This morning we had a chance to sit down and talk with long time Owasso resident Paul Gatton, owner of Owasso Fitness Zone. You could feel every bit of emotion he was having as he was explaining the process of closing the doors of his business.
After 18 years, Owasso Fitness Zone, which is located just west of Highway 169 on 76th Street, will be closing its doors Saturday, May 28, 2016. This was not an easy decision for Paul and his wife, Kristi, but one he feels he was led to make. “Being a business owner is hard,” Gatton said. “You’re busy every minute of every day, which is why I feel that this is the time to step back and let God steer me in another direction so I am able to spend more time with my wife and daughter.”
Gatton has been blessed beyond measure with the 18 years he’s been in this business. As many of us know from personal experience, it’s more than just a gym. This is a place where you feel at home. Gatton takes pride in the fact that majority of his clients are more like family.
“There are days where I’m more of a counselor than a trainer. I am that person some need to confide in because they might not have anyone else, and that to me is what this is all about.” He even has a client, Oma Williams, who brings him homemade biscuits and gravy every Monday morning for breakfast. “It’s moments like these that make this transition so hard.” he said with tears. The relationships he has formed over the years are real and are not going to be easy to move on from. “You just don’t find gym’s like mine anymore where personal relationships with clients are valued” Gatton said.
This isn’t the end for Gatton though. He has plans to continue to train those that need him, privately. Eventually, when the time is right, he will open up a gym on a smaller scale, with the same “more than just a gym” purpose.
In case you’re wondering, Reuben Weant will still be there to show Gatton how it’s done. 
Reuben, a Special Olympics champion, has been with Gatton since the beginning, back when Fitness Zone started in 1998 in a small brick building where Open Table Cafe is now. Gatton recently awarded Reuben his own trophy, giving him the title of “Owasso Fitness Zone’s Best Bodybuilder”.
If interested in receiving personal training or purchasing any remaining equipment, stop by Saturday or give Gatton a call at (918) 691-6358.
