"We (Olivia and Darien) first met at Burgerama at The Riv on a Thursday when we should’ve been in class," said Olivia Harris of her connection to East Lansing. "You can go a couple miles down Michigan Ave., when the hospital was called Sparrow, and that’s where we gave birth to our daughter. My husband proposed to me at a garden on campus a few years ago."

The couple spent some time away from East Lansing to explore their careers post-grad, although the city always remained very important to the both of them. In 2020, Darien Harris was hired as the Director of Player Engagement for MSU Athletics, and the couple returned to their college town. After their return to East Lansing, Olivia Harris became pregnant with her and Darien’s daughter, which led to her discovery of pilates.

"During and after my pregnancy with our daughter, my fitness journey went on a different path," Olivia Harris said.

Straying from the path of being a student athlete and more regimented workouts, Olivia Harris learned how to have fitness goals without the mindset of "competing" or "training for something."

In trying all different kinds of workouts, pilates was one the one that stuck. Darien Harris recalled that after moving to East Lansing, Olivia Harris had to commute 25 minutes to the Pilates studio she liked. She was the one to suggest to her husband that they open their own studio.

"I thought it was a TikTok trend of like, ‘Ask your spouse the craziest thing and see their reaction,’ because I truly didn’t believe she was serious," Darien Harris said. "Then she was like, ‘No, for real.'"

Afterwards, the work on Recharged Pilates began. Olivia Harris had two major things in mind when it came to creating her dream studio. Firstly, being on Grand River Avenue, "where the heartbeat of the city is," she said. Getting a prime location on Grand River Avenue put Recharged right across the street from the MSU Broad Art Museum.

"I used the museum as inspiration when it came to picking out the interior design of the studio," Olivia Harris said. "I incorporated a lot of silver and chrome looks in here."

The second was ensuring the accessibility of the studio and equipment for all body types. This guided her search for the perfect pilates reformers and other pilates specific equipment.

"I’m the first studio in Michigan to have the brand of reformers I have, it’s called Your Reformer,” Olivia Harris said. “It’s an Australian brand so it’s really cool to be one of their first studios here."

On June 2, Recharged Pilates opened its doors to East Lansing.

"The response we’ve received has been incredibly humbling," Darien Harris said. "We’re just honored that we get to be a part of the community now in a different way."

This connection is something felt by not just Olivia and Darien Harris but also by other members of Recharged. Instructor Anne McDonough, who is also an MSU alumna, came back to work with Olivia after having met her through Pilates.

"I just kind of followed her (Olivia Harris) here because I fell in love with her and she’s such a great light," McDonough said.

McDonough also said she was "excited" by Olivia Harris' "vision for this studio."

McDonough currently drives from Ann Arbor to East Lansing a couple times a week, every week, to teach at the studio. Having done pilates her whole life, Recharged makes a full circle connection between herself and the city of East Lansing.

"A big part of my childhood was growing up here throughout college," McDonough said. "I feel like that’s when you really become your individual self. It’s very cool to come back with something that I love so much in a place that means a lot to me."