Curves owner to appear on cover of magazine

By DEB WUETHRICH

A Tecumseh woman’s face will soon be appearing on the cover of Diane magazine, the official Curves magazine. Nicki Wright, who owns the Tecumseh franchise of Curves for Women, spent most of Friday morning, April 20, posing for a professional photographer from Detroit who came to her home for the shoot. She spent the early portion of the morning in makeup with Monique Doyle of Adrian and her hairdresser, Missy Tomich from All About U in Tecumseh.

Diane magazine has a circulation of 39,000, and is also available for viewing by anyone in the world who has a computer and Internet service. Pretty heady stuff. For Nicki, however, the whole experience has given her a different perspective.

“I was honored to have been selected and very humbled,” she said, adding that it is also special to her how the whole experience came about because there is a connection to her late father.

Nicki was looking at the Curves International’s Facebook page when she saw a notice asking readers if they would like to be selected as one of the role models for Curves. There was an invitation to submit a story and a before and after picture, explaining why the applicant loved Curves and what it had meant to them.

“I was really close to my dad — my dad was my best friend — and he had a massive coronary when he was 57 years old,” said Nicki. Many in the Lenawee County agriculture community remember Bob Driscoll as one of the voices on the Michigan Farm Radio Network during the 1990s. She said her father had been misdiagnosed as having acid reflux attacks and his heart condition had gone undetected. “Things might have been different for him had we known,” she said.

Nicki was also pregnant and near her due date with her son, Stephen, now 11, at the time.

“I always said my dad and Stephen, met in passing,” Nicki said.
Her dad’s early passing served as an impetus and inspiration to work toward better, healthier habits for herself and her family, and also later for others when Nicki and her husband, Troy, decided to own and operate Curves in the Tecumseh Plaza nearly five years ago. Her initial challenge was to get back down to her normal weight following two pregnancies. The Wrights also have a daughter, Jenna, now 10.

“I enjoyed being pregnant,” said Nicki. “But it affected my weight and I was up to 199 pounds and had to get back down. Partly because of my dad being taken away so early, I do understand about health and fitness and how important it is.” She said when she was given the opportunity to help others through Curves, it felt like it was meant to be — something her dad would have wanted for her.

“I was given this destiny from someone up above, and I absolutely love it,” she said. “I love talking about health and fitness and watching people change and feel better, especially with our new weight management program.”

After seeing the Facebook blurb, Nicki wrote up her personal story, honoring her dad in the process.

“It’s funny how things happen because it had to be e-mailed by midnight, and I finished typing it up at about 11:30,” she said. “I gave it to Troy to read, and then submitted it. I was so honored when they selected my story.”

Nicki said she also finds it interesting that Gary Heavin, who co-founded Curves with his wife, Diane, also experienced a similar loss.

“His mother passed away from a heart attack, and we talked about our experiences one time and how important it is to stay strong and healthy,” she said. “I do understand about health and fitness and how important it is. I’m very honored by the attention.”

Nicki’s cover shoot will appear on either the May, June or July cover of Diane magazine.

“I’m still in contact with their creative designer,” she said. “They will notify me when they decide.”