When Tracy Eberhardt Izquierdo opened a fitness studio in Algonquin in May 2024, she wasn’t simply launching a business—she was stepping boldly into the second half of her life with intention, courage, and a renewed sense of self. Her studio isn’t just a boutique gym; it’s part of a national movement called Pvolve, a functional-fitness franchise built for real life.
Before she became the owner of Pvolve, Tracy worked as a trauma center nurse and then spent 13 years practicing workers’ compensation law here in McHenry County. Her careers were demanding and fast-paced. But like many women, phases of her life required different versions of herself. When her children reached high school, combined with her then-husband’s orthopedic surgery schedule, she realized that home needed her more than the courtroom did. So she stepped away.
During those years at home, pilates—especially reformer Pilates—became her grounding space. In fact, she attended so consistently that the studio owner eventually asked whether she had considered teaching. The invitation awakened something and she earned all three levels of Pilates reformer certifications, fell in love with the power of low-impact training, and discovered just how transformative functional fitness could be.
As Tracy approached age 50, several major life transitions collided at once: sending another child to college, reevaluating and eventually ending her long marriage, planning for the next chapter as an empty nester. It was during that time that an Instagram post appeared looking for people who may consider opening a fitness studio. She clicked the link on a whim.
The next day, the corporate team called. “I honestly didn’t think they’d call me back,” she laughed. “I wasn’t even sure I was serious.” But as conversations continued, she realized she was intrigued and decided to take the leap. Over the next year, she navigated the SBA loan process, secured a location, and embraced the milestone of turning 50. Tracy decided that life was too short not to choose joy, autonomy, and purpose.
“It was the most life-changing year of my life,” she says. “Opening the studio. Getting divorced. Turning 50. Sending my second kid off to college. It was all hard, but it was all necessary. And ultimately, it was the best decision I ever made.”
With a strong education, a demanding legal career, and years spent raising her children, Tracy had already built a full and successful life long before opening her Pvolve studio. But now, she felt a pull toward something more aligned with who she was becoming.
Today, Tracy works more hours than she ever did as an attorney—often 60 or more each week. But this time, she says, “I get to make the decisions. I get to shape the environment and build something that reflects what matters to me.”
Of the studio’s 200 members, only two are men—by choice, not exclusion. Tracy knows that many women crave a fitness environment where they feel safe, comfortable, and understood. Her goal from day one wasn’t just effective workouts or beautiful equipment—though the studio offers plenty of both. Her dream was community where everyone feels welcomed, supported, and capable.
“I wanted women who didn’t know each other before to form friendships because of this space,” she says. “And now I see members getting smoothies together after class, celebrating each other’s milestones, encouraging one another. That’s what fills me up.”
Because women’s bodies move, strengthen, and age differently, Pvolve classes are intentionally designed to support them through every stage—pregnancy, postpartum, pelvic floor rebuilding, scoliosis, injuries, and the natural shifts of midlife.
Functional fitness is the heartbeat of the Pvolve method. “We train for the real world,” she explains. “Getting in and out of a car. Reaching into your pantry. Turning your head while driving. All the things that make everyday life feel better.”
The studio’s unique resistance equipment makes classes equally accessible for beginners and challenging for advanced athletes. Every session can be tailored to meet your pace and ability. And with four core class formats—Strength & Sculpt, Progressive Weight Training, Mat Definition, and Cardio—variety keeps both the body and mind engaged.
“People think low-impact means easy,” she laughs. “It’s absolutely not.
From the moment you walk in, the studio feels elevated and serene—soft interiors, a custom signature scent, and light-filled space that feels more like a wellness boutique than a gym. And behind it all is Tracy—open, warm, resilient, and deeply committed to helping women discover what their bodies can do.
Today, Tracy is engaged, happy, and living a life that looks different than it did before —proof, she laughs, that good things can happen when you least expect them. “You think you’re ready, until you’re actually ready,” she says. “You have to let go of the fear and the old stories to learn to trust again.”
Tracy’s journey is about choosing growth, curiosity, and possibility. She is driven, yes, but her evolution reminds us that everyone has their own path, and each is worthy. We are allowed to grow at our own pace change course when drawn to do so. And evolve—again and again—no matter our age, our background, or the season we’re in.