550 miles separate UO junior Lexi Stevens from her home in the Bay Area. Like many first-year students, Stevens struggled to find community at UO when she arrived two years ago. That changed when she came across CHAARG, a club committed to combining friendship and fitness for college-aged women.
There are more than 110 chapters of CHAARG, or Changing Health, Attitudes + Actions to Recreate Girls, on college campuses nationwide. The organization’s mission is to unite women through a wide variety of workout classes, as well as social events and small groups.
CHAARG members will participate in one workout class a week, trying out local studios from Glow Yoga to the Downtown Athletic Club. Additionally, members will join a small group of eight to ten women that will meet for coffee, go for walks or hit the gym. There are also multiple socials a term, with activities fit for that given season. Last term included a cookie decorating event.
Stevens and her friend Natasha Carrillo, a fellow UO junior, joined the group together in 2021. The two now serve as vice president of media and president & ambassador, respectively.
Stevens is responsible for running all of CHAARG’s social media channels, which includes creating graphics and edits. Carrillo acts as the liaison between CHAARG’s UO chapter and Nationals.
“It’s just been an amazing experience to not only grow it with her and grow it with all of our other amazing exec members but to just be a part of something so moving and such a warm and welcoming community,” Stevens said in reference to working with Carrillo.
Anna Carpenter, a sophomore at UO, discovered CHAARG at last year’s Flock Party. Carpenter, who always had a passion for fitness, was immediately drawn to the community that CHAARG offered. When a spot opened on the group’s executive board, she ran for and won the position of vice president of membership.
“I’ve met some of my closest friends through CHAARG,” Carpenter said. “Every time I go to a workout, I’m just so happy to work out with the people next to me. Everyone is so positive. We do CrossFit sometimes, and I mean, it’s hard. But having everyone to motivate you and give you positive feedback is really helpful.”
Carrillo said that while going to the gym at UO can be intimidating, CHAARG has helped create a welcoming and inclusive space for her and others.
“My favorite part of CHAARG is creating that safe space for girls,” Carrillo said. “My freshman year, it was hard to find clubs that I was interested in, and now I feel like we’ve established ourselves pretty well known on campus. Hearing so much of the positive feedback from some of the girls is the most amazing aspect of it.”
To learn more about CHAARG and how to become a member, check out @oregon_inchaarg on Instagram.
