PHOTOS BY CARRIE ALLEN
No matter what life path you may be on, dedicating time to personal fitness — even amid the madness of the real world out there — is crucial to your life-long journey.
With so many options in the fitness arena, you don’t have to look far to discover what’s different about Orangetheory Fitness in Mooresville. Besides a strong sense of community, there’s a plan that can be geared to every personal fitness level, and you’ll find members here actually range in age from 14 to 78. The Orangetheory motto is simple, but significant: “Exercise to live!”
An amazing staff of certified personal trainers also sets Orangetheory apart. Every coach believes in every single client and in the highly regarded Orangetheory process, that makes all the difference.
Leading the studio in its Mooresville location since April of 2017, owner and operator, Daniel Schloss, loves sharing the importance of the Orangetheory technology and what makes coaches and clients alike know they can reach individual goals with confidence.
It’s all a matter of heart.
“Our technology is all about real time heart rate training,” he explains. “Your heart rate will obviously go up and down during a work-out, all based on your effort and intensity. With our monitoring system, members can see exactly what their hearts are doing, and, over time, they can see how their hearts have strengthened and how their performance has improved.”
Once your results are sent to you and stored in the Orangetheory App, you can see how you’ve improved over time with the studios’ carefully orchestrated workouts!
“Heart rate interval training manipulates the heart rate to respond to your personal effort and intensity,” says Daniel. “Some days you might focus on endurance and being able to do more steady training, and some days might be power days, which really get into explosive movements and working your fast twitch muscles.”
This is functional training at its best, where you strengthen your heart and muscles to be able to do everyday activities, and you feel really good about that personal progress. You’ll be seeing results from the inside out.
The team at Orangetheory Fitness also emphasizes being able to complete their workout at your own pace.
“We are designed for all levels of fitness, from beginners to the advanced lifters and runners,” says Daniel. “You’ll meet fellow Orangetheory members who have never worked out, and you’ll get to know pro athletes who swear by it.”
Fitness, after all, is about life, and while you may feel sore after your time at Orangetheory, that simply means you’re getting the most life out of your exercise routine. And that equals a long, healthy life with those you love.
Now let’s meet the Orangetheory team!
“I’ve always loved fitness, leadership, and community,” says Jonathan, Studio Manager. “So, a career at Orangetheory is a perfect fit for me. Being able to connect with a wide variety of people, while helping them reach their fitness goals, has made the last seven years the best. OTF has amazing members and staff, so it never feels like work. You can’t beat it!”
Over 12 years ago, Nikia was a member-turned-coach at Ellen’s Ultimate Workout in South Florida. “This is the workout that became Orangetheory Fitness, and the workout that changed my life, and so many others,” she says. “Being mentored by Ellen Latham, the creator of OTF, was an incredible opportunity, and I’m forever grateful.” Nikia also loves the members, community, workouts, and the Mooresville Orangetheory team so much. “I even met my husband Jonathan at an OTF, and I joke that you should give us a try because you may lose some weight and gain a spouse!”
Mother to three amazing children, Holly says fitness has always been a part of her life. “I was raised in a very active, competitive family. I love that Orangetheory allows me to help each member achieve their goals, find more confidence, and walk out knowing they are stronger than when they walked in!”
“Of all the gyms and programs I’ve been part of for over 30 years, OTF has been my absolute favorite!” says Ana Marie. “It’s everything there is to love and want in fitness in one place, in one hour,” she adds. Ana Marie holds three A.C.E. certifications and has coached at Orangetheory Mooresville since it opened in 2017, and her favorite part of the job is becoming such an important part of members lives.
Erica has been working in the fitness world since 2019, but has loved exercise since she was a young child. “I have coached everything from Cycle to Pilates to Yoga, but my #1 favorite has always been OTF. My goal is to make sure that everyone who leaves my class feels at least 1% better than when they came in,” she says. “I believe movement is a privilege and we should take advantage of it!”
Originally from Jackson, MS, Ash graduated from Mississippi State University with a Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing in August 2013, and moved to Mooresville that same year. She is a dedicated wife, pet parent, and small business owner, and became a member here in 2019. “OTF completely changed my life,” she says. “I had been pursuing my personal fitness journey for several years, but this was the first thing that really felt like it fit me.” She officially joined the team in 2020, eventually working her way up to Assistant Studio Manager. Ash is very dedicated to the studio and its members!
Kaylan is a licensed cosmetologist and is currently working on getting her personal training certification. “I have been working at Orangetheory Fitness Mooresville for over two years now, and I hope to become one of the fantastic coaches here!”
Julia started her own workout journey with Orangetheory a year ago. “I took my first class with Coach Erica, who made my first class so comfortable and welcoming, and I never looked back,” says Julia. She recently joined the team, and is studying marine biology with dreams of being a master diver to benefit the earth’s health, while helping Orangetheory members with their health!
Marvin is a wonderful person and a student at UNC Charlotte, currently working on his degree in Exercise Science. Marvin is also a lifeguard at the local YMCA as well, and he has aspirations of being part of a professional team as a Physical Therapist. “Being part of this OTF family in Mooresville has motivated me to pursue a rich lifestyle, and a career as a physical trainer or OTF coach,” says Marvin. “It just suits me!”
Orangetheory Mooresville owners Daniel and Kathleen relocated to the Lake Norman area from South Florida, with their two young children, now 10 and 11-years-old. They first became involved in Orangetheory Fitness as members, over nine years ago, in South Florida where Orangetheory was founded. Kathleen loved the intensity and variations of the workouts, while Daniel – being a former college and professional soccer player – felt like it was similar to the coaching he experienced when he was playing. Both are proud of the two Orangetheory locations open in the Lake Norman area: The Cornelius studio, which has been open for seven years, and Mooresville, open for about six years.
Orangetheory Fitness is located at 631 Brawley School Road, Mooresville, NC, 704-626-7515. Hours are 5:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. daily. Visit orangetheory.com for information on classes and membership packages.
