Owner Stories
STUDIO OWNER STORIES: NIKI MIRTORABI, BARRE3 FARMINGTON VALLEY
Meet Niki Mirtorabi, co-owner of barre3 Farmington Valley. Niki first discovered barre3 in 2018 after having her second child. She immediately loved how the barre3 Signature class was achievable, yet provided the intensity she was searching for to grow stronger in body and mind. In April 2021, Niki certified as a barre3 instructor; one year later, she became co-owner. It wasn’t until February 2024, however, that Niki fully realized the power of barre3 after experiencing a stroke that left one side of her body very weak and at a disadvantage. In honor of National Stroke Awareness Month, Niki is sharing how barre3 aided in her recovery as she regained her strength to get back behind the mic, and why she’s so passionate about sharing her experience with others.
B3 BLOG: Thank you for speaking with us today, Niki! You have a unique story to share about how barre3 recently aided in your recovery from a stroke. Can you start by giving us some insight into the initial stroke experience?
NIKI: Happy to be here and share my story! When I had the stroke in February 2024, I was working out four-to-five days a week and eating very healthy, so it was completely unexpected. The morning of the stroke, I had arrived home after dropping my kids off at their ski lessons. I walked in the door and, 30 seconds later, had the stroke. All of a sudden, one side of my body went numb and I became very dizzy. I went to the hospital and was initially misdiagnosed. The doctors told me it was likely a panic attack and sent me home. Luckily, the next day, my primary care provider called and ordered an MRI, which confirmed I had experienced a stroke. I ended up being in the hospital for a week.
B3: Thank you for sharing those details with us. That must have been scary. What were the early days of recovery like once you left the hospital?
NIKI: Since the stroke hit on the stem of my brain, it affected my balance, vision, and overall stability. At first, I continued to feel very unbalanced when walking, which was my biggest struggle. The doctors advised me to slowly start to get back into a normal routine. During this initial recovery period, the outreach I received from my barre3 team and clients was incredible! I’d never seen anything like it – the willingness to assist with whatever I needed, the food and flowers deliveries… It was unreal.
B3: It’s heart-warming – and not at all surprising – to hear that your barre3 community was so supportive! Aside from the community support you received, how did the barre3 workout factor into your recovery once you were well enough to return to the studio?
NIKI: My entire physical and mental recovery centered around barre3. My goal at first was just to work the Front Desk to be around clients again. My next goal was to take a barre3 Signature class. It was about a month after returning home from the hospital that I achieved that goal! During that first class, I took lots of modifications, I didn’t go down to the floor because of the instability I was still experiencing, and I did most of the class without props. My next goal was to teach a class, and I did so after only a few weeks of regularly attending barre3 classes again. That first class back was very emotional – during breathwork, I was bawling!
B3: What an incredible moment that must have been!
NIKI: It really was! From an endurance standpoint, I was at such a deficit after the stroke. My commitment to regularly taking barre3 classes helped me regain stamina so I could teach again. I truly credit barre3 for helping me recover mentally and for allowing me to get back to my regular teaching schedule – including b3 Cardio – just three months after the stroke. The studio community, the modifications, the class structure, the camaraderie, and the judgment-free zone that is engrained in barre3’s mission – it all played a part.
B3: The barre3 community is truly like nothing else.
NIKI: The community is what makes barre3 different! I could be in the worst mood, but without fail, something within me changes every time I walk through those studio doors – I can’t explain it. You feel part of something bigger. The studio is our gathering place. It used to be that friends would get together over a cup of coffee. Now, I hear people say “let’s meet at barre3.”
B3: You’re so passionate about sharing your experience with others. Do you have any advice to individuals who are supporting a loved one or friend in their stroke recovery?
NIKI: It’s important to set micro goals and acknowledge where you are in the moment. Take it one day at a time, give yourself grace, and know that there are so many different outcomes to a stroke; there is no one size fits all approach to recovery.
B3: What would you like to leave our community with today?
NIKI: Sharing my story and educating others is so important to me. When people think about a stroke, they tend to imagine older individuals. I want to spread the message that it can happen to anyone, so that people get the care they need if it does happen. All things considered, I am very thankful. I truly believe in the saying, “everything happens for a reason.” I now know the reason I took my first barre3 class was twofold: so that it would lead me to where I am today [as co-owner of barre3 Farmington Valley], and, eventually, to provide me with the community and movement I needed to help aid in my stroke recovery.![]()
Thank you, Niki! Follow barre3 Farmington Valley on Instagram or take class in-studio.
Learn more about opening a new barre3 studio in your community, or purchasing/converting a studio, by completing our Franchise Sales Interest Form. Once you submit your information, the Franchise Expansion team will connect with you.
