There is always a lot more to a story than meets the eye. Before any sort of success (no matter how big or small) there is always a lot of friction and resistance.
But through that resistance something amazing is born; something that people love and remember.
In this scenario, Ascension is that something that people love and remember. From the start of the company in early 2015, Tyler Shamaly and Trevor Brown got together to start a brand with T-Shirts.
These T-Shirts started something that they could have never imagined. From making small sales here and there, Tyler decided it was time to move the company in a different direction. Trevor decided to leave the company so that Tyler could pursue the vision that he had in his head.
Thus the Garage Gym was born. Video after video was produced out of that garage while Ascension was slowly reaching more and more people. The company got the opportunity to start doing Educational Fitness Seminars down in Bridgeport, CT for The WorkPlace Inc. and took that opportunity full-fledged.
By this point, Ascension had two Sponsored Athletes, Jimmy DeWitt and Melvin Gonzalez, both of which share their inspirational stories through adversity and how fitness has truly changed their lives for the better.
After leaving his job in June of 2016, Tyler dove fully into Ascension through Educational Fitness Seminars, In-Home Training, Video Production, Shirt Sales and so much more; there was nothing more important than bringing the brand to life.
In order to accommodate the growth of the Educational Fitness Seminars and Personal Training, Tyler brought Jimmy on board as a Certified Personal Trainer that would transition from being a Sponsored Athlete to working with individuals to improve their health and well-being.
Things took off, and Tyler was on the hunt for the first physical location. After touring through many buildings down in Milford, Tyler decided he would start to look at his hometown as a possible option for opening shop. Although being near the water and closer to a denser population was important, Tyler saw something that Oxford was missing.
After touring a few locations in Oxford it was almost definite that Ascension Performance was going to be located on Willenbrock Road in Oxford CT. Unfortunately, the last string was pulled before getting the permits for the building and the landlord had backed out of the deal in September of 2016.
That left one last option for a building that would suit Ascension’s needs in Oxford, and it was on Benson Road. The first two tours of the building left Tyler feeling unsettled and unsure that the building would be able to suit the needs of the business. The long, narrow and awkward layout of the building was a major set back from the other options, but none-the-less it was decided in November of 2016 to become Ascension Performance - Personal Training Studio.
In February of 2017 Ascension Performance had finally finalized the permit process and had a building in condition enough to work out of, it was time to train. Transitioning all of their in-home clientele, Tyler and Jimmy began working with people in the Studio.
At first, things were slow and it was a struggle trying to develop a reputation with the conditions of the building and it’s lack of being finished, but this was just another push-back that would lead to success.
Client after client, people started to recognize that Ascension was offering something in the area that had never been offered before. The explosion of Corrective Exercise was emerging and people were starting to come in. Some would come in with back pain, others with knee pain, and others just for general health and fitness; the one commonality between all these clients was they found resolution for their problems at Ascension.
Little by little, things grew from the equipment in Tyler’s garage to eventually a full warehouse space filled with equipment; things were growing fast.
After the Grand Opening in June of 2017, things exploded. People really caught wind of the incredible feats that were occurring at Ascension Performance, which led to the explosive growth you see today.
After just two months of this rapid growth the company needed more help. At this time, Rebecca Kennedy was brought on board as the next Certified Personal Trainer (August of 2017). This only helped things grow at an even more vigorous pace which leads us to where we are today.
By now, it’s January of 2018, we have moved from our first location (2,500 sq. ft.) on Benson Road to a larger location (6,400 sq. ft.) on Willenbrock Road as of October of 2017 and things continue to grow here at Ascension. People love our energy, what we stand for and the services that we offer, and that speaks volumes.
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The past three years of my life have been devoted to Ascension and I have witnessed so much growth that I can’t even begin to express to you my gratitude. While things have not been and still are not easy, it is a blessing that this vision has grown into such a huge reality and it truly would not have been possible without all of you.
Thank you to Jimmy, Melvin and Becky, without you three, Ascension Performance would not be what it is today. You bring the fire, ambition, knowledge and skill set to the table everyday that allows people to trust in us and our brand.
Thank you to all of our clients and members, without you being here the energy we harness would be absolutely nothing. The happiness people walk out with after becoming better than the were yesterday is what continues to fuel our fire.
Thank you for this growth and thank you everyone for the continued support and respect you reciprocate back to us, it has truly been an honor to experience all of this.
Best,
Tyler Shamaly
Proud Founder of Ascension Performance
