City Gym owner and former professional athlete Hailee Bland Walsh and personal trainer Josh Guffey know what it is like to start businesses from scratch. Together, they have over 40 years of fitness experience, have retained loyal, lifelong clients and have overcome the global pandemic of 2020 that threatened to take it all away.
Walsh and Guffey revolutionized the fitness industry with the creation of Fit Truk, the world’s first fully-equipped, mobile, outdoor, smart gym that utilizes integrated, easy-to-set-up strength pieces, strength-based group classes and one-on-one training. In their case, thinking outside of the box forced them into one.
“We aren't inventors who created a product for the fitness industry. We are industry experts that used our combined acumen to offer the fitness industry a fresh and revolutionary approach to gym entrepreneurship,” Walsh said.
What started as a creative idea in Guffey's back pocket has now transformed into the booming industry of building and outfitting mobile gyms to make fitness more accessible to all. The original goal of Fit Truk was to serve as an extension of City Gym. After only a few short months, the pair received enough interest from buyers to take a prototype to an international fitness trade show. Since then, they have never looked back.
“What we are seeing is how many people now don't want to come back in!” Walsh said. “Outdoor fitness continues to explode. The power of this tool is its ability to be used in a variety of environments for every population imaginable. The Truk is designed in such a way that it is accessible from everyone from youth athletes to adaptive athletes.”
The inclusivity of Fit Truk is an important quality to Walsh. Understanding how uncomfortable the atmosphere in a gym can feel for some, it has been her mission from the beginning, within City Gym and Fit Truk, to create a safe and welcoming environment for everyone.
“Kansas City wholeheartedly embraced this idea, and this summer we celebrated our thirteenth successful year,” she said. “I am remarkably proud of being an independently woman-owned gym that was able to survive an extended closure due to a global pandemic!”
As Fit Truk continues to grow its presence in Kansas City and around the world, Walsh and Guffey are focused on empowering community recreational organizations, brick and mortar gyms and sole proprietors to utilize this tool to its fullest potential.
“The reason I’ve stayed in the fitness industry is for the magic that happens when a person makes an intentional choice to show up for themselves. Having a front row seat to personal transformation is pretty incredible,” she said.