Essay Sample about Cody Rigsby

Despite his success as a 34-year-old peloton instructor, Cody Rigsby has not always been dancing and singing along to Britney Spears.

Having grown up with a mother who was recovering from drug addiction after his father died of a drug overdose, Rigsby often experienced money problems and homelessness as a child (Blake, 2021). In middle school, Rigsby was desperate to take dance lessons, but his mother could not afford them. Instead, he shared his love of dancing with his classmates, teaching them dances from Britney Spears videos (Blake, 2021). Nevertheless, living in a conservative area of North Carolina made it difficult to truly express himself. He was often mocked for being gay. During high school, Rigsby became involved in show choir, musical theater, and even began taking free ballet lessons at a local dance studio (Nithi Shetty, 2021). A friend recommended an internship at the Broadway Dance Center in New York, so he moved there after saving money (Nithi Shetty, 2021). He told Washington Post, “I think part of it was me really wanting to escape North Carolina so that I could figure out me being gay, because there was so much shame there, and I wanted to experience a life where I could just start fresh” (Goldstein, 2021). While living in New York City, Rigsby was hired to dance for celebrities, such as Katy Perry and Pitbull (Nithi Shetty, 2021). He was even hired for events like the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show (Nithi Shetty, 2021). Soon after, a choreographer friend mentioned a new cycling company was looking for instructors. Rigsby's personality helped him land a job at Peloton as a fitness instructor. Peloton’s sales and classes soared during COVID 19 quarantine (Ruiz, 2020). Rigsby's fun, energetic personality in the classroom was enjoyed by many subscribers. Today, Cody Rigsby is still instructing at Peloton and just finished performing in the latest season of Dancing with the Stars (Blake, 2021). 

The partnership between Cody Rigsby and Peloton has led to new opportunities and sponsorships. With Peloton, Rigsby instructs a variety of classes, but his most popular is his cycling classes, where he motivates the audience with fun pop music. Other classes he offers include strength classes off and on the cycle. In addition to Peloton, Rigsby has many sponsor partners. Chobani is a frequent sponsor. On his Instagram, Rigsby drinks Chobani protein shakes after workouts. Other companies featured on his page include Adidas, Capital One, Therabody, and Colgate. 

Cody Rigsby is active on a variety of social media platforms. He does not have a website but uses Peloton instead. Rigsby has recently appeared on television shows such as Dancing With the Stars and The Kelly Clarkson Show. TikTok and Twitter are rarely updated. His TikTok videos fluctuate between fun ones with his partner and sponsored ones with Chobani and Peloton. Twitter is very sparse, mainly consisting of replies to tweets. Rigsby's second largest follower base is on Facebook. Here he posts articles and reminders like, "Just a little reminder. YOU ARE FIERCE!". Since a majority of his followers are middle-aged women, Facebook serves as a great way to connect with them (Blake, 2021). In addition to Twitter and Facebook, Rigsby has an Instagram account with almost one million followers. His posts range from everyday life to gym photos to sponsor pictures. Instagram helps Rigsby gain credibility with a younger audience.

