INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) – On a normal day, Pace Fitness Academy in Indianapolis would be packed with clients working out and socializing.
But right now, because of the coronavirus, the gym doors are closed, and the weights are untouched.
“I was devastated,” Justin Ochoa said. “I started thinking about all the possibilities of what I could do to survive.”
It’s a scary time for small business owners like Ochoa.
While life is on hold right now, the bills don’t stop. He said the gym’s revenue has gone down significantly, about 80 percent.
“I literally was like, OK what can I do to bridge the gap," Ochoa said. "You can’t control the spread of the virus, to some extent, but what you can control is how you react to it and the things you do to persevere through it."
So in order to keep the lights on at the gym, Ochoa has picked up a job at Amazon. He admitted it’s a position he never thought he’d be in.
“It’s really hard, I’m not going to lie. It’s a tough job, it’s on your feet all overnight," Ochoa said. "And that’s stationary on a hard surface in front of a conveyor belt doing your thing. No headphones. Mask on. Just in your zone trying to get through it. But you know, it’s all part of the journey, right? We went through a lot to stuff to get this place open.”
And he intends to keep it open—even if it means working another job and training clients virtually.
“There’s nothing like coming in here every day, seeing all the people you love, ready to get better. I’m ready to get that back," Ochoa said.