A former fitness couple had a dream to move to the United States and own their own fitness club. Through trials and tribulations, they have literally battled the storm and found endless sunny days.
By Tyler Montgomery
Cornelia Gyura, the owner of Fit&Fight in Pompano Beach, Fla., doesn’t believe in inactive members. If one of her members doesn’t show up for a couple of weeks, Gyura gives them a call to get them back in the club. “74 percent of all members are coming a minimum of once a week,” Gyura said. “ We promote preventive fitness instead of beauty. This is one of the reasons that our cancelations in 2009 – a recession year – stayed under 5 percent.”
Gyura is a former IFBB German, European and World Champion. During her years as a competitor, she found herself repeatedly traveling to the U.S. “After every U.S. vacation I was always very sad seeing the U.S. coast disappearing on the horizon when we flew back to Germany,” she explained. Gyura had a dream of living in the U.S. and developing a fitness club.
Gyura opened Fit&Fight with her husband Rasin F. Pour, a former German Box Champion. The club specialized in Nordic Walking, instructed by Gyura, and Thai Boxing, instructed by Pour. “We work on slow lifestyle changes so the clients stay with the changes longer,” Gyura said. “Fast changes never work because you have to change patterns in your brain to stop habits.”
Fit&Fight opened in August 2005. “Two months after we opened we were hit by hurricane Wilma,” Gyura explained. “People had other problems than fitness and a new gym in the neighborhood.” With membership numbers plummeting, Gyura thought her dream was coming to an end. “Our landlord allowed us to pay only half the rent for six months,” Gyura said. “We are blessed that our landlord is the priest at St. Coleman’s Catholic Church. It gave me a feeling that there was a reason I was here.”
Even with a rough start, the couple was able to pull the business out of the water and in 2009 its debt free. Gyura, who received her MBA from the University of Heidelberg and worked for the Banker of Comerzbank Frankfort, has handled all the finances for the club. “I handle the finances very conservatively,” she said. “This is very important to survive in recession times. You never know how long and hard a recession hits!”
The club specializes in people over 40. “We are the only gym around that offers Nordic Walking classes and Nordic Walk Motivation workshops,” Gyura said. “For people who live further away and can’t visit the classes often, I combine the Nordic Walking workshop with a motivation power hour for lifestyle change. They love that.”
According to Gyura, Nordic Walking burns 40 percent more calories than regular walking because the poles are involved to work the upper body. “I recommend that people Nordic Walk together, either with friends or a husband and wife,” Gyura said. “You spend time together talking and burning calories while you socialize. In Germany, all health insurances are paying for Nordic Walking sessions because of the huge advantages in preventative medicine, such as reducing obesity, muscle workouts, stronger heart health and reduced diabetes.”
The success for Gyru has been in the relationship she has built with her members. “Bonding is a reason why no one is cancelling,” she said. “Our philosophy of Preventive Fitness is outstanding in this beauty obsessed media market. We show that youth is not the only time when you can be happy from the inside out. Our clients love that.”
To this day Gyru said she is thankful for everything around her. As a professional bodybuilder, she was given the opportunity to give motivational speeches around the world. She was on the cover of almost every major fitness publication in Europe and has been able to work in fitness her entire life. “Till today I am thankful every morning to be allowed to live in Florida,” she said. “The palms, the sun and the smell of nature is unbelievable. My job is my hobby. I’m healthy and fine. What else can you ask for?” -CS