A person's values are an important part of their identity. Cody Rigsby shows his values and openly discusses them in his classes. Authenticity is one of his main values. In an interview with People magazine, Rigsby speaks about how society views everything through a filter (Kimble, 2021). Instagram poses a major problem in conveying an unrealistic view of what people should be like. Rigsby then states, “Showing that authentically inspires other people to laugh, to not take themselves so seriously, not to take their workout so seriously” (Kimble, 2021). The world knows when you are putting on a persona, and Rigsby is his authentic self and isn't afraid to show that. This leads to his next values: love and acceptance. Rigsby struggled to express himself as a child in a small conservative town. Peloton offered Rigsby the chance to be himself. In an interview with Vogue, Rigsby discusses that his Peloton classes are used as a Trojan horse for acceptance (Ruiz, 2020). Through his classes, Rigsby illustrates what a gay man is and how people can open up their hearts to understanding and changing their perspectives on the LGBTQ+ community. He relates this with a story about a woman he encountered at a pride event (Ruiz, 2020). Rigsby was approached by a mother of a transgender child who said having him as an instructor enabled her to accept and understand her child more fully (Ruiz, 2020).. After sharing this experience Rigsby expressed, “If I'm creating change in the world, even if it was just one person at a time gives me immense pride” (Ruiz, 2020). Some of his students have even come out to their families as a result of Cody Rigsby's guidance in some of his classes (Ruiz, 2020). Love and acceptance are two of Cody Rigsby's core values when it comes to himself and teaching others. A final value that is expressed in Rigsby’s teachings are motivation and its relation to mental health. Finding joy in what you enjoy and love is an important aspect of motivation. For Rigsby, he creates workout plans that he will enjoy so he can both motivate others and motivate himself (Campbell, 2021). He also advises people to figure out what gives them joy in life (Campbell, 2021). If you love working out, staying motivated and showing up will become second nature to you. Rigsby is a strong advocate for mental health, and openly talks about it. A large fan base grew around Rigsby's classes in 2020 during quarantine (Ruiz, 2020). Rigsby expressed his goal was to keep people motivated and to relieve stress in a time when the world as a whole was experiencing extreme stress (Nithi Shetty, 2021). At a time when mental health at the time was at an all-time low for many, he stated the importance of mental health in fostering motivation. He used his class as a means of motivating himself and others.

Many of these values that Cody Rigsby displays when instructing his classes and speaking in interviews align well with my own values. During a time where mental health is one of the top priorities, it's encouraging to know that people like Cody Rigsby are trying to help others improve their own. Throughout the past year, I have had to learn how to stay motivated to keep my mental health in check. Fitness has been a great outlet for this motivation. It was a love-hate relationship at first, but I soon started to make a habit out of it. As a result, I often find myself reflecting my motivations onto others, trying to be optimistic for them when they cannot do the same for themselves. When I am mentally grateful, I naturally reflect that onto others. Authenticity is such an important value to me. In an age where it's hard to tell if someone is who they claim to be online, it can be hard to feel okay with yourself. It is an ongoing battle of understanding and loving who you are. Cody Rigsby is a great example of someone who is trying to teach others how to love themselves. It makes me feel better about who I am. Furthermore, I enjoy his value of love and acceptance. Through my experience with many different people from many different backgrounds, I have learned how to be more accepting and not quick to judge others. Rigsby does a great job at teaching others the same, and his desire to help others in difficult circumstances is extremely admirable. I respect him a lot for that. A true influencer is a man who isn't afraid to be himself or show vulnerability. That is Cody Rigsby. From being homeless when he was younger, to becoming an influencer in the fitness industry, he displays gratitude towards life and the opportunities he has been given. His workouts seem secondary to his discussions with his audience.

Cody Rigsby does not have negative attributes that I have seen. His job with Peloton is the only possible negative aspect. The only people who are able to watch and use Cody's classes are those who have a Peloton membership. A small group of people experience the many positive impacts Cody Rigsby has on others. The only way to even see how his classes run is to watch small clips. The many values Cody Rigsby represents need to be understood by more people. I can learn a lot from Cody Rigsby. His gratitude for life and what he has accomplished is one of the largest aspects of his character. During a chaotic time like these, it can be difficult to remember the positive experiences we have had. I have to keep in mind that many people don't get the same opportunities as me. One of Rigsby’s quotes I enjoy is, "Instead of letting fear drive me, I landed in a space of gratitude and just taking every day as it is, and to celebrate what I can do in that day” (Madormo, 2017). I appreciate this quote from Rigsby because it reminds me to live life with gratitude rather than doubts and fear. I want to live my life like Cody Rigsby, who is not afraid to be vulnerable or optimistic.

I encourage you to take a few Peloton classes with Cody Rigsby if you have the opportunity. He is an American success story, who started from a closed off childhood to become one of the most genuine fitness influencers. Cody Rigsby is a rare influencer who is passionate about helping others find joy. In his classes, he teaches self-respect and encourages you to reach your fullest potential.