A Model for Becoming More Inclusive — Sam Rypinski, Founder of EVERYBODY Gym

For a few months last year, I couldn’t get away from EVERYBODY. People went out of their way to tell me about it; how, for the first time, they felt at ease in a gym, and actually wanted to work out! They talked to me about the fitness instructors cultivating environments where they felt comfortable not knowing what to do. Or trainers who developed programs that helped them to connect more deeply with their bodies instead of trying to sculpt it. Above all else, these people told me how they felt embraced in all of the ways other places told them they were weird.

As I came to learn, this was by design.

Press outlets across the country have called EVERYBODY “the most radically inclusive gym in America.” And founder, Sam Rypinski says that was exactly his intention. As a lifelong athlete, Sam spent many years in gyms and found the culture toxic and oppressive to people who didn’t fit a specific mold. And so, in 2016, when Sam and his co-founder, Lake Sharp, founded EVERYBODY they deliberately and thoughtfully built inclusive values and protocols into their mission, vision, and execution.

As a result, EVERYBODY is a unique space in that is truly respectful of the diversity and variety of people in Los Angeles.

In this 12 minute piece, Sam breaks down what inclusivity means, why it’s important, how he’s working everyday to truly build a space that achieves those values, and what we might learn from the story of EVERYBODY.

Listen to the interview above!

Los Angeles, CA, USA
May 2019