The Rural We: Cheryl Malloy
The retired Connecticut state trooper has found a second career in the fitness and wellness field.
The founder and owner of What Works in Bethlehem, Conn., Cheryl Malloy was a state trooper before she became immersed in the world of fitness, nutrition and wellness. She grew up in Bethlehem and Litchfield, and started her law enforcement career as a dispatcher, working in various places including the narcotics unit statewide and at the headquarters in Middletown. When she retired in 2009 as a lieutenant colonel, she was ready for her second career.
I’m a firm believer that things happen for a reason. Being a state trooper was a good career, but I knew at a young age that I wanted to help people. I just didn’t know what form that would take.
I’ve always exercised — I loved tennis when I was in high school and as an adult always ran, even doing marathons. After I retired, I started going to the gym and got my training certification. I was teaching classes there, and when the gym was sold at the end of 2016 my husband and I started transforming our garage into a studio so I could do personal training. That turned into small group training, and then I bought some spin bikes a friend-of-a-friend was selling. The classes kept evolving from there. Now we offer spin, boxing, total body conditioning, yoga and other classes.
I call them classes, but I’m trying to get away from that term. It’s really small group training. I’m a stickler for form, and want to see that people are doing everything safely and correctly. The people who come are looking for a small, supportive community and accountability. I teach the majority of the classes, but I have some wonderful people who also instruct. I also do wellness coaching and fitness nutrition consulting. My hope for people is that they get rid of the scale; it doesn’t reflect if you’re healthy or not. “What Works” was named because I want people to find what works for them.
The newest part of the business is What Works Next Door. The house next to ours belonged to my late father and his wife. When she was looking to sell it, we realized it would be a perfect place for families to come together, to cook, exercise, just sit and talk without having to go anywhere. It’s also a great space for corporate retreats. I bought the house in 2018 and we’ve just recently finished redecorating and setting it up.
My husband, Dwayne, has always been my greatest support and, without him, I would not have ventured down this path in 2016. Heck, he gave up his garage for me! But seriously, he has my back always, as do our four kids. They are a huge piece of the backbone for What Works, though I emphatically believe the members are as well; we evolve based on their needs and desires.
