Football pros open D1 Fitness

Tre Boston gives away raffle prizes during the grand opening of D1 Fitness Saturday at 9356 Six Mile Cypress Parkway. Boston, along with brothers Jaylen and Sammy Watkins, fellow NFL players, own the business.

CHUCK?BALLARO

Three area high school football legends who all went on to play in the NFL have joined forces to open a Fort Myers fitness center designed for people who want to train like a pro athlete.

Tre Boston, who starred at North Fort Myers High School; Jaylen Watkins, who starred at Cape Coral High School; and brother Sammy Watkins from South Fort Myers held the grand opening of D1 Fitness last week at 9356 Six Mile Cypress Parkway, near the Pet Smart.

Hundreds of kids and their families celebrated the grand opening of a facility that was two years in the making. People got to check out the facility, eat pizza and macaroni and cheese, and get a chance to win some souvenirs from the owners, such as game-worn cleats and gloves.

Boston said the two years was worth the wait.

“We have members in here and prospective members and their families. They’re going through different workout stations and allowing them to meet the family,” Boston said. “The kids can not only get a good workout, but do it with their family.”

Tre Boston, Jaylen Watkins and Sammy Watkins pose with their mothers during the recent grand opening of D1 Fitness at 9356 Six Mile Cypress Parkway in south Lee County.

CHUCK?BALLARO

Boston said the idea was the get him and the Watkins brothers together to do something for the community, which was a place for kids to come to provide a family setting for them to train like a pro.

The floor is covered in artificial turf, allowing those training to do strength and agility drills, which are coached by certified strength and conditioning coaches. There are weights and treadmills, but they are the kind the pros use. It’s a professional training facility more than a gym.

“You gotta train like an athlete. That’s anyone who has a dream of achieve. As long as you come in here, we’ll get you the results and that’s what we’re all about,” Boston said.

“D1 was what we wanted to give back to the scholastic athlete. Not many 8-year-old kids can walk into a gym and get a personalized coach for them,” Jaylen said. “It’s great opening this business and creating relationships here. It’s called ‘We Are D1 Fitness, But We Are 239 Legacy.’”

D1 was supposed to open in March 2020, but COVID hit just as it was about to open. The place remained empty for two years while everyone waited for the pandemic to end.

“We signed our lease with the franchise in March 2020 and we opened in March 2022. It’s been a long two years, but we stuck with it and we’re seeing the fruits of it,” Jaylen said. “Those 24 months were worth every minute.”

Sammy said the day was simply amazing, with so many people coming through the doors to show support.

“They’ve been coming from all races and ethnicities and that’s what it’s really about,” Sammy said. “Bringing people in to make a family and to make it a home.”

There are already about 170 members signed up through pre-sales. More were expected to sign up Saturday, making it the largest D1 franchise of the 60 currently open nationwide.

All three owners were drafted to play in the NFL in 2014 and played during the pandemic year of 2020. Sammy and Jaylen played last year, while Boston did not, working in TV and radio.

For additional information about D1 Fitness, please call 239-208-5017, or visit the fitness center’s website at www.d1training.com/fort-myers.