A local couple has shown plenty of heart opening their new business in La Conner.
Tracy Barnett and April Emanuelson-Barnett have not only painted the La Conner Fitness & MMA venue on Maple Avenue heartthrob red, but a healthy heart is prominent in the logo designed for them by hometown artist Eve McCauley.
McCauley’s father, the late Curt McCauley Sr., was a longtime La Conner taekwondo instructor, having successfully placed his finger on the pulse of the community’s embrace of fit and healthy lifestyles.
Last October, on the day before Halloween, Tracy and April grasped the baton passed by Curt McCauley’s legacy when they opened their combination gym and martial arts studio in the old Joe’s Drive-In building. Since then, they’ve welcomed folks of all ages drawn by the chance to train with weights, ellipticals, and stationary bikes, take classes in Jui Jitsu, self-defense, and dance fitness, or grab healthy smoothies and nutritious to-go “Heart Beet” meals.
“I love this gym,” said La Conner Fitness & MMA Front Desk Manager Heather Alyson. “This has been Tracy and April’s dream and I’m glad to be part of their dream.”
Many others shared that dream during the La Conner Fitness & MMA Grand Opening Celebration on March 8, an event highlighted by the appearance of world champion Brazilian Jui Jitsu competitor and teacher Walter “Cascoa” Vital.
Walter “Cascão” Vital, a 5th degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and director of the BJJ Association, taught a children’s class and an adult class during the Grand Opening of the La Conner Fitness & MMA March 8. Cascão, born in Joao Pessoa, Pariba, Brazil, began practicing jujitsu in 1990 and received his black belt in 2003. He has more than 150 titles in competition, including three World Championships, two Pan American championships, and 10 U.S. National Championships. His BJJ system currently has 160 black belts through his affiliated schools in Brazil, Mexico, the United States, and the United Kingdom. He has 26 affiliates in the U.S. including the one in La Conner. Cascão previously taught Tracy Barnett. Photos by Nancy Crowell
Tracy, a 29-year U.S. military veteran, previously taught Jui Jitsu for the legendary Cascoa, who is now based in Las Vegas.
“He’s very humble, very kind,” Tracy said. “He talks about doing things the right way.”
It was Vital’s example that inspired Tracy and April, who own 15 acres off Snee-Oosh Road on the Swinomish Reservation, to open a gym and fitness center in La Conner.
“We want to bring health to everyone and at any stage of life, internally and externally,” said April, a functional fitness teacher. “We want them to feel comfortable even if they’ve never set foot in a gym.”
A purple belt, Tracy had long wanted to teach self-defense and Jui Jitsu in his own gym.
“But we didn’t want to do it,” April recalled, “unless we owned the building.”
An opportunity presented itself last year when Tracy and April saw the former restaurant at Maple and Washington for sale. In its last iteration, the building was home to the COA Mexican Eatery & Tequileria.
One day, a realtor representing the seller happened to be on site as the couple drove by. Tracy and April stopped and introduced themselves to him and gradually began to see the possibilities of converting the building to a gym.
Because the restaurant was in a residential zone and had been closed for more than six months, Tracy and April had to apply for a conditional use permit to re-open it as a fitness center. The town approval was enthusiastically granted following a public hearing, during which widespread support was voiced for the venture.
“From the start,” said April, “we saw that this was something that the community could benefit from.”
Among its many features is an introduction to weightlifting class, which can be especially beneficial for seniors, April said.
“We know that as we age,” she noted, “that we need to lift (weights) to stave off osteoporosis.”
The La Conner Fitness & MMA model is kid-friendly, as well.
“It’s really fun,” said Tracy, “to see kids who are shy or maybe have had bullies in their lives train and build confidence and their self-esteem. It’s so much fun to see kids blossom with their self-confidence.”
One discipline that La Conner Fitness & MMA doesn’t offer is yoga. That’s out of respect for the yoga studios already in the area.
“We believe in collaboration, not competition,” April explained.
Tracy’s and April’s approach, which includes affordability — monthly memberships cost as little as $25 — has gone over well thus far.
“This place is unique,” member Ran Hinrichs said, “because it’s run by love.”
Correction: We incorrectly stated that Walter “Cascão” Vital’s BJJ system currently has 260 black belts through his affiliated schools in Brazil, Mexico, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The correct number of black belts in his system is 160. La Conner Community News regrets the error.
