Jurdaine Tatham-Crawford and Sam Taylor had high hopes when they decided to start a fitness business together.
The two Newmarket residents, 31 and 30 respectively, spent time finding a location they liked on Yonge Street. After much effort, Tatham-Crawford said they signed the lease in 2020.
They got the lease in February — just before COVID-19 hit and left them with no road to open.
“It was a pretty arduous process and scary, to say the least,” Tatham-Crawford said, adding they had to continue paying rent on the building and turn to family and friends for help. “We had no money… Our savings were tapped out.”
After years of challenges, the two opened Evolve Health and Fitness at 16925 Yonge St. this month, with a soft opening in June and a grand opening celebration July 24. The new business offers a variety of fitness classes, personal training and massage therapy.
The pair met at another fitness studio, where Tatham-Crawford said he was working. He said after working in the fitness world for some time, there was a spark of mutual interest for the pair to start their own studio.
Getting the space on Yonge Street ready was no easy task. Taylor said they gutted the space, digging up the concrete floors.
“During that time, it was pretty nerve-wracking on whether or not we would succeed,” Taylor said. “The big thing, especially the early, first couple of weeks in the pandemic, we just kind of assumed this is going to be over soon, and it took us like a very long time to even find a space … There was just also that huge desire to actually do this because we had been talking about this for so long.”
“I really had this desire to continue doing fitness. It’s something that I loved,” Tatham-Crawford said. “I'm not the kind of person that gives up at any sort of sign of any pressure … The benefit for us is we had each other to go through this process.”
Having both grown up in Newmarket, Tatham-Crawford said it is where they wanted to make their business happen.
“I love the quaintness, I love how quiet it is, I love how friendly the people are. It’s just something I really love, and I always wanted to stay in this community and continue to go back to that community, because it’s given me so much growing up,” he said.
The goal of the fitness studio is to build up connections, Taylor said.
“What we wanted to do was create space that was going to be open to everybody (and) focused on education, empowerment,” Taylor said.
“Corporate gyms, it’s very give us the money, here’s your membership, do your thing,” Tatham-Crawford said. “Here, we want to know how your day is, we want to know what your kids are up to. We really want to be part of the community.”
Newmarket Mayor John Taylor — no relation — was on hand for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the grand opening. He said a lot goes into getting a business off the ground.
“People just never really understand how much work, time, passion, tears go into getting it,” he said.
Tatham-Crawford said they hope to make it stable within the community.
“Try us out because we are the little guys, we are not corporate,” he said. “We want you to enjoy your fitness journey.”
