24 Years Strong: The Day We Opened the Gym

October 3rd, 2001.
Most people don’t remember what they had for breakfast yesterday.
I remember that day like it was tattooed on my brain.

It wasn’t fancy. There was no ribbon-cutting ceremony, no champagne, no reporters waiting to snap photos. Just me, some mats, some weights, and a room that smelled like fresh paint and stubborn dreams. That was the day I opened the doors of my gym.

Twenty-four years later, those doors are still open. And not just open—thriving. Thousands of people have walked through them since. Some came in looking to get in shape. Some came in looking for confidence. Some came in looking for a fight—literally. Every single one left stronger than they came.

Here’s the truth: running a gym for 24 years isn’t glamorous. It’s not Instagram filters and hype music 24/7. It’s blood, sweat, broken air conditioners, early mornings, late nights, duct-taping equipment, and refusing to quit when everything in the world tells you to quit.

But you know what? It’s worth it.
Because this gym has become more than a business. It’s a family. It’s a battlefield. It’s a sanctuary. It’s the place where excuses go to die and where discipline gets forged.

It’s been quite the journey. Having trained thousands of people, some days it feels like I’ve been doing this for just two years, and some days it feels like fifty. But my favorite thing—the thing that keeps me going—is seeing the positive impact I’ve had on people throughout the years. Not only in class, but seeing people ten or fifteen years later and hearing them say how much this training changed their lives for the better.

I’ve had civilians, law enforcement, and military personnel use what they’ve learned here to protect themselves in real-world, life-or-death situations. That matters. That’s legacy.

Twenty-four years. That’s longer than some of you have been alive. That’s longer than a lot of people keep a marriage together. And in that time, I’ve seen lives change. I’ve seen people lose 100 pounds. I’ve seen timid kids turn into confident adults. I’ve seen people walk in broken, only to walk out unbreakable.

So what does 24 years mean? It means we’re just getting started.
If you’ve been part of this journey—whether you trained one day or for twenty years—thank you. You’re the reason this place exists. If you’re brand new, congratulations—you found us just in time for the next chapter.

Here’s to the next 24.
Now get your butt in here and train.

– Steve Woolridge