Employee: Otis Lester, Store Manager
Location: Peabody, MA
Since: 2009
Quote: “It goes so far beyond the job for me. It’s a part of my life now.”
If you’ve ever walked into the Peabody, MA Gym Source showroom, you’ve probably been greeted by Store Manager, Otis Lester. A California native with a long background in sports and fitness, Otis joined Gym Source in 2009.
“I was a collegiate athlete and had a stint in overseas pro ball. Later, I was a personal trainer and I worked for health clubs for 8 or 9 years before coming to Gym Source. I had run clubs, I’d been branch manager, I’d done sales for health clubs, operations, so it was a natural fit.”
Otis heard about the company because he was working for Gym Source’s largest commercial client at the time. “I was really impressed with Gym Source’s level of service and their helpful approach.”
Aside from being a store manager, Otis is an elite trainer for Gym Source. Whenever there is a new hire, he helps coordinate their training process. He’s been a trainer of new hires for years at Gym Source and in previous companies. “Whenever I get a new hire who starts hitting goals, that’s the most rewarding thing. It’s great to hit goals and have your store hit goals, and training others to do well is very gratifying.”
The full-service, consultative nature of our stores and employees is what sets Gym Source apart. We love to walk our clients through the entire process of building a home fitness space. Otis is a perfect example of how we like to work with our clients.
“The thing I love most about working for Gym Source is helping people. When I get into people’s homes and help them design a home gym, walk them through the whole process and then be there to watch it all go in, that’s the best part of my job. I want to be the guy they call back over and over again when they need something new. I make lasting relationships with clients; they become real friends. It goes so far beyond the job for me. It’s a part of my life now.”
At Gym Source, we celebrate the achievements of everyday athletes, no matter if you’re training for your first race or just trying to fit into a smaller dress size, we want to know the reason for your commitment to fitness, what your Victory Moment will look like.
Otis’s Victory Moment is when he goes outside and plays with his 2-year-old daughter. “I’ve played a lot of sports and my body is kind of beaten up at this point, but I get up everyday and I look at her and I want to stay fit and healthy so I can go outside and play with her. She’s really the reason I’ll never stop. I want to instill a healthy lifestyle in her too, and the best way is to lead by example.”
How does Otis stay in shape? “Because of past injuries, I can’t really lift as much as I’d like to anymore so my workout is low weight, high rep intervals. I’m trying to stay lean and strong. That mixed with high burst cardio is how I’m staying in shape. The Cybex Arc Trainer is great for that. It’s my favorite piece of equipment because it’s such a high metabolizing exercise. It really sheds the calories so I can get on for a short amount of time and feel like I ran a marathon.”
