By Jennifer Stultz
Tri-County Tribune Editor
jstultz@cherryroad.com
Kissinger offers help at Phoenix Fitness and Massage in Pratt
Kyra Kissinger is an award winning triathlete, a mom of three boys, and a fitness guru with a heart to help others. In November 2024, Kissinger (originally from Wichita) took over the Cliff Mock massage business and revamped the 218 S. Main location to better meet customer needs for health and wellness. Her business is called Phoenix Fitness and Massage and she offers services for sports recovery, facial anti-aging, lymphatic and facial release, hot stones, assisted stretching, parties, and office services.
“I’ve been a life-fitness coach for more than 15 years,” Kissinger said. “My motivation comes from the fact that when I was a child I almost drowned. I still have PTSD issues from that. Then I stood by and had to watch my young son almost drown in a hotel swimming pool and I decided I had to learn to swim and I was never going to be that helpless again.”
Kissinger, an engineer by degree, takes a methodical and common sense approach to setting goals and then making steps towards achievements. She calls it mindset.
“Once a person decides they want to be healthier, get fit, or just get on a path to mental and physical wellness, I can help,” she said. “We do goal setting, mental wellness training that breaks down the barriers and makes accomplishing those goals possible, whether they be to lose weight, eat better, or just get fit.”
When Kissinger quit a corporate engineering job to homeschool her children, she learned very quickly how important a good mindset is in accomplishing goals.
“People just get overwhelmed by health and mental problems, but we can break those down into smaller steps, think calmly about what we want to do, and then identify what is needed to get that done,” Kissinger said. “Somewhere along the way, we also have to learn how to have fun again.”
While Kissinger said she views herself as a body engineer now, using disciplined steps to accomplish goals as a massage therapist, strength trainer, and nutrition coach, and more, she also has learned how important is it for people to have fun in order to be healthy. At her new shop in Pratt, she is working to create a place where customers can feel comfortable to just hang out and socialize, as well as connect with others.
“I just feel that in order to feel better about ourselves we have to figure out how to connect again after the COVID years,” she said. “It seems like, especially men, just don’t get the love and positive feedback that we all need to feel better about themselves and thrive.”
On Friday, January 10, after the brunt of a winter snow and ice storm left much of Pratt immobilized, Kissinger was out in front of her shop building a snowman in the afternoon sun, along with her dog Niki.
“I’m just out here trying to create something out of this snow that will make people smile,” she said. “Somewhere along the line we forgot how to have fun and be active. I just want to inspire others to get out here and enjoy life again.”
Kissinger said she is organizing a 5K run in Pratt for people and their dogs (See Spot Run) in May and hopes to put together a kids’ triathlon event in June 2025, all in an effort to help people get active, connect with each other, and learn how to have fun again. Good goals for the new year, and all year.
