07/02/2025
There comes a time in your life when you need to make decisions about thinkscthat affect you daily life; retirement, job changes, business, and many other things. Close a chapter of your life is not easy, but sometimes the good outweighs the bad. I’ve ran UnderGround Fitness in Wamego Kansas since June of 2015. I opened the business with the intention of paying forward what I learned from a young lady who was my trainer, mentor and friend. I didn’t charge a membership, fees were based on what you wanted to do, body build, strength and conditioning, a little marathon training, just a place to get some accountability through your goals. I never charged large fees or turned you in for not being able to pay. I worked some young people who pushed me to a limit a 60+ year old probably would never get pushed to. I’ve worked with older people to help the accomplish some healthy habits to feel better about themselves. I’ve paid most of my rent and bills out of my own pocket to stay open; I’ve never made money, but made friends and felt good about those little “wins” many of my crew have had over 10 years. I actually laughed when it was suggested that I might do this for a living and then it happened. I used my gym as a training venue following the guidance on my lady trainer, to push hard enough at age 60 to run my 1st marathon. Her pushing me while being my trainer, kept me training to run a full half completely and best my best time by over 30 minutes, and train hard enough to apply for and run the New York City Marathon at age 65 and take a shot at Chicago at age 68 this year. But it’s not about me. It’s about those who came to me, gave me a chance. If we got one or two small wins, that was my payment. Those are the memories. I’ve done this with no support from other local businesses, the city, or the local Chamber of Commerce. But, I stayed with it for 10 years. That was my goal. I’ve shared my location with numerous other business and have outlasted them all. But there comes a time when the big picture says that you can’t do it anymore. That without needed change, there is no future. That, though you put your heart and soul into it, the return to afford the utilities, the rent, and the lack of steady business is not there and doesn’t appear to be there anytime soon. Though an official date is not set, I’ve made the decision to gradually offer things like equipment and such for sale. Items and prices will be shown over the next couple of months. It’s been a fun run, but the costs of running a place like UnderGround Fitness are outweighing future income. One other thing. I’m the race director for the event that had been run in Wamego for several years before COVID shut it down. I made the attempt to bring it back starting last year with the hope of bringing it back in March of this year. I don’t have the clout here to get that accomplished, so if there is someone that does, I’m more than willing to be that director. This event brought in runners for a 5K, half marathon, and marathon from pretty much all 50 states and even a few from out of the country, some 1300 runners, that were excited at the chance to come back to Wamego and run in an event they loved. Let me know, we can discuss it.
Thank you to those who have supported me the last 10 years. Our last day will be posted in the next few weeks.
Larry Wassinger
ISSA Master Trainer
UnderGround Fitness LLC
503 Lincoln Ave
Wamego KS 66547
785-456-4766
