CALVERT COUNTY, Md. — During Women’s History Month, Marine Corps veteran Sandy Vasquez is being recognized not only for her military service but also for the way she continues to uplift women in her community.
WATCH: Marine Corps veteran creates space for empowerment with women-only gym
Vasquez, owner of SWT Fitness, created the women-only gym to be more than a workout space. She says it’s a place for women to support and empower each other.
“SWT Fitness is a women’s gym,” Vasquez said. “It’s all group fitness classes, but it’s more than that. It’s a community. It’s a sisterhood.”
Vasquez joined the U.S. Marine Corps at 18, serving eight years and leaving as a sergeant. She says the experience shaped who she is today.
“I always say I wasn’t born in 1969,” Vasquez said with a laugh. “I was born in 1987 when my feet hit those yellow footprints at Parris Island.”
The Marines, she says, taught her discipline, honor, and integrity—values she still carries today.
After leaving the military, Vasquez continued her career in public service.
In 2000, she joined the Anne Arundel County Police Department, becoming the department’s first Hispanic female officer. She went on to serve for 20 years.
Much of her career placed her in male-dominated environments, which helped inspire her to eventually create a space designed specifically for women.
“I’ve spent my whole life in a man’s world,” she said. “When COVID came around, it was my opportunity to retire and say, you know what—I want a women’s gym. I want a place where we can empower each other.”
That vision became SWT Fitness, which stands for Sistas Working Together.
Over the past five years, the gym has grown to nearly 300 members, offering group fitness classes that welcome women of all ages, shapes, and fitness levels.
“The hour they spend here—this is their time,” Vasquez said. “We spread ourselves so thin as women. We take care of everyone else first, and we take care of ourselves last. Here, they can focus on themselves.”
The workouts can be challenging, but Vasquez says empowerment is just as important as exercise.
“You’re going to sweat, but you’re also going to feel empowered and know that you matter here,” she said.
The discipline she learned in the Marines continues to influence how she runs her business.
“If you get knocked down, you have two choices,” she said. “You fall and stay down, or you get up and fight. That’s what I learned in the Corps—we don’t give up.”
Outside of the gym, Vasquez continues to mentor others as an ESL teacher, working with Hispanic students in Anne Arundel County. She says empowering the next generation is just as important to her as helping women find strength in the gym.
“I tell my kids they matter, they count, and they’re going to accomplish a lot of things,” she said. “And I’d love to give a shoutout to my Panthers in Anne Arundel County—you can do this.”
For Vasquez, Women’s History Month is a reminder of how far women have come—and how important it is to keep pushing forward.
“It’s important to celebrate the women who came before us,” she said. “They empower us to keep knocking down walls and keep going.”
