Philadelphia fitness instructor making human connections while giving back

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A Philadelphia fitness instructor has done two important things during the pandemic: make human connections and donate to charity.

Montgomery County, Pennsylvania native Ryan Lewis, is a master soul cycle instructor and founding fitness coach for Barry's Bootcamp. He's been one of the most popular fitness gurus here in the Philadelphia area, then a worldwide pandemic shook things up.

"It's turned us into not only fitness coaches but also audio-visual professionals overnight," said Lewis.

So while in quarantine, he began an organization called, Ryd3, which gives fitness devotees the opportunity to workout at home for a greater purpose, as all ticket sales for the classes were donated to the charity, Eagles Fight Autism.

"It reminds people that during a time that feels very divided, during a time where people, places and things are being canceled left and right, the one thing that will always make us feel safe is human connection," said Lewis.

He says part of that connection to those who take his classes is music. So he took it a step further by making all of the classes Taylor Swift themed.

"Every time it's like how can we outdo ourselves from the last time," he says, and outdo himself he did. Lewis planned and executed a socially distanced ride with 21 bikes at Lincoln Financial Field, at a very careful seven feet apart. In the end, he raised a whopping $15,000.

"I think people are in more of a giving mode than they are ever before just because you know their income isn't really going towards lifestyle costs because we don't have," Lewis says.