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Hello! Today is May 18th, 2024. We are at Africa on the Avenue. To start, Could you please tell me your name? Yes, I am Kim Ryan or Kimmie of Kimmie K Heavy Hoops. Perfect. And Miss Kimmie, could you tell me where you're from? Yeah. So I actually was born in DC, grew up in the DC. area. My family has Caribbean ties, though. Mother from Jamaica and father from Grenada. So. Yes.

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And could you tell me a little bit about your booth? Sure. Um, so again, I'm Kimmie of Kimmie K Heavy Hoops. So I do all things hula hoop—weighted, traditional, non-traditional, beaded hula hoops, which a lot of people don't know about. I actually craft and make those by hand. Um, and additionally, I teach hula hoop classes. So essentially, the booth is here. Yes. And most people think of hula hooping and they think of, you know, back in the day when we used to play. And that's great. Um, however, with mine, there's several different aspects that I like to really hone in on. One, there is a fitness aspect because they're heavy hoops, but that'll come regardless. For me, my hula hoops are a safe space and they're a healing space. Um, and I've learned that along the way. It's just the hula hoop has become so many different things for me that I didn't think it could. Awesome. So yeah, I hope to spread that joy and show it to other people, essentially. And what got you into that? Um, for me, it was, let's see, I'd say a craft turned career in the sense that I needed a way to work out when I no longer had access to a gym, or if it was winter and I couldn't always go outside. I needed something that I could do indoors, and it was fun, and I needed it not to feel like a workout. Um, so I started off by doing it in between. For example, if I was watching a TV show because when they're heavy and they're weighted, you don't realize you can't go as long as you think you could. So I started off bit by bit. I'd say, okay, let me hula hoop for this whole commercial break. And then slowly I graduated to songs and doing several songs and then just having fun with it. Um, so again, that is definitely what I hope to essentially convey to people. That's how I got into it. Um, and it is, like I said, just really become a safe space. I also refer to them as my portals. So for me, when I step inside the hula hoop, I can completely lose myself in a good way. Um, a hula hoop can be something. One of those workouts that you can turn it up as much as you want, or you can turn it down. You can have be feeling and having a lazy day. We're humans and that happens. So I always say pick up the hula hoop and don't think of it as a workout. Have it be your safe space. So if you had a tough day and you're feeling emotional, or let's say you got into an argument with someone at work, and oftentimes we play back all the stuff we should have said, you know what I mean? Well, the hula hoop can either tone it down for you, you put on something slow and just collect your thoughts and move, let your body move. Or if you really need to, you know, get out some of that anger or energy still. Then go ahead and put on some hip hop, put on some soca, some dancehall and pick up a four pound hoop and tell me after ten minutes if you still feel like knocking someone in, you know what I mean? So, um, that's what I really love about it. And that's what I want to be able to show people today. Um, if they end up walking away with one, great. But for me, I just want you to know the feeling that you can get with a hula hoop. Yeah.

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And where can people find you for those who are not? Yeah. So anybody that's not at this event, um, it's Kimmie K Heavy Hoops. You can either Google that and it'll bring you right to all of my pages. Again, that's Kimmie—the letter K—Heavy Hoops. It's the same for Instagram, TikTok, Facebook or just Google it. And everything you need will pop up as well. Yes, indeed. And I'm just going to do a little bit of a shift here. Okay. Um, and what ways do you connect with the community and connect your heritage with the community here in DC? So for me, the ways I connect one to the community and connect my heritage, I enjoy doing events like this, um, around the city and I mean all around the city, whether it is, you know, Lower Georgia Avenue, whether it is Wisconsin Avenue, whether it is Malcolm X Park all over the city, because I essentially I want to reach the masses. I personally do not have a brick and mortar storefront. That is my preference at this time. Um, because I want to be able to go out into the community and get this experience. It is more work, yes, but it's the connections we make. Again, the feeling that if I don't leave you with the hula hoop leaves you with and just creating that safe space. So I enjoy being able to bring that out to folks who really don't even know. That's what you can have. You can make it for yourself. You can set it. I enjoy bringing that community and letting them know, like, I'll create a safe space for you. You don't have to feel weird. You don't have to feel feel whatever you need to feel with me and these hoops. And then as it pertains to my culture and heritage. Um, well, this is DC, you know, so it's the mixing pot. Again, as I mentioned, I am of Caribbean heritage and upbringing. So you're going to find that all over DC. And it goes even further. You know us from the Caribbean. Many of us went through Ghana when it came to the slave trade. You know what I mean? Um, I actually recently took a trip there about a year ago. So it's just there's so many ways that you tie into the city and you tie into other people, and we walk so many of the similar paths of life. Not exactly or identical, but it's like you meet someone and. All you know. After talking to them for ten minutes, you realize you knew someone that was super close. And it happens more often than you think. And to me, this is not a coincidence. So we really tie in, and that's how I love seeing how my heritage ties in and how I can give back as well. Yeah. Awesome.

