How Augie Nieto influenced his friends, staff, and Fitness Industry
Tonight as I was spinning, listening to my iPod, Augie Nieto by Five for Fighting came on. Every time I hear that song, it reminds me of great times with Augie at Life Fitness. It also got me thinking; I am not the only one that has been influenced by Augie. There are hundreds of people who have stories of Augie. What if we could reach out to everyone to share a short story or encounter they had with Augie? We could create something special for Augie. Therefore I am asking everyone to please share their story with us.
Here is my first experience with Augie. I met Augie October 12, 1989, my first day at Life Fitness and it just happened to be Club Industry. Augie personally took me around and showed me every Life Fitness Product, which at that time was only the Lifecycle, Lifestep and LifeRower. He was the President of Life Fitness and I was just a new sale representative; I watched him speak to prospects and clients and you could see his passion and commitment was unlike anything I had seen before. It was contagious.
To this day, I try to have that same passion and commitment to my family and job.
Tim Sebold Life Fitness 1989 -1995
In June 2009, I had car trouble while traveling through Salina, KS and was alone in the waiting room reading Augie’s Quest. Another woman then sat down. I reached a point that just made me tear up and she said she didn’t think she’d want to read a book that would make her cry. I told her about Mom who had passed away in Dec. 2008 from familial ALS and also told her about Augie and was astonished to learn she had recently lost her Mom to ALS! We had a wonderful, tearful, visit before we parted. Later that day in a gift shop in CO, I found a plaque with the “Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away” quote that Augie quoted in the book. I grabbed it up and have it here in my home office and read it every day and think of you!
Augie, you’ve touched so many lives and I just wanted you to know that you mean so much to so many!!
Susan B
I read quite often; magazines, news and books, both in hard copy and from on-line sources, but last Saturday I finished Reciprocity for the second time! So many great learnings, so many life lessons and too much to digest in one read. With all the “business” books in the marketplace claiming to have developed the magic formula, the recipe from Augie’s book is not only time tested, it’s a whole lot more personal.
Chris Clawson
I want to personally thank Augie for making a huge difference in my professional life. I remember being a young professional in this industry in the early to mid 80’s in a market dominated by Quinton Treadmills and Monarch & Schwinn Air Dyne Stationary Bikes and along come this company with the funny looking bike with multiple colors, black, yellow, red and blue with a cool name called Lifecycle. I can remember like it was yesterday Augie visiting our club in the Westin Hotel in Washington, DC. Down in the parking lot basement, I saw my first revolutionary idea for Cardio equipment. What was more revolutionary was the passion that he shared for the product and service by visiting “just a fitness director”. I have never forgotten nor will I forget his service and friendship. Augie’s leadership legacy is cemented in all of our minds and certainly, along with many others in the early days at Life Fitness has created such an inedible brand in Life Fitness on par with the “Xerox Copier”. I am proud to have been an early adopter and fan for life and even more proud to be an industry associate praying and pulling for Augie and his Quest. Live strong Augie, we love you!
Frank J. Ancharski, M.S.
Chief Coaching Officer
Club Coach Services
