Back in 2003, Cory Gilday taught basketball superstar center Shaquille O'Neal everything he knows – about jujutsu.
Now Gilday is ready to teach the rest of us a thing or two about staying fit. Together with business partner Brandon Evenson, this former U.S. Marine and ex-minor league baseball player signed a lease last week for a new 7,400 square foot fitness center adjacent to Big Al's entertainment complex in East Vancouver.
Gilday's business, Excel Human Performance, already occupies a small fitness studio on S.E. McGillivray Boulevard. But even in a tough economy for most businesses, Gilday saw a golden opportunity for expansion.
In Excel's case, the right timing came after Bally's Vancouver shut its doors last month and after plans for an independent fitness club at the location in Fishers Landing fell apart. "Not having a club in East Vancouver was a ‘blood in the water moment,'" Gilday said. "It was an easy decision for us."
The fitness center will include a 1,800-square-foot indoor turf field and nearly $170,000 in exercise equipment, including programmable Life Fitness machines and cardio ropes. Gilday plans to open his relocated business on Jan. 1.
A former employee of Bally's and 24 Hour Fitness selected to train O'Neal during his 2003 summer practice camp in Orlando, Gilday said his fitness and business acumen would see him through today's rocky business climate."It's all about getting a solid member base," he said. "Gyms are easy to run – if you don't get greedy."
