He’s the man with the plan, and his plan involves showing the DBS community a good time! Ari Franklin has been instrumental in helping out with Shop events like the Zombie Run, Assassins, DBS Field Day, the commercial shoot, and more! He’s also an extremely hard worker during our workouts, having overcome a major injury, Ari is a guy who knows how to bounce back and make it count! That’s why we’re glad to name Ari one of our November Fusion Athletes!

Great work, Ari! Thank you so much for being such an involved and inspiring member of the community!

Ari, you have been a behind the scenes kind of guy here at the Shop,helping put on our past couple events, helping with the commercial shoot, and just overall support system for a while now. How did you hear about DBS and when did you get started working out at the Shop?

A little over a year ago my friends, CJ and Christine, decided to run one of the zombie 5Ks happening in Austin together. We were entrepreneurs who tended to put health and fitness at the bottom of our priorities, so, needless to say, we were pretty blob-like. We had to get into better shape.

We heard about the Pease Park boot camps and decided to give it a shot. I’ve always been a big fan of body weight and Calisthenics type workouts, and right from the start, the tabata- and AMRAP-focused DBS bootcamps struck me as different and fit me perfectly.

Our very first time we were greeted warmly by Shop veterans “Coach Terryl” and Marc S. And, I mean, once you go to Austin Java with those guys, how can you not come back the next time?!

You have a pretty incredible story of surviving a traumatic life event. Not many people know the entire story, but can you give us a brief description of what happened and how DBS has helped you continue to be physically active?

Well, to make a long story short, I was injured playing lacrosse, and I was told that if I didn’t die, I wouldn’t ever run again and would likely need to walk with a cane. Luckily, at the time, I was young and dumb and basically didn’t listen. I went pretty hard into all kinds of physical and occupational therapy. After a few years, I was “graduated” and had to take it upon myself to keep somewhat healthy. Since then, I’ve done my best, but, as I mentioned above, I found it way harder than I thought to balance entrepreneurship with staying fit.

I consider DBS one of my favorite things about living in Austin. I’m so thankful to be a part of such a vibrant and welcoming community that gives me motivation and energy to make fitness a lifestyle, not just another thing to check off the list. From Dane and Leann, to the coaches, to all the members, DBS is truly more than a gym to me, it’s a team. And we’re all working to be better together, and we push each other to succeed in all things.

You attend our Sunday Pease Park Bootcamps (held every 1st and 3rd Sunday) pretty religiously. What keeps you coming back for more?

Pease Park bootcamps are something I always look forward to. Just like any time I’m at the Shop, being around the people at DBS is a good excuse to hang out with friends and learn more about everyone.

Another great thing about the bootcamps is that, because it’s free, you see a ton of new faces that you may not see around the Shop. It’s always cool to welcome a new person into the community over brunch at Austin Java after the workouts.

Finally (and I might get a target on my back after this comment), I secretly love hill sprints.

When you are not at the Shop you are running your Uberpong business and being artistic! Tell us more about these two aspects of your life.

Before I moved to Austin, I went to art school and worked in advertising in Chicago. In my free time, I helped out with a massive art gallery on the South Side. Through that I realized that I might feel more fulfilled doing something entrepreneurial rather than straight working for the man. So I moved out to Austin to start a tech company called OurPangea with my cousin.

Naturally, after the tech world, I progressed into the ping pong business and took on leading the social ping pong movement with Uberpong, where I act as a hybrid operations, marketing, and experience director. The demanding, fast-paced high risk/reward approach you need to take in entrepreneurship fascinates and intrigues me, and is one thing that carries over in my attitude towards both business and fitness. I like being behind the scenes (as my involvement in DBS also reflects) and be the one to bring people together and make a plan happen.

If you could describe the biggest appeal or benefit from coming to DBS, what would that be?

The people, hands down. Sure, you get a great workout and get to meet some really inspiring athletes, but it’s not the DBS community’s fitness prowess that is the only appeal. Coming to the Shop, you get the feeling from everyone you meet that we’re in it together, regardless of if that “together” means enough wall sits to make you forget how to sit down. Every person I know at the Shop is someone I consider a friend, and I know most people there share that sentiment with everyone they meet. There aren’t any egos. It’s almost like it’s just a bunch of buddies hanging out who coincidentally are running 400 [meters] at the same time.

What health goals do you have for the immediate future?

In April, I ran my first Tough Mudder, which was a big leap for me. I’ve become sort of an outdoor adventure race fanatic and teamed up with some fellow DBSers to run these races in the past (shout out to Team DB!). Competitive lifting and long-distance running aren’t my bag, so I think keeping a healthy regimen of mud runs and obstacle courses is a great way to challenge and improve my overall fitness fortitude without having to take myself too seriously.

Tell us your vision for DBS in the next 2 years?

Of course I want to see DBS become as successful as possible. I’m excited for the expansion, future South location opening, and the eventual global takeover. DBS has found the secret to making people love fitness regardless of their experience or background, and as long as that remains central to the DBS community, I think the sky’s the limit. ♦

Interested in being a part of the DBS Community? Register here!