David Garza Is Building More Than a Gym
The Quincy teacher, baseball coach and Athletic Break-Through owner sees education, athletics and fitness as different ways to invest in the people and future of the 98848.
When I scheduled a visit with Athletic Break-Through owner David Garza earlier this week, I expected to spend an hour learning about a local business before writing a straightforward community profile. Instead, our conversation lasted nearly two and a half hours and ranged far beyond fitness equipment or workout programs. We talked about Quincy, youth athletics, education, business ownership, community growth and the opportunities he believes exist for families in the 98848.
Before we ever started talking, I got my first glimpse of how David operates. He was already working with one of his members when I arrived, greeting others by name as they came through the door. There was no sense that our interview was about to begin which I found refreshing because people usually get a little flustered. Instead, he seamlessly shifted from coaching, answering questions and helping a client to our conversation. The transition was so smooth that I never actually started the former interview. Instead we talked freely for 2 and a half hours.
I’ve spent more than 35 years around gyms. I started lifting weights when I was 11 years old, later became a certified personal trainer, owned my own training business and have interviewed some big names in the fitness industry. Those experiences have made me fairly critical of gyms and trainers because I’ve seen outstanding facilities, mediocre ones, everything in between and the same with certified personal trainers. I thought I had a good idea of what I would find when I walked into Athletic Break-Through.
Athletic Break-Through certainly is a gym, but that’s not what stood out during my visit. What stood out was the way every conversation eventually returned to people. Whether David was talking about a middle school student discovering confidence through physical activity, a high school athlete preparing for the next level, a parent trying to improve their health or another fitness professional looking for an opportunity to grow, the focus consistently came back to helping someone move closer to a goal that mattered to them.
That perspective also helped me understand why David’s three roles in the community fit together so naturally. Most people know him as the owner of Athletic Break-Through, a physical education teacher at Quincy Middle School or the head baseball coach at Quincy High School. After spending time with him, those don’t feel like three separate jobs. They feel like three different ways of serving the same community.
TL;DR
Athletic Break-Through owner David Garza is also a Quincy Middle School PE teacher and the new head baseball coach at Quincy High School.
A conversation that began as a business profile became a broader discussion about families, youth athletics and serving the Quincy community.
Garza’s vision extends beyond operating a gym to creating opportunities for people of all ages to improve their health, performance and confidence.
Athletic Break-Through is expanding as it continues to grow, with a long-term vision centered on serving the needs of the 98848.
The Nuts & Bolts of Athletic Break-Through
Athletic Break-Through is a gym located in the new industrial park on the south edge of Quincy Washington off of HWY 281. The address is AERO MESA 2606 Main SE Ave, Quincy, WA, 98848 and Google maps will not show you the business name because it is based in the Aero Mesa Warehouse. They have free weights, conditioning equipment, floor area, recover support and more. They are the only gym in town that allows minors with supervision.
ABT offers Group Fitness Training - Adult Strength, Athlete Training (Grades 6-12th) & (College Athletes), Youth Development (Ages 5-7) & (Ages 8-11), Open Gym Slots 7 days/week with 90+ hours available, Personal Training (1-1), Open 24/7
https://www.athleticbreakthrough.com (509)989-7340
A Look Under the Hood
Before meeting with David Garza, it would have been easy to think of him as someone wearing three different hats. Most people around Quincy probably know him in one of three ways. Some know him as the owner of Athletic Break-Through. Others know him as a physical education teacher at Quincy Middle School. Baseball fans are getting to know him as the new head coach of the Quincy High School baseball program.
David’s connection to Eastern Washington runs deep. Raised in Othello, he went on to study at Arkansas State University before coming back and completing his education at Eastern Washington University. Today, he’s raising two sons of his own while balancing life as a teacher, coach and business owner. Those experiences give him a perspective that naturally connects with many of the students, athletes and parents he works with each day.
Spending the afternoon with David, it became clear that teaching, coaching and operating Athletic Break-Through aren’t separate pursuits. Each gives him another opportunity to help people grow, build confidence and reach goals they may not have believed were possible. That perspective explains why our conversation rarely stayed focused on the business itself.
David repeatedly returned to the idea of people reaching their goals. Sometimes it was a middle school student discovering confidence. Other times it was a high school athlete chasing the next level or an adult deciding it was finally time to improve their health. Regardless of age or ability, he saw each person as capable of more than they believed.
