When Purpose Gets Wheels: The Woman Behind the Faith Based Fitness Bus

Calling Takara Fuller-Doby “the woman behind the bus” almost feels like an understatement.

I have known Takara for nearly 20 years, and for all 20 of them, I have watched her pour passion into fitness, people, and her faith. So I was not surprised when she called me one afternoon and said, “I’m going to look at a bus.”

I remember replying, “A bus? What in the world?”

She explained that she felt called to buy a bus and turn it into a Christian mobile gym. Of course, my first question was, “Who is going to drive this bus?” It is well known in our friend group that Takara is not the best driver. In her high-energy, confident, completely happy way, she answered, “ME!”

That was the beginning of the Faith Based Fitness Bus. I could not be prouder of her, or more honored that she later asked me to serve on the board of this charity.

Before the Bus, She Was My Best Friend

Before Takara became the founder of the Faith Based Fitness Bus, she was my best friend. We met at Red Lobster while she was in college and bonded over the Apple Overboard, which was not remotely good for us but was absolutely delicious.

Over the years, we walked through many chapters together, including an abusive relationship during which she became a mother for the first time. I watched her struggle. I watched her cry. And then I watched her pick herself up.

Motherhood became one of the greatest sources of purpose in Takara’s life. Her son gave her a reason to rise during one of her hardest seasons, and the daughter who later joined their family became another beautiful part of that purpose.

One of the things I have always admired most about Takara is her faith. No matter what life handed her, she never lost it.

She took an incredibly painful situation and transformed it into a mission to help women and children affected by domestic violence and human trafficking.

Was I surprised that she turned the bus into something much bigger than a mobile gym? No. Absolutely not. I would not have expected anything less.

Takara is fierce. After surviving and healing from domestic violence, I believe part of her healing, and part of God’s calling on her life, was to help other women. She believes in them when they struggle to believe in themselves. She helps them understand that the abuse was not their fault, that they are wonderfully and uniquely created by God, and that their lives still have purpose.

That is also what Breaking Barriers means to me. It is about women connecting with other women, lifting one another up, building confidence, and showing one another God’s love. That shared calling led us into the next era of the Faith Based Fitness Bus.

The Runway of Strength

A few months ago, Takara called to tell me about the Runway of Strength. She had been taking the bus to group homes and women’s shelters, where she worked out with the women and prayed with them. Along the way, she realized that many of them did not even have clothes they felt comfortable exercising in.

That realization became another part of her mission. Fitness and faith had helped Takara heal, and she was determined to offer those same tools to other women.

After our call, I could not stop thinking about it. I felt strongly that I needed to be there to support her, so I sent her a text: “Hey, I bought a ticket to Tampa and a ticket to your event. I’ll see you Saturday.”

It was not a coincidence that Takara was building this charity at the same time I was building Breaking Barriers with Sheila. They were two completely different ways of helping people, but at their core, they were rooted in the same purpose.

Her Story Was Part of My Story

There is an enormous amount of work behind organizing a charity event. What struck me most about the Runway of Strength was that the models were survivors, or family members of survivors, of domestic violence and human trafficking.

As I listened to the women share their stories with the audience, I had goosebumps. But when Takara stood on that stage and shared her own story, I began to cry. Her story was part of my story, and it was part of the story of every battered woman or child who did not have friends standing beside them, who was afraid to speak, or who carried shame that never belonged to them.

Takara spoke about the night her abuser forced me and my family out of her home at three o’clock in the morning. We drove three hours back to Gainesville, Florida, and he destroyed her house after we left. I did not cry only because of what had happened. I cried because I was watching this strong woman openly share her pain and the shame she once carried, while giving God all the credit for leading her to that stage.

I felt an overwhelming sense of pride and awe. I am not sure Takara realizes it.

Even though I am 10 years older than she is, she is one of my heroes. She is my superhero.

Opening the Door

After the event, I was so energized that I immediately started throwing out ideas. “Why don’t you do a 5K?” I asked. “What a great way to build awareness, share the mission and your faith, and help more people.”

Her response was fair: “Oh goodness, let me recover from the fashion show.”

Not long after that, I received an email from Takara asking me to join the Faith Based Fitness Bus board. There would be five of us helping take her vision to the next level. I did not hesitate or question it. I already knew I would become part of this mission in some way, and there she was, opening the door.

We are now planning a 5K for January 2027 and the next fashion show for March 2027. We are also planning a Painting with a Twist event to raise money and awareness. There is momentum behind this mission, but more importantly, there are women behind it whose lives deserve to be seen, supported, and celebrated.

Part of My Calling

As a CEO, I watch my employees navigate struggles, celebrate successes, and pursue their desire to grow and learn. I often see pieces of my younger self in them. I have developed mentorship programs, looked for unconventional ways to develop people, and eventually decided to take that calling further by creating Breaking Barriers with Sheila.

I want to help empower women and break down the barriers I had to slowly climb over throughout my career. I feel a fire in my stomach for this work. It is part of my calling. Being able to bring that same empathy, creativity, and outside-the-box thinking to the Faith Based Fitness Bus means more to me than I can adequately explain.

If I am remembered for one thing, I hope it is my passion for helping build confident, powerful women who know they can do anything they put their minds to.

True Friends Are Not Fair-Weather Friends

In the end, Takara will always be my best friend. I will support her through whatever life throws her way. I will be whatever she needs as she follows the work she has been called to do, and I know she would do the same for me.

True friends are not fair-weather friends. They are the people who help pick you up when you are down. They listen. They hold your hand through uncertainty. And when all else fails, they take the time to pray for you, pray with you, and lift your name to God.

A Better Question

Keep breaking barriers.

— Sheila Greene