I’m the founder of OYO Fitness and inventor of SpiraFlex technology and the OYO Personal Gym. People ask me all the time, “How did you get your invention into NASA and on the International Space Station?” I was in the coffee shop below my office reading an article about astronauts losing bone density and muscle mass during long duration space flights in zero gravity. Studies showed the best countermeasure on earth was training with weights, which of course don’t work in space. I believed my SpiraFlex technology under development would provide the same benefits as weights and contacted the Chief Medical Officer at NASA, who invited me to Johnson Space Center for a presentation. Thus began a two year crash development program to deliver our Resistive Exercise Device (iRED) to the Space Station before the first crew arrived. So far over 50 crewmembers have kept in shape using my patented SpiraFlex resistive exercise technology. In a NASA commissioned study, SpiraFlex was proven to build just as much lean muscle as weights. My team also had some fun, like experiencing explosive decompression in NASA’s hyperbaric chamber during training for a zero-G flight.
After the successes of SpiraFlex powering both NASA’s first strength training device, and one of the best and highest selling home gyms, the Bowflex Revolution, I founded OYO Fitness to expand the technology into a full line of “On Your Own” fitness products.
Studies show resistance training can be a “fountain of youth”, as it builds bone and muscle, burns fat and makes you feel better, look younger and live longer. The OYO team strives to create innovative products you can get fit with On Your Own — and help you meet and beat life’s challenges.
SONYA ANDREWS
Brand & Web Director
“I help OYO Fitness convey a brand that reflects its sleek, sophisticated, yet easy to use technology. I come from a background in ecommerce, identity branding and literary publishing, but fitness has always been very important to me. I love the outdoors and enjoy hiking, canoeing, trail running and scuba diving.”
NICK BOLTON
Fitness Director
“I am a personal trainer in Overland Park, body builder and former firefighter. I developed the workout and nutrition programs for the OYO Personal Gym and work with OYO Fitness as a virtual personal trainer for our workout videos. I also developed and ran the 10 Week Challenge program where participants lost an average of 17lbs and 19 inches.”
LEROY CHIAO, Ph.D.
OYO Fitness Advisor,
Former NASA Astronaut
Leroy Chiao has vast experience in both the public and private sector. In addition to his human spaceflight experience at NASA, he has also worked extensively in academia, government laboratories and in commercial ventures and technology startups. Leroy exercised with SpiraFlex technology for 6 months on the International Space Station and returned stronger than when he left.
LARRY GUERRA, P.E.
Product Development Director
“I perform product development and engineering on the OYO products. Working with our team members on the function and aesthetics, I develop the components and systems, testing with analysis software to verify the function and safety of our products before releasing for production. I keep fit with the DoubleFlex in the office, hiking and biking, hobbies include working in my machine shop.”
RICK PETRY
Direct Marketing Consultant
Rick Petry is a direct marketing veteran of over 25 years who has been involved with campaigns that have generated over $1 billion in sales. He provides creative services, guidance, and thought leadership to both B2C and B2B marketing campaigns. The author of over 200 articles on direct marketing best practices, Petry has a Bachelor of Arts in Cinema/Television from the University of Southern California and an MBA with a Concentration in Marketing and Sales from Marylhurst University. Rick is this year’s recipient of the Direct Response Marketing Alliance (DRMA) Member of the Year award, as voted by his peers.
GRAHAM RIPPLE
COO
“I work alongside Paul and the OYO team to take the vision of On Your Own fitness and create a deployable strategy. I then help manage the team and resources so the strategy comes to life. I am an engineer turned entrepreneur having successfully launched two companies serving in the nutraceutical and healthy, prepared meals spaces.”
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” Teddy Roosevelt