Photo: Park City Fit

The heart behind Park City Fit

PARK CITY, Utah — Chris Spealler, owner of Park City Fit, is living proof that hard work and dedication pay off. A Utah native, Chris took a leap of faith when he opened his own gym — and 19 years later, Park City Fit has become a community staple where locals come to stay strong, healthy and connected.

Born in Salt Lake City, Chris grew up outside Philadelphia before moving back to Park City about 23 years ago. After college, he spent four to five years working in shops, personal training and skiing as many days per year as he could.

Before opening Park City Fit, Chris describes himself as a “quintessential ski bum.” “I came here making $9 an hour working four days a week and living piled with a bunch of friends in a condo at the base of the canyons,” Chris says. He launched the gym using a credit card with a $5,000 limit and a year to pay it off. “A good friend of mine really challenged me to think outside the box and encouraged me to open a gym, which was a huge step, but I did.”
At the time, Chris was figuring out what he wanted to do with his life. Fast forward to today, and Park City Fit is much more than a strength and conditioning facility — something Chris and his team take great pride in.

“We’re not willing to sacrifice what is right for what is popular,” Chris says. “We really care about the service we provide with the programming, the facility, and at the end of the day, we’re just people-oriented. It’s a people business. People have a lot going on, and we want to make this one of the best hours of their day.”

The Challenges of Business in Park City

Chris understands firsthand how difficult it can be to run a small business in Park City — especially in the fitness industry. “It’s really hard. And when it’s the fitness industry, it’s like incredibly competitive,” Chris says. “I don’t take that lightly. I don’t take people coming in the door and giving us a chance lightly, because I get it. They are trusting us with a piece of their life that means a lot, right?”

For Chris, earning that trust is everything, and it requires patience and a willingness to take the long — and often harder — road. “We just care, you know? And it’s hard. It’s a grind,” Chris says. “I am not going to fake that.”

Mountainkind in Action

In a town like Park City, community is everything. At Park City Fit, that means truly knowing people and understanding what’s happening in their lives beyond the gym. “That is something that is really important to us,” Chris said. “Making sure that we invest in people. We understand we are not going to appeal to everyone the way that we train. But anybody that wants to be a part of what we do, we want them to feel welcome here.”

“At our heart and core, we serve the Park City community, so for us, that Mountainkind attitude, lifestyle, it really boils down to serving people in our community so that they can live to their potential outside the gym,” Chris said.

A Means to an End

Chris explains that one of the core goals of Park City Fit is to be just that — a means to an end. “I don’t want people to be deadlifting 1,000 pounds and running a mile in 4 minutes,” Chris says. “That’s not the point. The point is to help people thrive through decades of their life so they can express their fitness outside the gym.”

For nearly two decades, Park City Fit has helped people build strength not just for today, but for a lifetime — inside the gym and beyond it. It’s more than a gym — it’s a reflection of Chris’s values and his commitment to people. Built on trust, consistency and care, the business stands as proof that success doesn’t come from shortcuts, but from showing up day after day for the community you serve.

Read more Our Town stories on the Park City Chamber’s blog.