 Taking the Plunge. Lori Patterson, creator of Boot Camp Challenge™ (BCC) based in St. Peters, Missouri, has been involved in fitness for many years. “I entered the fitness industry 23 years ago, before it was technically an ‘industry,’” she says. “I started as a sales representative for a health club, and teaching group exercise classes was mandatory.” She later joined the U.S. Army and was sent to Kaiserslautern, Germany, which became the starting point for a flourishing fitness career. “It was during my military tour that I was asked to provide a workout program for our battalion during the winter months,” Patterson recalls. “Teaching group exercise to 300 troops at 6:00 AM was definitely a challenge.” 

When her tour ended, Patterson returned to school to obtain an advanced degree in mass communications. She worked full-time in the media industry, but still kept a foot in the gym door and managed a group exercise program in her spare time. According to Patterson, she had no idea 