On Monday and Wednesday afternoons, boys and girls trickle into a bare-bones gym that sits between Old 41 and U.S. 41 in Bonita Springs. They're dressed in exercise clothes, and are ready to get started on their warmups.
Thirty-found kids are enrolled in the program, known as Wilson's Fit Futures. It's fitness classes for kids, ages 11 to 17. The classes are fully funded through the end of 2026, thanks to fundraising and donations.
Jacob Guzman of Naples is 16 years old and homeschooled. He says his favorite part of the classes is leg day, which helps his basketball game.
"Because I'm a basketball player, so that would help a lot for the jumping, the vertical jumps, and it has improved since I've been here," said Guzman.
Jacob's mother, Angielly Betancourt Guzman, says her whole family is learning more about nutrition because of the education Jacob brings home from class.
"He's like, my coach told me I should be eating such and such, and the protein. So we are all learning in our house," she said.
The program is the brainchild of Donnie Keller, owner of Ionic Fitness, where the classes take place. He made the program free to make it accessible to all families.
"I wanted to give back to people who didn't have the money for $200 a month for the kids. I started lifting weights at 12 years old, and obviously it changed my life. I'm a gym owner. The goal was to not create other gym owners but create kids that learn to work out the right way, and hopefully learn to love it and continue to do it forever," said Keller.
The program teaches much more than working out, though.
Keller remembers meeting several of the students for the first time.
"They all shook my hand, and they gave me a very weak handshake, didn't look me in the eyes. I was, like, when you shake somebody's hand for the first time, look them in the eyes. Shake my hand, and don't squeeze it like you're trying to break my hand, but give me a firm handshake. Like you're confident with who you are," he said.
Betancourt Guzman appreciates the influence of Keller and the other coaches on her son.
"It's like he has found a bunch of uncles and family, and he enjoys the fact that he's learning about weight training, nutrition, plus socializing as well. This program has kind of shaped him —i t's been shaping him — into more of, I will say, a dedicated person. He watches more how he's replying or how he's talking, because he's excited about coming to the program."
Keller named the program for Doug Wilson, a personal training client of his who died in his 60s after a lifetime of poor health habits. Wilson had told Keller he wished he'd learned to take better care of himself earlier. It inspired Keller to offer Wilson's Fit Futures to the young people of Southwest Florida.
Keller said: "While they're exercising, they're going to get stronger, faster, healthier. That's going to happen. But I want them to enjoy it, so they continue to do it forever."
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