Thank You

Let me tell you about you. Let me tell you about the value of you showing up. Each day that passes, used to be a hail mary into the universe hinging on the glimmer of a dream. My dream to have a gym in California. DEUCE Gym, this place we all hold so dear to our hearts started as a little program in the park. We had 2 classes a week and 3 students we basically begged to come. We would show up with all of our equipment regardless of the temperature or the day of the week and just hope that people would remember that we were here. We got rained on. We froze on plenty of occasions. Zero humans showed up more times than I can count. We were just stubborn enough to keep showing up. Giving up was no option in our minds.

All we had were the people, and this thing we so rightly nicknamed #Fakegym. We decided at the very beginning there was one thing we would do better than anyone else, and this was love our people. This has been the thread that has been the most important part of this place to me. This is what has driven me the whole time. It’s always been about the people. Nothing gives me greater joy than the connection with all you. Each day you show up, this hail mary wins the super bowl for me. It may not seem this way from your side. But this is the experience from where I am standing. 

People leave. This is the hardest part of life to swallow. I have heard this twice in my life. My father said this to me a long time ago and the other time was from a friend and mentor of mine. He said the hardest part of this business is that people leave. It has nothing to do with you, but people naturally leave. AP you were dead on, my friend. I have felt the burn and the loss of people many times on this journey. Every time, this is the hardest part and every time I tear up thinking about it. You, showing up means way more to me and us than you may ever know.

I have no reserves in saying that the past 8 years in LA have been the best years of my life. I came out here with nothing to start a gym, and we did that, and it’s the best damn gym thats ever been. It’s much more than a building full of equipment or some old garage to work out in. This community is vibrant and alive. It’s a beautiful monster. That’s because you all show up, each day. Never forget that.

I fell in love with my beautiful wife and got married. She has since blessed us with two amazing baby girls. My heart is full, and it continues to burst. I can go on and on.

This brings us to today. Raffi and I decided a long time ago that LA was not the place we would raise our kids. There are some things we want to do in our life that just aren’t going to happen here. Over the past year or so all signs have been pointing to us finding a new place to call home. We will be leaving at the end of February. For those of you that have been paying attention, you know we bought an RV (Talulah Pearl) and have been remodeling it. We will live in the RV in Kansas on my parent’s farm. The wide open spaces and the goats and horses are things that we want in our children’s lives. We couldn’t be more excited about this new chapter. 

I would be lying to say that excitement is not backed right up to plenty of sadness in leaving all of you. I have cried countless times, and have struggled even how to tell some of you. This place is much more than it seems. You all mean much more to me than I can ever tell you. This used to be a dream for me. So far off I could not even call it a goal. Now, I wake up at 3am to go dream all day Long and have been doing so for years. Walking away, well that is something I am still trying to wrap my mind around. I am not sure I will ever fully get there. But I know this is the right decision for our family. Sometimes you just need to know how to find the right direction, and just start walking.

As I said earlier, people leaving is the hardest part. It has been the hardest thing I have ever had to come to terms with. I never pictured it being me doing the leaving. Connection, relationships, these are the things that stand the test of time. They hold a much higher place in our hearts and lives than anything else ever could. This gym is built on plenty of those. So many that I can’t even count. Walking away from this place, all of you, is something that I have a hard time even grasping. But there comes a time, people leave, and now is our time to leave.

In these past years the pleasure has been all mine. This time has been a dream for me. Thank you for showing up. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.

All the Love.

 

 

Danny Lesslie

@dannylesslie