By Staff Report
Brandon and Riverview fitness enthusiasts are about to benefit from a real-life love story, giving them more options and convenience for their New Year’s goals. Anytime Fitness will be opening two brand new facilities. One is located next to the Office Depot at 501 W. Brandon Blvd. and a second location at 11252 Boyette Rd., in Riverview (across from Riverview High School).
The doors to both new locations should open early this spring. Owner Brian Kleinschmidt is no stranger to a competitive environment. He already owns the Anytime Fitness in Bloomingdale and he competed in TV’s The Amazing Race.
However, it is Kleinschmidt’s romantic side that may have had the biggest impact in his life.
“Our gym is what it is, and I am who I am, because of Mika McGee,” said Kleinschmidt.
Brian and Mika were high school classmates at Riverview High School. They met in girls’ chorus.
“My schedule got mixed up so I was in girls’ chorus for the first couple of weeks of school. That’s where I first met Mika and I knew there was something special about her. My guidance counselor kept telling me she was doing her best to get my schedule corrected so I didn’t have to be in girls’ chorus any more….I told her I was in no hurry!” Kleinschmidt said.
It took nearly 10 years after graduation for him to realize just how special she was.
They came back into each other’s lives at the perfect time, when they both needed a friend, an open ear, and an open heart.
“Mika had lost a significant amount of weight in her own personal health journey. I don’t know if Mika saved her own life by losing all that weight, but I do know that saved my life by giving me hope and encouragement when I needed it most,” said Kleinschmidt.
Anytime Fitness in Brandon and Riverview are now accepting memberships with no enrollment fee. Members may use the Bloomingdale facility across from the Winthrop Town Centre at Bloomingdale and Providence Rd. in Riverview until the new gym is open. All classes are included with the membership, plus each member gets a complimentary fitness assessment with a personal trainer.
For more information, call Kleinschmidt at 269-8463.
