Jack'd Fitness - Gyms Are Essential

Hello everyone! My name is Jaclynn Fitzgibbons, and I am the owner of Jackd Fitness, an all women’s fitness studio on Staten Island. I am writing this with an extremely heavy heart as this is something I have been desperately trying to avoid since March. Here is the backstory, as to how Jackd Fitness came to be... A series of tragic events ultimately led to bringing my vision to life, and I opened Jackd Fitness in 2016. In 2014 I was assaulted on the streets of NYC and admitted to the hospital. Without diving into too much detail and taking away from where we are now, I will just say after this assault my whole world, and priorities shifted. I knew I wanted to create a safe place for women. I wanted to create a place where we can become stronger, not only physically, but mentally as well. So, I did just that. I started training women in my parents garage in Eltingville! After a couple of years I had saved up enough money to open an actual studio, and we took off! Jackd Fitness is not only a “gym,” it is a family. Many of the girls who trained with me in the garage STILL come to me! It is truly a place like no other. Prior to the quarantine, on a typical day, I would work 10 hour days and see approximately 60 women! I held private sessions, in one-to-one and small group options, but also held group classes of 15 to 20 girls multiple times a day. Working was never a bother to me, and as cliche as it is, since I am doing what I love, it does not feel like ‘work;’ rather than feeling like something that I have to do, it is something that I want to do! I have given the last four years of my life to my business, and would gladly continue to do so, if I was allowed.

As you all know, Covid-19 has brought a lot of heartache and tragedy into this world in more ways than one. Many businesses have had to permanently close their doors due to being shut down by the government for too long, without the proper help, which was promised. Despite my studio already having a set number of girls in and out at a given time, since I am considered a ‘small business’ according to the government, my business was not left out of these mandates. Therefore, we were forced to close in March for what we were told would be two weeks. Fast forward almost NINE months and I am still closed! I was allowed to open for one-on-one sessions for a month and a half, but now I am fully closed AGAIN, and with no end in sight. The months I am closed, I am still expected to pay rent, which was increased at the start of the lockdown, utilities and other overhead expenses. There is no rent forgiveness, nor help at all for small businesses, like the government promised they would provide. The amount of money lost is truly heartbreaking and will be hard to come back from.

In order to adjust to the significant income loss, I had to revamp my business plan. I had to create online classes, as well as incorporate outdoor classes when the weather would comply, to give my girls a sense of normalcy and interaction, and they were going great. It was so nice to see my girls in person and finally be in a group again. However, that quickly changed as soon as the weather got colder. Now, we are strictly doing online classes, which are still great, but are not enough for what we need to survive. It has been almost nine months since my business has been able to operate like it was intended to operate. I am at a loss mentally, physically, financially and am hoping that I can count on the community I love so much to offer a helping hand.