Revival Run Crew Builds Queer Community Through Movement

Finding fitness spaces that provide a sense of liberation, inclusivity, and belonging can be a struggle for many within the LGBTQ community. Personal fitness trainer Emma Weyand understands this problem all too well, and together with her partner and co-founder Itzel Ibarra, she is striving to help queer people pursue their wellness journey in connection with others. Since May of 2025, the Revival Run Crew has been building these connections for over 80 members in the Houston area—and for Weyand and Ibarra, this is just the start.

After moving to Houston from Chicago, Weyand, 30, was in search of a supportive queer community. As Weyand began working as a barback at Pearl Bar, she quickly found just that.

“I was super lonely in Chicago, and when COVID hit, I knew I didn’t want to stay there. So I moved to Houston with nothing,” Weyand recalls. “I came to Pearl, and right away I was talking with people. Soon after that, I got a job there, thanks to Julie Mabry. Everyone was so supportive, and I feel that’s how Houston is in general.”

Weyand credits Pearl for both being the foundation of her Houston community and where she met Ibarra, her key to forming the Revival Run Crew. Being together for nearly two years now, Weyand and Ibarra have found a flow that makes co-leading Revival play to their strengths. “I couldn’t do this without her,” Weyand says.

Outside of Revival, Ibarra, 31, is an account coordinator for the Korean skincare brand Peach & Lily. As co-founder of Revival, she brings structure and a unique perspective on inclusivity to the couple’s business.

“I have a heart condition that limits what kind of cardio I’m able to do, which includes running,” Ibarra notes. That’s one reason she makes sure the club is welcoming to people at all fitness levels.

“There are a lot of people who want to go outside and do something healthy, but either can’t run due to health issues or feel like they aren’t ready to,” Ibarra says. “Encouraging them to go at their own pace allows them to make friends without feeling pressured to run.” 

Beyond being “pace-inclusive,” Weyand notes that part of what makes the run club special is in its queer identity. “I’ve been working for ten years, and I still feel uncomfortable in the gym and other run clubs because no one looks like me—everyone’s so straight.” As a queer run club, Revival’s mission is to ensure its members feel comfortable and capable in their wellness journeys.

The Revival Run Crew is also unique in its approach to mixing community health with community advocacy. Weyand and Ibarra see a lack of opportunities for queerness to thrive in the fitness world, and so the run club doubles as a space that promotes collaboration and visibility for local queer causes. Revival has collaborated with queer-owned companies like Moyo Froyo and local queer artists like DJ Furor, gathered food supplies for the Montrose Center’s Law Harrington Senior Living Center during the government shutdown, partnered with the local nonprofit Triple A Alliance to aid transgender communities, and even assisted in the campaign for newly elected City Council Member Alejandra Salinas.

While Weyand and Ibarra are not originally from Houston, they cite the city’s hospitality and diversity as a major part of their professional and personal journeys. For Ibarra, the experience of coming out at the age of 24 with two children was particularly shaped by the city.

“My parents are from Mexico, and working here they encountered a lot of queer Hispanics,” Ibarra says. “It made coming out easier than I expected, and made me realize how accepting the culture in Houston is.”

The sentiment of finding liberation in Houston’s queer community is one that also resonates with Revival members. Tammy Van, a member from Orlando, cites the run club as helping her step out of her comfort zone and create new relationships. “It’s difficult to find ‘third spaces,’ so this was a really great way for me to make new queer friends,” she says. Another member, Desiree Brown, echoes the sentiment during a post-run chat.

“This run club is beyond community,” Brown says. “The friends I make here aren’t limited to the runs, so it feels like I’m building lifelong friendships as we go through this mutual experience together.”

For Ana Tenorio, also known as DJ Furor, the club gives her the opportunity to connect her love of music with the LGBTQ community. “We had a collaboration where I played music for the members after their run—it’s amazing to bring their world of wellness and my world of music together.”

The Revival Run Crew is only one part of the Revival brand. A Revival app is set to launch an online personal training program for queer communities this month. The program will provide meal plans, workouts, feedback, and a community of members virtually accessible via group chat. Weyand aims for the program to be more affordable and interactive compared to other online fitness models, with the goal being to help build accessible support for people wanting to enter a variety of fitness spaces.

Though relatively new, the club has gained meaningful traction and community support. Weyand and Ibarra plan to keep expanding the community they’ve cultivated through Revival and continue helping queer people find confidence in their wellness journey.

“One run, one walk, one workout can start a whole new chapter for you,” Weyand says.

Ibarra recalls when a new member of the club missed the first two runs because she felt anxious and could not bring herself to leave her car. The member eventually found the courage to join in a run, and has since become an active runner with Revival. “All you have to do is get out of the car!”

To join the Revival Run Crew or learn more, visit Instagram @revivalruncrew and  follow co-founders Emma @this.iss.emma and Itzel @mynameissitzel.