By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau
SLIDELL – For Slidell brothers Chuck and Bubba Walker there is a lot of personal connection to their various businesses, particularly the fitness centers they are partners in.
The brothers were always a part of sports when attending Slidell High in the 80s and 90s, so it seemed like a natural fit for them to connect with the health and fitness industry as they entered their professional lives.
The businessmen are co-owners for Anytime Fitness in Covington and also a new facility at 544 Robert Boulevard that opened in October 2020. In those health clubs and others they have owned it has been a commitment to a family approach that has led to success, and now with the newest center in Slidell, the results are proving that once again.
Anytime Fitness was just ranked the 30th best A.F. site out of over 2,500 in the United States. The rankings by the corporate giant takes into account memberships, revenue, group training, customer satisfaction and more.
“That’s pretty satisfying to get news like this,” said Chuck. “It shows that our model is really something that the public wants.”
Anytime Fitness has been successful across the nation with its 24/7 model that can fit into anyone’s schedule for working out. But the Walkers added another dimension to their newest location in Slidell by partnering with Fred Zoeller, who owned LEAN Performance Academy, which provides small and large classes and had built a reputation for success among its members.
“The bottom line in our success has been the same since we opened our first health club,” said Bubba. “We really care about helping people change their lives. Anyone who works out here will see that from the beginning—we want our members to have success and we will do everything we can to help them achieve it.”
Chuck and Bubba have another interesting connection to the Anytime Fitness on Robert.
“We grew up in Audubon subdivision right behind our club,” said Chuck. “These are the woods where we were playing as kids with our friends, so we have a special connection to this area.”
Both the Walkers and Zoeller are also committed to go the extra mile for community needs, such as holding fundraisers for Slidellians who have gone through hard times. They recently held a fundraiser for a family that had lost their 19-year-old daughter and raised $60,000.
“It’s part of what makes our club different,” said Bubba. “We want to do more than have members join our club. We grew up in Slidell and care about the people here, so when we see a way we can give back to help someone we are going to do that. Fred always did that with LEAN and now we are all working together with the same goals and interests.”
Not only does Anytime Fitness have a partnership with LEAN Academy that utilizes a portion of the Robert Boulevard club, but they have recently added a unique class for special needs kids, headed by Bernadette Lala.
For more information on the club, call 985-288-5748 or look them up on Facebook.