Hard work makes wounded veteran's dream a reality

When Yonas Hagos was wounded while serving with the U.S. Army in Iraq and sent to a hospital in Germany, his parents stood by with their passports to claim his body because they were told he likely would not live.

Hagos did live, but his surgeon informed him he probably would never have full use of his nerve-damaged left shoulder.

Nearly six years later, Hagos is the proud owner of the Anytime Fitness in Glendale Heights and in the best shape of his life thanks, in large part, to his own workout routine.

The Ethiopian refugee and wounded veteran said it's all part of living the American dream.

"That's my success, just being able to be my own boss," he said. "My goal is to have 10 of these (fitness centers), if not more."

The road to his success has not been an easy one.

Born in a refugee camp in Sudan after his parents fled war in Ethiopia, Hagos said his family's Orthodox Christian faith did not find favor with the majority Muslim Sudanese in the area.

In the refugee camp, he slept on the ground in a hut. A rare treat for him and his siblings was being able to split a can of soda.

He was 9 when his father, who had emigrated to the United States, brought his family over to find a better life.

Hagos was in awe to open his father's refrigerator and see 20 cans of soda and be told they could each have their own.

"I thought my father was rich," he recalled.

The family moved to Wheaton and Hagos graduated from Wheaton Warrenville South High School. He started studies at the College of DuPage, but could not afford to continue when the federal government made reductions in financial aid.

By that time, his father had left the family and Hagos, the oldest of five siblings, decided to join the military to pay for his education.

Wounded in IraqHe was shipped overseas in 2003 just as the war in Iraq was starting. After a brief training period in Germany, he was sent into the thick of the action."They sent me straight to Baghdad. This is when all hell broke loose," he said.Hagos spent nearly a year in Iraq before a rocket-propelled grenade missed him by inches and exploded on the vehicle on which he was riding."I still don't know how I got out in one piece," he said. "I guess it was God."His companions pronounced him dead, but he was soon spitting up blood. His left shoulder and lower back had been injured.In the hospital in Germany, Hagos was happy to be alive. But depression followed."After the physical pain is the mental pain," he said. "I don't think the mental pain will ever go away."Hagos wondered why he had been spared. He tried drinking and took anti-depressants and pain medication.Then one day about three years ago, he threw away all the medication and joined a gym."I knew if I didn't work out, I'd become a vegetable, basically," he said. "When I'm at the gym working out, I'm at peace."The Plano resident started going to an Anytime Fitness center near his home, liked the atmosphere and began asking questions. He learned that the company offered a 30 percent discount on the franchise fee for veterans and decided it was time to pursue his dream."Coming out of the service, you get sick and tired of being told what to do. I wanted to become my own boss," he said.Getting a loan in the midst of the recession wasn't easy, but Hagos didn't give up."I'm a very persistent individual. I don't take no for an answer," he said.Anytime Fitness opened in November, but Hagos waited until he had all the equipment he ordered before having the grand opening celebration in January. Congressman Peter Roskam was in attendance; the governor sent a representative; and Hagos received a congratulatory letter from U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin."I invited the president, but I'm pretty sure he's busy," Hagos said with a smile.Living the dreamHagos, who still works a full-time job at a petrochemical plant in Joliet, spends evenings and weekends at the fitness center. His fiance, Kristie Redder, is in charge when he's not there. He's hired two personal fitness trainers.Hagos also is working on becoming a certified trainer himself while completing online classes to earn an associate degree in business administration at COD."I'm a workaholic," he admits.His busyness helps him deal with the post-traumatic stress disorder from which he still suffers, Hagos said. He decided to stop asking why things turned out as they did in Iraq and focus on living his life as best he can."I take what God gives me. He's been very kind to me," he said. "I keep myself busy and try to stay positive."Membership in the fitness center has grown to 180. Members sign a one-year contract and can work out 24 hours a day, seven days a week, even when staff are not there. The ability to run background checks before accepting members and a sophisticated security system make the 24-hour access possible, Hagos said.He gets to know members personally and helps out where he can #173;- working with those who can't afford a personal trainer, counseling a young man planning to join the military."I know 90 percent of the members on a first-name basis," he said. "This is like a home away from home."Member John Francis said Hagos knew his name from the first day he came. Although a resident of Michigan, Francis said he spends a lot of time in the western suburbs for his work and could choose to go to any number of fitness clubs for his workouts."I love it there. It's clean. The people are friendly," he said. "You see a lot of people at his gym just getting started and they come back."Personal fitness trainer Scott Lorenz said Hagos is the most hands-on club owner with whom he's ever worked."He's personable. I think that's a winning combination for almost any kind of business owner," he said.Hagos said his dream is to be able to quit his job and run his fitness club business full-time."If I can do this the rest of my life - at heart, I'm very wealthy," he said.Anytime Fitness is located at 550 North Ave., Glendale Heights. For details, contact (630) 790-0780 or glendalehightsil@anytimefitness.com.