It speaks to how we push each other, in class and out of class. Everyone’s an athlete in their own right and that’s why I love SoulCycle so much. 

What would the theme song for the crew be?

‘Drive’ by Black Coffee. Me and one of my best friends Emily met and this song was playing at that class with Tramell and now we’re travelling to Ibiza to see Black Coffee, so it has a very special place in my heart.

What’s something you get from SoulCycle that you don’t get anywhere else?

Community. I’ve tried so many different classes and I also go to the gym, but the diverse community that SoulCycle has is special. That’s because it’s not just about what you do in class, it’s also about what you take with you after class. 

We love connecting to our community. If you’d like to be featured in our Soul Stories Series send us your story here. 

Let’s keep riding together. We’ll see you on a bike soon.