Member spotlight: Donna Cyrus

American Fitness, March-April, 2004

If there is goal one should accomplish in the fitness industry, Donna Cyrus has reached it and then some. Cyrus, the AFAA certified national director of Crunch Group Fitness, has been with Crunch Fitness International for over five years. In that time, she has successfully brought group exercise programming to new heights, consistently launching hot new ways to workout, such as Urban Rebounding, Fat-Burning Pilates, Circus Sports, Cardio Striptease, HOOPS and the latest phenomenon, BOSU[R]. Her mission: Give members group exercise classes they won't want to miss. By the looks of it, mission accomplished! Crunch members are NOT missing them--in Fact, most Crunch classes are packed with eager exercisers of all shapes, ages and sizes.

An exemplary Crunch class is Karaoke Ride, which combines group cycling and karaoke. "When you sing, you have better use of oxygen, which adds an extra level of difficulty," Cyrus explains. If this class sounds a little wacky, it is, but it's fun, sale and people swarm to it. Classes like Karaoke Ride have helped Crunch Fitness become a major player since it started as a small, no-frills studio in Manhattan's East Village in 1989. Today, 24 Crunch gyms can be found in eight major United States cities, including Chicago, Miami and Atlanta.

One doesn't have to undertake deep analysis to understand why Cyrus is such a success story because many of her business moves have been acts of pure genius, such as mingling with other corporations, including Club Med resorts and the 2002 Olympic Games. She teamed Crunch with Jet Blue Airlines, for instance, which currently offers Crunch yoga on board its coast-to-coast flights. "Yoga on an airplane is brilliant," says frequent flier Jill Constantine, "I book with Jet Blue specifically for this option." Maneuvers like these have given Crunch a plethora of media exposure, not to mention the amazing membership networking potential.

Aside from the aforementioned collaborations, Cyrus' chief strength is her ability to woo great talent. She's got an army of "Donna-devotees," instructors that'll stay loyal to her and be exclusive with Crunch (seemingly unheard of in the land of "independent contractors"). How has she done this? By providing an arena where creativity and personality are celebrated. "Every single one of my ideas has been supported," says Ellen Barrett, star of two best-selling Crunch videos. "Crunch has always taken chances with me and I feel very fortunate for that."

While many people in a corporate position like hers would be stuck in business suits and meetings, Cyrus doesn't sit behind a desk for long. Instead, she gets out there! You'll find her at almost every convention around the world, checking out the latest and greatest in talent, equipment, methods and trends. She constantly flies from gym to gym, taking and teaching classes. Keenly aware of industry goings-on, Cyrus seems to know what's hot before it's hot.

So where was Cyrus before she became Crunch Queen? Everywhere! She was the co-owner of Club Body Tech gyms in Miami Beach, Key West and Hollywood, Florida, as well as one of four Reebok master trainers and Cycle Reebok Program creators. Cyrus has presented at numerous fitness conventions, such as World IDEA, ECA and IHRSA, as well as certified over 600 instructors in the Cycle Reebok Program. A fitness professional for over 18 years, Cyrus has presented programs in Sweden, Italy Rio de Janeiro and Monte Carlo. Her aerobic experience has shared the spotlight with her former roles as a principal performer in Broadway's A Chorus Line, Grease and Pippin as well as acting roles in Another World, One Life to Live and Saturday Night Fever (in which she played a beautiful lady walking down the street with John Travolta during the opening scene).

As the powerhouse behind Crunch's massive success, "Donna is simply the most forward thinking program director today," says Kendell Hogan, the West Coast Director for Crunch. Forward thinking and forward moving, Cyrus' latest conception is an entire convention! The second annual Crunch fitness convention, Crunch Sweats[TM], will be held in Atlanta, Georgia, April 17th to 18th, 2004. Her talent roster is exquisite and workshop listing, electrifying. The gusto behind it all is, of course, the one and only Donna Cyrus.

For more information about Crunch Fitness, visit www.crunch.com. If you are interested in attending Crunch Sweats[TM], please e-mail azimmer@crunch.com.