That same outlook extends beyond the people who walk through the front door of Athletic Break-Through. During our conversation, David spoke about creating opportunities for other professionals as well. Rather than trying to be the expert in every aspect of health and fitness, he envisions Athletic Break-Through as a place where trainers, recovery specialists and other professionals can work together to better serve the community. It’s an approach that recognizes no one person has every answer and that people often achieve more when they combine their strengths.
Athletic Break-Through wasn’t built around a particular style of fitness. It was built around the idea that every person has different goals, different abilities and different challenges. Instead of asking people to fit into one training philosophy, David has tried to create an environment that adapts to the individual.
By the end of our conversation, I found myself thinking less about the business and more about the person behind it. The next question wasn’t what Athletic Break-Through offers today. It was how David came to build a place that looks so different from many of the gyms I’ve visited over the years.
Building the Kind of Place He Couldn’t Find
One of the things that became clear during our conversation is that Athletic Break-Through wasn’t created just because David Garza wanted to own a gym. It grew out of years spent studying health and fitness, working with people and recognizing that many facilities are built around a single philosophy rather than the individual walking through the front door.
Most gyms eventually develop a particular identity. Some become known for bodybuilding. Others attract powerlifters, CrossFit athletes or endurance athletes. Athletic Break-Through was designed with a different philosophy.
Rather than asking people to adapt to the gym, he wanted the gym to adapt to the person. That means the high school athlete preparing for a new season doesn’t necessarily need the same program as the parent trying to improve their health after years away from exercise. A middle school student learning proper movement patterns has different needs than an adult recovering from an injury or someone training for their first 5K. The goal isn’t to convince everyone to train the same way. The goal is to help each person make progress toward their own objectives.
That philosophy influences far more than the workouts themselves. Throughout our conversation, David returned repeatedly to the idea that long-term success comes from meeting people where they are instead of expecting them to begin at the same place. That thinking also explains why Athletic Break-Through continues to evolve. During our walk through the facility, David showed me the neighboring space that will become part of the gym’s next expansion. More square footage certainly creates room for additional equipment, but that wasn’t how he described it. Instead, he talked about creating opportunities for more programs, additional coaches and services that aren’t currently available in Quincy.
One example that stood out involved recovery services. David described conversations with a young professional who specializes in massage therapy, blading and other recovery techniques that complement strength and conditioning. Rather than viewing those services as separate businesses, he sees them as pieces of a larger picture. Someone working to improve their health or athletic performance often benefits from more than one area of expertise, and his long-term vision is to make those resources easier to access in one place.
That willingness to collaborate says as much about David as it does about his business. Many owners naturally focus on building an organization around themselves. David spoke instead about building something that could include people with different experiences, specialties and perspectives. He readily acknowledged that he doesn’t have every answer, and he doesn’t believe one person should. If another professional can better serve a member’s needs, he wants them to be part of the solution.
As we stood in the coming expansion, I began to realize that Athletic Break-Through isn’t simply expanding because it needs more room. It is expanding because David believes the needs of the community will continue to grow. His vision isn’t limited to adding equipment or increasing membership. It is about creating a place where families, students, athletes and adults can find the guidance and support they need without leaving the Quincy area.
That idea kept bringing me back to the same question.
If David’s vision is larger than a traditional gym, what does he believe Quincy could become over the next decade, and how does Athletic Break-Through fit into that future?
Walking Through Athletic Break-Through
David’s enthusiasm is contagious. He laughs easily, moves quickly, points excitedly from one area to the next when sharing Athletic Break-Through. He is genuinely energized every time another member walks through the front door and greets them by name before picking up our conversation exactly where we left off.
I found myself noticing the equipment. Years of lifting weights and working in the fitness industry naturally draw my attention to squat racks, conditioning equipment and how a gym is laid out. David certainly talked about those things, explaining why he had chosen particular pieces of equipment and how different tools could help people with different goals, but that was rarely where the conversation stayed for long.
One conversation led to youth athletes and teaching proper movement before adding weight. Another shifted to adults who simply want to become healthier after years of putting everyone else’s needs ahead of their own. We talked about families working toward healthier lifestyles together instead of separately. Even discussions about future equipment quickly turned into conversations about what additional opportunities those investments could create for people in Quincy.
That pattern continued as we walked through every space. David talked instead about possibilities. More room meant the ability to expand programs, welcome additional members and eventually create space for services that are difficult to find locally. His goal isn’t simply to expand Athletic Break-Through. It was to create better access to services that help people recover, stay healthy and continue making progress toward their goals.
