A community fight for A Fit Plan

On July 10, Patty DeVazier sat down on the floor of her gym, turned on the camera and recorded a heartfelt plea.

Her gym, A Fit Plan, was in danger of going under. “I believe in what I am doing,” she said. “I believe in this gym. All the members that come here are like my family.”

About five minutes into the 19-minute video the tears came. “It’s embarrassing. You feel like a failure. But it’s not. It’s the COVID.”

A virus attacks dreams too.

Gyms across the country are struggling. Some have closed. Others are trying on-line instruction or moved their classes outside. Larger chains, such as Planet Fitness, have seen their stock prices plummet. At first, gyms were classified as “non-essential” and forced to shut their doors. When they were allowed to reopen it was at 50 percent capacity and a rigorous cleaning regimen was mandated.

Still many — especially older people, says Patty — have dropped out because in gyms people sweat and huff and puff and it’s not a comfortable place to wear a mask.

Memberships at A Fit Plan fell by more than 60 percent between March 17 — when the gym closed — and May 18 when it reopened. Some of those members have returned, but it’s a struggle, a constant source of worry. “I don’t blame them,” says Patty in the video. “If I belonged to a gym I would probably cancel too.”

Loans, more loans

The battle to remain open has consumed Patty. She has received the entire alphabet of loans: PPP (Payroll Protection Program), SBA (Small Business Administration) and EIDL (Economic Injury Disaster Loan). Some she has to pay back and others she doesn’t. In her video she detailed how much she received and where the money was spent.

What’s remarkable about A Fit Plan is the level of community support that has come pouring in. The Med Spa, a day spa in Wimberley, staged a “Lip Flip” fundraiser with the profits of the beauty treatment going to A Fit Plan. Twice the Ice, an ice and water vendor on FM2325, donated the profits from a day’s sales. A cleaning service gave 25 percent of its profits to help out. Individuals have stepped up.

In all, the community has raised more than $14,000 to help A Fit Plan stay open. It’s enough, says Patty, to keep operating through December if membership doesn’t drop off.

A Fit Plan’s exercise instructors volunteered to work for free. “Employees who work for free. That is so unfair, right?” asks Patty.

“Patty has the biggest heart of anyone you would want to meet. She never turns anyone away,” says Angela Guynes, who teaches Zumba and cardio classes at A Fit Plan.

Kickboxing teacher Stacy Ford adds: “It’s an absolute joy to gather with these ladies. As instructors, we get as much out of it as the people here do.”

For Patty, A Fit Plan has been a true labor of love. She’s been in the fitness business for 28 years and when she opened A Fit Plan — which is located on Ranch Road 12 right at the Wimberley-Woodcreek line — it was a dream come true. Patty and her husband Larry painted, laid flooring and got the gym ready to go in record time. That was 4 1/2 years ago.

The membership has grown steadily. Patty refused to tie people to longterm contracts — a decision that has come back to haunt her. She has kept the fees low. “If I charged more, I wouldn’t get as many people in the classes — and I like people in the classes,” she says.

The DeVaziers dipped into their savings to fund A Fit Plan. Like most small business, it took a while to pay off start up costs and attract members.

Finally this year, A Fit Plan started to make money. “In January we almost doubled our income,” says Patty. “I thought ‘oh my, we’re finally going to make a profit.’ This year in January I got my first payroll check.”

March started off great. Then the virus hit. The gym closed on March 17, the day before Governor Abbott shut down all gyms. “I could see the writing on the wall,” says Patty.

Going on-line

A Fit Plan began offering on-line classes. It was trial and error. The instructors conducted the classes from their homes. There were issues with using copyrighted music.

“We were providing that so members would, at least, have something,” says Patty.

But membership continued to drop. At the beginning of March the club had close to 200 members and 32 classes. Now, membership is about half of that and the classes have been cut to 12. Some new members have been added in the last few weeks and the numbers are on the rise. The state has mandated that the gym can only operate at 50 percent capacity.

In order to save money on insurance Patty stopped allowing members to visit any time of the day or night. Now she’s on site 14 hours most days, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. The cycling studio was closed and the bikes were sold off. Parts of the gym were closed because insurance costs are based on square footage.

Of those 14 hours, Patty estimates she spends about five hours a day cleaning. A member donated a steamer so the floors get cleaned twice a day. Members clean the equipment and weights after they use them, but Patty comes along behind them and cleans them all again. “I’m willing to sit on this floor so it has to be clean,” she says with a resigned smile.

Through it all, Patty has remained positive, although she admits there have been a lot of tears. “I feel very fortunate,” she says. “Without them (her customers and instructors) I would’t have my uplifted spirit.”

For information on A Fit Plan call 512-656-0270 or go to www.afitplan.com.