Community workout facility stays in the “family”
On any given day of the week, The Gym on 5th emanates a spirit of effort and encouragement and the sound of bumping music. Psyched people can be found stepping up (and down), picking up heavy things (and putting them down), breathing heavily and working hard amidst an encouraging coach and sweaty peers. It’s a classic gym scene, but it feels more like a community center. A sign saying “Stronger Together” hangs from the wall.
None of this will change despite a change in ownership in 2024. Two coaches who currently lead classes at the gym will assume ownership this year.
The gym was started in 2017 by Casey Montandon, Emily Klarer and a few other founders. The couple bought the gym from the starting crew of people and have been running it for the last six years. Originally, it was run in the small space now inhabited by Desert Power Yoga; during 2020, the owners took advantage of the shutdown to remodel the building next door and moved in when the shutdown lifted.
“We’ve kept it simple and it’s worked the entire time,” Montandon said of the format of the gym. Coach-led classes are similar to those offered through CrossFit, a branded fitness program that uses varied high-intensity movements—but The Gym on 5th is not an official “box-gym,” as CrossFit-affiliated gyms are known. Instead, the Moab gym was born out of a desire to be “off-the-couch ready” for outdoor adventures, to build strength and prevent injuries. It’s grown to be a staple of the community with a simple mission: build character and community through hard work and support.
Currently, there are around 80 members and five or six classes every day starting at 5:45 a.m. Montandon said “every demographic from town” goes there—each class might include male and female participants, from ages 20 to 75, of every athletic ability.
According to Klarer, she and Montandon knew they were not going to run the gym forever, and they waited for a good time to pass it on. Importantly, they wanted to keep it in the “family.”
“We had the right people to pass it off to,” they said. At a coaches’ meeting, the couple offered the gym to staff; coaches Tressa Bryant and Heather Nunn stepped up.
The change is bittersweet, according to Klarer, but they wanted to step away while the gym was in a good place.
“We both love coaching and love the role,” Klarer said.“We are not going anywhere, Moab is still home.”
They are both looking forward to freeing up some energy to do the things they came here to do: spending time on the river, backpacking, hiking, and climbing.
A few words from the new owners
“The thing I am most excited about is that Tressa and I will be able to carry on Casey and Emily’s legacy by preserving this space for the community,” Nunn said.
There’s power in partnership and both Nunn and Bryant recognize that. They share a similar passion for the gym, the community, and the lifestyle—owning the gym is a dream come true for both of them. Both Nunn and Bryant grew up in Moab and have families here; Bryant said working at the gym is a great fit for her schedule as a full-time mom and also a way to be a role model for her kids.
“It means that I can be the mom my boys need…and also raise them to see me taking care of myself and helping others to do so too,” Bryant said.
They don’t plan on changing anything about how the gym runs, or its mission of helping people achieve their goals and do hard things, step out of their comfort zones, and become stronger physically and mentally.
“If it’s not broken, don’t fix it!” Nunn said.
In addition, Nunn and Bryant hope to build an even stronger presence within the community through offerings such as kids’ classes at all levels, prenatal/postnatal classes and a variety of wellness seminars throughout the year. They also offer specialty classes with inspiring purposes, like the CHAD1000, which raised money and awareness for veterans in Moab.
The Gym on 5th is on 420 N 500 W, Moab, UT 84532. More information can be found at thegymon5th.com
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