Farmers and fishers are athletes; they use their bodies every day, in all weather, to produce, harvest, process, and sell food that nourishes their communities. Cynthia Flores spent 20 years running her own vegetable production operation, so she knows firsthand the level of physical activity required to grow food. This led her to strength training and becoming a Certified Personal Trainer and Licensed Massage Therapist. In 2015, she moved to Freeport, Maine, and in 2020 she founded her business, Labor-Movement.
With Labor-Movement, Cynthia works as an educator and resource for farmers and farmworkers, teaching them about body mechanics and movement pattern training. Her goal is to help folks prevent injuries, extend their careers, and live happier lives. Cynthia understands that for many farmers, farming is not just their work – it’s their life and who they are.
Through conversations with students and partners over the last five years, Cynthia recognized an opportunity to widen her work to provide resources and education to people working in all kinds of physically demanding occupations. So, she set out to start a new nonprofit: Athletes in Overalls. This organization aims to expand on Labor-Movement’s impact by creating a first-of-its-kind platform combining injury prevention education, movement tools, and worker-centered research to help improve the well-being of farmers, fishers, and other labor-intensive workers. Says Cynthia, “We aim to reduce chronic pain, prevent workforce injuries, and strengthen healthier work cultures in industries that sustain our food system and communities.”
In spring 2025, Cynthia reached out to the Legal Food Hub for assistance forming a 501(c)(3) for Athletes in Overalls. The Hub matched Cynthia with Attorney Andrew Wells at Bernstein Shur. (Andrew now practices at Preti Flaherty.) “Andrew was very professional,” says Cynthia. “[He] spent time discussing whether a nonprofit formation for Athletes in Overalls was appropriate for our mission and ensuring that there were no conflicts of interest.”
Andrew assisted Cynthia with filing the paperwork needed to establish her entity, as well as drafting articles of formation, bylaws, and conflict-of-interest documents – all the elements needed to start her organization off on solid legal footing. Says Andrew, “It was my privilege to have the opportunity to work with Athletes in Overalls to help structure their nonprofit organizational documents and assist with their application to be recognized as a section 501(c)(3) charity so that they can continue to provide education and assistance to Maine’s farmers and farming community.”
With its entity now formed, Athletes in Overalls has begun work developing its website and a fundraising plan. Ultimately, says Cynthia, this work is about “helping those in physically demanding occupations stay healthy [and] supported.” By helping Athletes in Overalls establish a strong legal foundation, the Hub is investing in the people whose daily work keeps our food system and our environment healthy and thriving.