Meet Niki Mirtorabi, co-owner of barre3 Farmington Valley. Niki first discovered barre3 in 2018 after having her second child. She immediately loved how the barre3 Signature class was achievable, yet provided the intensity she was searching for to grow stronger in body and mind. In April 2021, Niki certified as a barre3 instructor; one year later, she became co-owner. It wasn’t until February 2024, however, that Niki fully realized the power of barre3 after experiencing a stroke that left one side of her body very weak and at a disadvantage. In honor of National Stroke Awareness Month, Niki is sharing how barre3 aided in her recovery as she regained her strength to get back behind the mic, and why she’s so passionate about sharing her experience with others.
B3 BLOG: Thank you for speaking with us today, Niki! You have a unique story to share about how barre3 recently aided in your recovery from a stroke. Can you start by giving us some insight into the initial stroke experience?
NIKI: Happy to be here and share my story! When I had the stroke in February 2024, I was working out four-to-five days a week and eating very healthy, so it was completely unexpected. The morning of the stroke, I had arrived home after dropping my kids off at their ski lessons. I walked in the door and, 30 seconds later, had the stroke. All of a sudden, one side of my body went numb and I became very dizzy. I went to the hospital and was initially misdiagnosed. The doctors told me it was likely a panic attack and sent me home. Luckily, the next day, my primary care provider called and ordered an MRI, which confirmed I had experienced a stroke. I ended up being in the hospital for a week.
B3: Thank you for sharing those details with us. That must have been scary. What were the early days of recovery like once you left the hospital?
NIKI: Since the stroke hit on the stem of my brain, it affected my balance, vision, and overall stability. At first, I continued to feel very unbalanced when walking, which was my biggest struggle. The doctors advised me to slowly start to get back into a normal routine. During this initial recovery period, the outreach I received from my barre3 team and clients was incredible! I’d never seen anything like it – the willingness to assist with whatever I needed, the food and flowers deliveries… It was unreal.
B3: It’s heart-warming – and not at all surprising – to hear that your barre3 community was so supportive! Aside from the community support you received, how did the barre3 workout factor into your recovery once you were well enough to return to the studio?
NIKI: My entire physical and mental recovery centered around barre3. My goal at first was just to work the Front Desk to be around clients again. My next goal was to take a barre3 Signature class. It was about a month after returning home from the hospital that I achieved that goal! During that first class, I took lots of modifications, I didn’t go down to the floor because of the instability I was still experiencing, and I did most of the class without props. My next goal was to teach a class, and I did so after only a few weeks of regularly attending barre3 classes again. That first class back was very emotional – during breathwork, I was bawling!
B3: What an incredible moment that must have been!
NIKI: It really was! From an endurance standpoint, I was at such a deficit after the stroke. My commitment to regularly taking barre3 classes helped me regain stamina so I could teach again. I truly credit barre3 for helping me recover mentally and for allowing me to get back to my regular teaching schedule – including b3 Cardio – just three months after the stroke. The studio community, the modifications, the class structure, the camaraderie, and the judgment-free zone that is engrained in barre3’s mission – it all played a part.
B3: The barre3 community is truly like nothing else.
NIKI: The community is what makes barre3 different! I could be in the worst mood, but without fail, something within me changes every time I walk through those studio doors – I can’t explain it. You feel part of something bigger. The studio is our gathering place. It used to be that friends would get together over a cup of coffee. Now, I hear people say “let’s meet at barre3.”
B3: You’re so passionate about sharing your experience with others. Do you have any advice to individuals who are supporting a loved one or friend in their stroke recovery?
NIKI: It’s important to set micro goals and acknowledge where you are in the moment. Take it one day at a time, give yourself grace, and know that there are so many different outcomes to a stroke; there is no one size fits all approach to recovery.
B3: What would you like to leave our community with today?
NIKI: Sharing my story and educating others is so important to me. When people think about a stroke, they tend to imagine older individuals. I want to spread the message that it can happen to anyone, so that people get the care they need if it does happen. All things considered, I am very thankful. I truly believe in the saying, “everything happens for a reason.” I now know the reason I took my first barre3 class was twofold: so that it would lead me to where I am today [as co-owner of barre3 Farmington Valley], and, eventually, to provide me with the community and movement I needed to help aid in my stroke recovery.![]()
Thank you, Niki! Follow barre3 Farmington Valley on Instagram or take class in-studio.
Learn more about opening a new barre3 studio in your community, or purchasing/converting a studio, by completing our Franchise Sales Interest Form. Once you submit your information, the Franchise Expansion team will connect with you.
