Gym owner pleased with business The Arnold brought in

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – This week’s Arnold Sports Festival brought people from all over the world to Columbus for the festivities.

For local gyms, that meant an influx of people walking through their doors for the first time.

Aaron Thompson, owner of Sparked Society Gym on North High Street, said his gym has been open for just over four months, and this was his first experience with the Arnold.

Thompson said he was a little nervous about what to expect this weekend, and that people may end up trashing the gym.

But that isn’t what happened.

During the days the athletes were in Columbus, Thompson said he has sold more than 250 day passes to people in town for the festival.

He said everyone who has come in has been respectful and has kept the gym clean, adding it’s been a great experience and something that means a lot to him since it hasn’t been open for very long.

“It felt rewarding just to know the word has spread so much,” Thompson said. “I have to thank my members for pushing it on social media. A lot of people were pushing it on social media, you know? ‘Come to Sparked Society, hit him up in town for a day pass if you’re in town,’ so that felt really rewarding.”

Aaron said now he knows it can be a packed gym and he doesn’t have to worry about it being trashed. He also said that all in all, it was a very positive experience and it was cool to meet people from all over.

One of those people was Kaitlyn Palotto, from Fort Collins, Colorado.

"I guess he found it through Instagram," she said of how she discovered Sparked Society. "He heard about it, we came over as quickly as we could, and we love it."

Palotto, like thousands of others, was in town for The Arnold, and was grateful to discover the gym.

"You get to meet a lot of really cool people, hear a lot of stories, get a lot of connection, and then you go home and you're motivated to do it again," she said.

Thompson said he now knows what to expect for next year's festival, and is excited to see how his business grows moving forward.