OUR COMMUNITY ENCOURAGES EDUCATES INSPIRES
About Us
Todd was raised in Strasburg and is a 1990 graduate of Lampeter Strasburg High School. He served in the United States Marine Corps from August 1990 through August 1996 becoming a Sergeant. While serving, Todd became interested in fitness and overall health due to the Marine Corps culture.
Todd and Karen lived in Colorado from 1999-2008 where he became an avid mountain biker, hiker, and landscape photographer. After moving back to Pennsylvania in 2008, Todd became a partner in a family business and continued on his journey as a fitness enthusiast and competing in an all-natural OCB show in Ormond Beach, FL in September 2019 placing 4th in the open class.
During and after the Covid pandemic and seeing the impact it had on people physically and emotionally, he decided to follow his passion by opening a gym. He believed it would be an asset to the community but also support people in their journey to physical and mental health.
Karen was raised in Millersville and is a native of Lancaster County. She graduated from Millersville University in 1994 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Speech Communication and a Minor in Photography. Karen’s initial desire for health and fitness began when she was in college where she played lacrosse as a club sport.
When she met Todd in the late 1990’s she gained interest in mountain biking and always enjoyed hiking and working out. They moved to Colorado in 1999 where she continued to train and hired a personal trainer at the local gym to push her beyond her limits.
After relocating back to Pennsylvania, Karen didn’t settle and once again sought out a personal trainer. Derek Ritchey had been providing personal training at a local gym where she trained with him. Given the impact of Covid, she continued training with Derek in her home gym. She has actively competed in bodybuilding, specifically in the Bikini division for the NPC, WBFF and OCB federations.
Karen’s believes an individual’s overall health and fitness impacts one’s self esteem mentally and physically. There has to be a balance between the personal side and business side. Fitness helps one focus and at the same time makes you feel great because it provides a sense of accomplishment.
Derek is a native of Lancaster County and has been involved in the local fitness community for the past 10 years. Derek’s passion for health and fitness developed during his high school years from playing sports. As a smaller framed athlete playing football, he started weightlifting to try to build muscle. This is where he discovered how passionate he was about physical fitness and the benefits it could bring to an individual’s overall health.
Derek graduated from Penn State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology and a Minor in Business. He holds both the ACE Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) and the ACSM Exercise Physiologist (EP-C) certifications.
His mission is to help connect our local fitness community and provide a positive environment where people can thrive mentally and physically.
OUR PRIORITIES
- Welcoming fitness enthusiasts of all levels
- Creating a culture of inclusivity
- Encouraging members and taking pride in their success
- Striving for our members personal excellence
- Providing the highest level of service
- Treating each other with dignity and respect