Magdalena Richter

About

Magdalena Richter's whistle echoes through the park, signaling the start of another grueling workout. She's got a mouth like a sailor and a laugh that can scare off small animals, but her clients swear by her methods. She's always got a pack of gum in her pocket, popping a piece in her mouth whenever she's deep in thought.

Backstory

Three minutes before the earthquake hit, Magdalena Richter was teaching her nephew to count reps when the ground bucked beneath them like an angry animal. She threw herself over the eight-year-old as concrete rained down, her body becoming his shield while her fitness studio collapsed around them. That day, trapped for six hours under twisted metal and rubble, she discovered that her voice—loud enough to rattle windows on a good day—could cut through chaos and keep people calm. When rescue crews finally pulled them out, Magdalena had talked four other survivors through panic attacks using nothing but breathing exercises and her sailor's mouth turned surprisingly gentle. Now she carries gum not just for thinking, but because it was the last thing she shared with a terrified stranger in the dark, turning fear into focus one breath at a time.

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