Our Story

Founder’s Story: A Journey from Pain to Purpose

At 20, I weighed 120 pounds. At 30, I was 130 pounds. By 40, I reached 140 pounds, and at 50, I was 152 pounds. Then, seemingly overnight, my weight jumped to 180 pounds, and my life was turned upside down. This wasn’t just a natural progression—it was the result of a five-year-long search for a diagnosis that would change everything.

It all started with a nagging pain in my hip. Soon, it spread to my shoulder, then my knees. One moment, I was living my life; the next, I could barely walk. Doctors were stumped. To manage the unrelenting pain that immobilized me, I was put on steroids. For five years, while they fumbled for answers, the steroids took their toll on my body and my spirit.

Then, everything changed the day I moved back to Atlanta. I had just closed on a house, and my daughter and I were staying in a hotel. That night, as we shared dinner in our room, a sudden, searing pain paralyzed my arm, shoulder, and hand. I was terrified but didn’t want to scare my daughter. I couldn’t even drive the rental car to the emergency room, so we took an Uber.

That very first night in Atlanta, I met an emergency room doctor who, after listening to my story, suggested something no one had before: rheumatoid arthritis. The next day, a specialist confirmed the diagnosis. Finally, I had an answer. The steroids stopped, but the weight remained—a reminder of the years lost in search of a name for my pain.

December 16, 2017, marked a turning point. I spent the next seven years in the gym, battling to regain my health and reclaim my life. But now, with an autoimmune disease, I became acutely aware of the pathogens around me. I couldn’t ignore the filth I saw in the gyms: the sweaty imprints left on machines, the hair and dust balls on yoga mats, the unwashed odors, and the suspect hygiene practices. This was the environment where I needed to rebuild my strength, but it didn’t have to be this way.

I realized that if I wanted a clean and pleasant workout experience, I would have to create it myself. And that’s how GYMBUU was born. GYMBUU is my solution—not just for me, but for everyone who deserves a sanitary, empowering environment to pursue their fitness goals.

There are no excuses when you’re battling your weight or your health. You have to go to the gym. But you don’t have to compromise on cleanliness. You shouldn’t have to expose yourself to germs, viruses, dirt, hair, and who knows what else. GYMBUU is here to provide a better option.

GYMBUU is for me. And GYMBUU is for you.