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Well, what was one of your favorite Caribbean dishes growing up? Oh, Lord. Mm. Where to start? I have always loved rice and peas and jerk chicken. Being a little bit older—I also always had a lot of allergies. So my allergies have shifted a bit. So I can't partake in as much of them as I love to. But as of late, I've really enjoyed roti. Um, and with roti—You have the roti skin and whatever filling you choose. Usually they have channa, which essentially is chickpeas and potatoes, and then you can get whatever meat, whether it's chicken or, um, curry goat or whatever. But as I mentioned, I have a lot of allergies. So recently I've kind of mastered a recipe and I've been tearing some roti up. So I need to—almost every day to maintain. But I'd say currently it's definitely roti. Um, and. What are some of your favorite spots here in DC?

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Oh favorite spots? Um, I also have a new one. This used to be one for my parents back in the day, and it's definitely changed. I'd love to see it really be rejuvenated again, but I recently got introduced to it, which is Malcolm X Park. I think I mentioned that earlier—over on 16th Street. It's just such a beautiful, beautiful space. I mean, you know, time things have happened and I feel like it definitely has the potential to be beautiful again. My parents enjoyed it so much when they were courting and dating. You know, they're married and here I am, you know, well into my thirties and my business and enjoying it. And so to go back when I first got there, I was like, oh, it's so beautiful, but I'd love to see what it could be. But at the same token, depending on when you go, for example, I recently went on a Sunday and I loved it on a Sunday. While it can still be so much more the people and the energy that people brought to the park, it was wonderful. I happened to teach a hula hoop class there that day. Um, so there were folks we grabbed their attention. They also happened to have a drum circle, so it was just a really good vibe where people just know they can come and catch a vibe. You can meet folks. There was a dog having a birthday. After class. We went with hula hoop to the drum circle and just, you know, flowed to that. So you can really just let go and connect with people at the same time. So I'd have to say at the moment I feel like it's Malcolm X, 16th Street. Um, and that drum circle I'm really digging too, they'll be seeing a lot more of me this year, every Sunday. Yes, yes. Um, what's one part of your culture that you keep with you, no matter where you go? Um, okay. So for me again, um, I think folks who have met me, both personally and through the business, I always have a way where I tie in, um, soca music, Caribbean music. I tend to play music, not just Caribbean music, but I tend to play music in general, regardless of what I'm doing. If I'm working on hoops, whatever it is, I have a specific type of music for what I'm doing. So if I know I've got a project and I've got to crank out some hoops, I'm probably going to have soca on because I need to be moving at a quick pace, you know what I mean? Um, but when it comes to, like I said, me in the business, most people, they think of Kim, they think, "Yes, she loves her culture and either carnival or soca music". Like I said, a lot of things like hoop too. A lot of the times with classes—I do my classes, and for those who can't waist hoop, that's absolutely fine. I still want you to be able to get something. Like I said, walk away with the feeling if you can't waist hoop. We use the hoops in different ways, so not just waist hooping. So for those who can't waist hoop later on in class, we're going to pull out the flags and we'll be doing carnival and jumping up. So there will always be a play on, like I said, my heritage, my culture. A lot of the times, soca music or reggae music, dancehall music, it will probably always come into play. Whether I'm warming up and getting ready, setting up my booth or if we're actually getting down, you'll always hear it. And is there anything I haven't asked you that you would like to touch on?

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Um, I feel like, no, I enjoy doing this. Thank you for having me. Um, absolutely. It was my pleasure. I don't feel like anything in particular. Yeah, this was just a blast. And I hope to run into you guys again. I love what you're doing, and the fact that you guys come to these different events and different areas of the city and touch base, um, essentially with the citizens and see how they feel and what they're doing, I appreciate that. It's my first time really connecting with you guys. So thanks again for having me. Thank you.