PHOTOS BY ANGELINA MARIE
B R I C K A N D E L M . C O M M AY | J U N E 2 0 21
KYLE CATO, CROSSFIT 806
CLASSES HAVE RESUMED AT CROSSFIT 806 AFTER THE GYM CLOSED FOR ALMOST 90 DAYS.
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S I LV E R L I N I N G S
arly in the pandemic, Kyle Cato thought his dream might be over. He’d opened CrossFit 806, a gym near Western and Plains Boulevard, in late 2010. One of the first CrossFit licensed gyms in the city, it quickly built up a passionate and loyal clientele. When the city shut down in March 2020, Cato closed his doors, too, sending his members home with kettlebells and free weights— loaners from the gym—and pledged to give them daily workout instructions. But though he and his coaches kept in close contact with members, Cato worried. “Our doors were shut. Nobody used my gym,” he says. Uncertain about when he could safely reopen, Cato decided to try to make the best of a bad situation. His gym was closed anyway. Why not use his time wisely? “I spent money. I knocked out walls to create floor space,” he says. “We were designed to have 20 people working out at once, but the big remodel made it to fit 30 people in a more organized way.”
BY JASON BOYETT
As virologists began announcing that outdoor spaces were safer than indoors, Cato also considered whether 806 could have a more prominent outside component as well. He installed a pull-up rig in the parking lot. “I wanted it to be a fairytale entrance when someone came back. I wanted that wow factor to be there at our opening,” he says. Almost 90 days after closing, CrossFit 806 finally welcomed members back during the summer. They discovered a much more expansive workout floor, a better flow for group exercise, and a lot less chaos. “The gym is feeling more alive than it ever has,” Cato says today during an early-afternoon break between sessions. Membership has been growing rapidly. The outside equipment and inside remodel have allowed him to add classes. “We’re running with it as the pandemic turns the corner. It actually made my business better. We’re a well-oiled machine.” COVID was scary. But on the other side, Cato has seen unexpected benefits. “It made me a better business owner,” he says. He’s not alone.
