Athletex Gym in South Tahoe providing locals health, wellness through fitness

News News | May 21, 2023

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — With physical health being at the forefront of priorities for many Tahoe locals, exercise is fundamental for many in the basin. In support of providing health, wellness, and exercise in a communal, accessible space is Athletex Gym.

Gym owners and couple Ali Schirra and Rob Pyfer became involved with the gym in 2020, and took over full control of the gym this spring, making Athletex Gym 100% locally owned and operated.

"The opportunity arose to manage the gym back in 2020 and we took a chance on it," Schirra said. "Then the pandemic hit and we had to shut down. It was a scarce time, but we took it as a chance to update the space."

Back in 2020 while the gym was forced to remain closed to the public, Schirra and Pyfer worked towards updating the building with new flooring and fresh walls throughout the indoor space. During that time, Pyfer himself took the time demoing the floors and walls, and they saved all the resources and repurposed them to utilize as the borders on the walls throughout the gym to keep its "original roots," according to Schirra.

Three years later, Schirra and Pyfer are celebrating purchase of the gym, making it fully owned and operated by the duo, and allowing them full control to make positive changes to further enhance the gym and align the space with their individual passions for health, wellness, and fitness.

Athletex Gym offers individual workouts in their open gym space with cardio, weights, and free space for members to workout in; the gym also offers interactive experiences for their members, including one-on-one training with crossfit coaches, small group training and classes, movement courses including yoga and breathwork, martial arts group classes such as jiu jitsu, and strength and conditioning training. The gym also has a specialized focus on fitness classes for youth, beginning at three years old and up.

"Wellness is at the forefront of our passion," Schirra said. "We aim to give all of our members tools during their health and wellness journey so they can be successful in their lives outside of this space."

While Schirra and Pyfer have been making upgrades for the past several years, since the gym is now under full local ownership and operation, the couple is continuing to proactively work towards bringing new services to the gym to enhance their members’ fitness experience.

"We are looking forward to bringing exciting upgrades to the gym," Schirra said. "There's a lot of work that needs to be done, but we’re excited to make changes and have new services to offer to our members."

With cosmetic changes that are currently in the works, Athletex Gym is eager to enhance their members’ experience and is working towards renovations over time to support their vision for the space, including lobby redesign, updated locker rooms, upgraded building exterior, new doors, reupholstered equipment, upgraded gym equipment, and a recovery lounge including infrared saunas and a cold/hot plunge. In the future, the gym is also working towards offering 24-hour access, a cafe and juice bar, co-work space, and childcare.

Aligning with Schirra's personal passion for health and wellness, she is excited to now have creative freedom and opportunity to further enhance the space and is optimistic that with continuously growing Athletex, it will continue to serve as a hub and stay entrenched in the South Lake Tahoe community.

"We’re all about working towards enhancing the wellness experience," Schirra said. "We’re about roots and we are very results-driven. We’re doing our best to make upgrades, and we are very intentional with the upgrades we are making, to keep the integrity of Athletex Gym welcoming, communal, and supportive."

Athletex Gym is located at 2565 Lake Tahoe Boulevard in South Lake Tahoe, Calif. For any questions or additional information on memberships, classes, and more, call Athletex Gym at 530-600-2195.

6 hrs ago

Jun 8, 2023

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Co-owner of Athletex Gym, Ali Schirra. The cardio area at Athletex Gym. An Athletex Gym member working out with weights. Medals won by members and competitors at Athletex Gym. The yoga room at Athletex Gym is a communal space for members to indulge in meditation, yoga, breathwork, and more. Readers around the Lake Tahoe Basin and beyond make the Tahoe Tribune's work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism. Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference. Your donation will help us continue to cover COVID-19 and our other vital local news.