With a new year starting and thoughts of wellness in the forefront, we bring you a Someone 2 Know, who has devoted her life to fitness.
You've likely heard of Sports West Athletic Club in Reno. Today we introduce you to the woman at the helm;
Meet Dee-Dee Desiderio-Schula.
From the beloved racquetball courts and fitness classes, to the weight room, the gym’s owner - known by most as just Dee Dee - makes sure all aspects of Sports West support one goal;
"Muscular balance of the body and that will prevent injuries, it will prevent - from hips wearing out, knees wearing out, shoulder injuries.”
Growing up in Reno, Dee Dee says she and her brothers got active in sports, early in life.
"We started swimming, competitive swimming when we were seven years old and swam until I was like 16, I played water polo, swam nationals."
Add to that cheerleading, skiing and the Reno Rodeo Flag Team.
Dee Dee says she first learned about fitness her mom;
"I’d wake up in the morning, go in the living room - my mom is doing Jane Fonda, so jump in and do it with her."
And it was her dad's idea to open a gym in 1987.
"There was only one other fitness center, really in Reno, which was Reno Athletic Club at the time, so there was a demand for it."
Dee Dee shares ownership of the property with her two brothers - and management of the gym falls squarely on her shoulders; ten years ago, she opened the adjoining Spa West offering a long list of services;
"...Fitness massage, wellness massage, facials...We have a full service salon, manicures, pedicures"
And while Dee Dee says she followed a natural path to her career in fitness, staying in the business and being successful takes dedicated hard work;
"To keep up with the fitness industry and see the trends and see how it improves people's lives."
And she's been doing it for more than 30 years.
"When you're doing something that you like, it's really not work,” smiles Dee Dee, “It's just a passion."
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Dee Dee also tells us the doors to Sports West never close because Reno is a 24 hour town - and she wants the gym to be a place where folks can find community, as well as fitness, 24/7.
SPORTS WEST ATHLETIC CLUB
1575 S. Virginia St., Reno, NV 89502
775-348-6666
