FITWHEELZ
• Phone: 702-907-3489
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: fitwheelz.com
• Hours of operation: 7 a.m.-8 p.m. daily
• Owned/operated by: Karen Rangel
• In business since: Sept. 28, 2016
Karen Rangel had been invited to several birthday parties for friends’ children, and always got involved with the children’s activities. A friend noticed that every activity Rangel gave the kids was fitness-related, but they were having fun and didn’t even realize the health benefits of the games they were playing, or how they were learning teamwork or improving their motor skills.
Rangel’s idea for FitWheelz started to form.
Describe your business.
FitWheelz is a vibrant gym on wheels that uses a hands-on approach and brings fun, fitness and learning to children.
Inside our fully-padded bus, a world of excitement awaits children with rock-climbing, zip-lining, a trampoline, dancing, tumbling, battle ropes, monkey bars, slides, ladders, a balance beam, sports balls, hula hoops, a punch bag and jump ropes.
We are licensed and insured. Our trainers are certified professionals trained in multiple forms of fitness. All instructors have approved background checks and are CPR certified.
How does your business work?
Our program is adaptable to be on site at any type of location, including day-cares, after-school programs, summer camps, churches, weddings, birthday parties, block parties, community events and fairs. We are suitable for early childhood and lower elementary programs. We charge a per-child fee for each fitness session, which is based on the number of children participating and the type of fitness program.
Why is this important to you?
Obesity is more rampant than ever today. Our kids are facing a modern health crisis due to physical inactivity and I am here to make a difference
As a child, I remember playing freeze tag, climbing trees, playing soccer, or pretending to be the next track star. Being active at such a young age made me an athlete in middle school, high school, college and even now. I felt that because I was active at a young age, it helped me in my academics — being confident, determined and focused in my school career. As an athlete, quitting was never an option, so whenever I was having a hard time, I knew I would overcome it if I worked harder. I related academics to sports; if I could only get better in this subject as hard as I train, I would conquer anything. And because of that, I am inspired to bring fun fitness and learning to children; to help them master their motor skills before engaging in sports, regardless of their agility level.
What is the hardest part about doing business in Las Vegas?
Calling potential clients and informing them about the program and not being given the chance to fully go over details to share what we have to offer. It is a relatively new concept to Las Vegas, which is probably why it’s hard for potential clients to be open-minded about such an outside-of-the-box design.
What is the best part about doing business in Las Vegas?
Besides our summers, we are lucky to have ideal weather for outdoor activities. Also, Las Vegas constantly has events going on, which gives us a great opportunity to get involved.
It’s notoriously difficult to open a food truck; did you experience any similar difficulties starting FitWheelz?
The hardest thing I can think was finding the right insurance carrier. I called more than 40 insurance companies and spoke to many agents to figure out if their insurance was compatible with my program. I was getting denied every time, because they didn’t know how to categorize my business. Three months passed by and I remember feeling like this was going to be impossible, but there was no way I was going to give up. I told myself that if NASA made it to the moon and they never gave up, why should I?
Do you have a favorite story to tell since starting FitWheelz?
It was my very first time ever teaching a class, where we broke up into teams and they competed with each other. Once I announced the winning team, 95 percent of the opposing team members were in tears. I was in total shock and disbelief. I gathered both teams and told them that it’s not about who wins or loses; it’s about the efforts put forth and doing your best, which makes everyone a winner.