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When Kendall Toole clipped into her first Peloton ride, she had no idea she was pedaling toward global recognition, or an eventual crossroads that would change everything. I first discovered Kendall in the spring of 2020 when my world felt like it had come to a full stop.
I had just lost my father, we were in lockdown, and I was dealing with a hip injury that kept me from doing the one thing that had always been my anchor: exercise. Movement has always been my number one mental health tool — my form of joy, my way to process. But suddenly, even that outlet was gone.
Through Kendall’s rides, I found a sense of comfort, escape and accomplishment. Her classes weren’t just workouts; they were therapy in motion. She didn’t just talk about strength, she embodied it, weaving raw honesty into every ride.
Her energy was contagious, her playlists electric and her openness about mental health made you feel seen, not sold to. Over time, Kendall became one of Peloton’s most beloved instructors and a powerful voice for mental health advocacy, inspiring millions to seek help, speak openly and remove the stigma around it.
For years, millions rode along as she shouted words of encouragement through screens, helping people push past limits on their bikes and in their minds. But behind the energy, Toole was quietly confronting her own.
“I started wearing a mask,” she told me. “I’ve worn a mask before, and I’m great at performing. But I couldn’t keep doing that and stay healthy.”
Today, Toole is trading in the spotlight of one of fitness’s most recognizable brands for something far more personal: The Never Knocked Out™ Club, branded as NKO Club, a new wellness platform that merges movement, mindfulness and authenticity, without the filters. Her mission is not about performance anymore. It’s about presence.
‘Big dreams don’t fit in small containers’
Before Peloton, Kendall Toole built an unconventional résumé. A USC graduate with degrees in film and business, she landed in global content strategy at Snapchat, where she helped shape storytelling in the early days of mobile media.
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