By that point in the afternoon, we hadn’t spent two and a half hours talking about fitness. We had spent two and a half hours talking about people, and Athletic Break-Through simply happened to be where those conversations took place
Looking Ahead
One of the reasons our conversation lasted as long as it did is that David wasn’t focused only on where Athletic Break-Through is today. Much of what we discussed centered on where Quincy is headed and how the business can continue growing alongside the community.
Today, that growth is becoming visible. Membership has continued to increase, youth programming has expanded and the facility is already growing into additional space. During our walk through the building, it was easy to see that the expansion isn’t being driven by a desire to simply add more equipment. David talked far more about creating opportunities than filling square footage.
Families continue to move into the area. Young people are looking for opportunities to develop their skills close to home. Adults want more options to improve their health without regularly traveling to larger communities. Rather than waiting for someone else to create those opportunities, David is trying to build them here.
That outlook also helps explain why he doesn’t talk about Athletic Break-Through as a finished product. Throughout the afternoon, he described ideas that are still taking shape. Some involve expanding youth athletic development. Others focus on recovery services, additional coaching or bringing other professionals into the facility so members have access to more resources in one location. None of those ideas are presented as guarantees or promises. They’re simply the next steps in a vision that continues to evolve.
As our conversation wound down, I found myself thinking about how often successful communities are shaped by people who see possibilities before everyone else does. They look at an empty building and imagine something different. They see needs that aren’t being met and begin working toward solutions, even when the outcome isn’t guaranteed.
What This Means to You
Whether you’ve lived in Quincy your entire life or moved here in the last few years, you’ve probably noticed the community continuing to evolve. New families have arrived, local businesses have expanded, schools continue to adapt to growth and community leaders are planning for the future. As that happens, the services and opportunities available close to home become increasingly important.
Athletic Break-Through isn’t simply another business opening its doors and hoping people walk in. It represents one local resident’s decision to invest his experience, his career and his future in Quincy. Through his work as a teacher, coach and business owner, David has chosen to build those opportunities here instead of waiting for someone else to create them.
For parents, that may mean having additional resources to help their children develop healthy habits, improve athletic performance or simply gain confidence through physical activity. For adults, it may mean having another option close to home to pursue their own health goals. For young athletes, it means learning from someone who sees their development extending beyond a single season or a single sport.
The larger story is that Quincy continues to gain people who are willing to invest their knowledge, time and resources in building opportunities for others. Whether those opportunities involve athletics, education, recreation or business, they all contribute to the kind of community we continue working to build.
Every growing community needs people willing to teach, coach, mentor and build. David Garza has chosen to do all four, and he’s looking for people to join him in that labor.
Looking Beyond the Building
When I pulled into the parking lot at Athletic Break-Through, I thought I was there to learn about a gym. That’s a reasonable assumption. From the outside, that’s exactly what it appears to be.
The afternoon wasn’t really about strength training, memberships or expansion plans. Those subjects came up, but they weren’t what stayed with me. What I’ll remember is a conversation with someone who sees teaching, coaching and business ownership as different ways to serve the same community. Athletic Break-Through happens to be where those paths come together.
Most business owners can explain what they do. The ones who leave a lasting impression are the people who can clearly explain why they do it. Spending an afternoon with David Garza left me convinced that his “why” has very little to do with owning a gym and everything to do with helping people become stronger, healthier and more confident than they were yesterday.
In a warehouse on the edge of town, a teacher, coach and business owner is investing his experience in the people of Quincy. Whether you’re a parent looking for opportunities for your children, an athlete working toward the next level, someone trying to improve your health or simply a resident who appreciates seeing local people invest in their community, that’s worth knowing.
Sometimes the most important stories in the 98848 aren’t the biggest stories. They’re the ones quietly taking shape every day, often without much attention, until someone takes the time to stop, listen and understand what is really being built.
David walked with me back to my truck, and somewhere between the front door and the parking lot the conversation shifted to an injury I’d mentioned earlier that has kept me out of the gym. I’d spent the afternoon asking questions about his business, yet as we wrapped up, his attention had turned to helping me. It was a small moment, but it struck me that it perfectly reflected everything we’d spent the afternoon talking about.
The gym, the expansion and the plans for the future all matter, but they’re really tools for something bigger. They exist to serve the people who walk through those doors. That’s what I came away with at Athletic Break-Through, and why I believe David Garza’s story is really a story about investing in the people of the 98848.
