More than just a gym: Fitness entrepreneurs bring community-focused approach to Palm Springs

Pieter Vodden strides through his newest creation, a sprawling 27,000-square-foot athletic club in northern Palm Springs, pointing out some unique features with the enthusiasm of someone who’s built this dream from the ground up — because he has.

“This is our fire and ice area,” Vodden says, gesturing toward a space featuring saunas and ice baths. “It’s contrast therapy — hot, cold, hot, cold therapy. This is what sets us apart.”

The 47-year-old fitness entrepreneur and his wife, Emylee Covell, are bringing their Pharos Athletic Club to the desert this week, marking the fourth location of a brand they’ve carefully cultivated since 2017.

While the couple was initially looking for space in Palm Desert, Adam Gilbert of The Firm Capital Group convinced them to give Palm Springs a try, purchasing the mostly vacant building at 3455 North Indian Canyon Dr. last April with the new Pharos specifically in mind.

For Vodden, a former personal trainer who once prepared actors for movies like “Wonder Woman” and “Suicide Squad,” the journey to Palm Springs follows a winding path that began off the coast of England.

“I grew up on a small island called the Isle of Wight,” Vodden explains. “It’s a small country seaside town. So I grew up very rural, and I wanted my boys to kind of grow up outside.”

That desire for a more natural setting led Vodden and Covell to Idyllwild in 2021, after running their first Pharos location in Echo Park, Los Angeles. What started as a Christmas weekend getaway to the mountain community became a life-changing decision.

“We just kind of fell in love with it,” Vodden recalls. “On Boxing Day, the day after Christmas, we said to each other, ‘Should we just waste the afternoon and go look at some property?’ We did. And then we just kept going back.”

The move to Idyllwild, where Vodden now rides horses in nearby Garner Valley and where their two young sons attend local schools, created the bridge to Palm Springs. Many of their Los Angeles and Idyllwild members own homes in the desert, creating a natural expansion opportunity.

“Everyone was saying to us, ‘Please open a gym in Palm Springs. I think it would do great,'” Vodden says.

At Pharos — named after the ancient lighthouse that was one of the Seven Wonders of the World — Vodden is creating more than just a place to work out. He’s building what he calls “the ultimate hybrid facility,” reflecting his holistic approach to fitness.

“If you’re around people who do fitness a lot, you know that people get bored of doing one thing,” he says. “You can’t just do one thing. There has to be change.”

That philosophy manifests throughout the facility in areas dedicated to traditional bodybuilding, functional training, recovery, pickleball courts, and spaces for boxing and yoga. Soon, a coffee bar will offer protein shakes and healthy snacks.

In a fitness landscape dominated by specialized boutique studios and impersonal big-box gyms, Vodden sees Pharos filling a crucial middle ground — especially for adults in their 30s, 40s, 50s, and beyond.

“As we age, we need to be concerned with maintaining as much lean muscle tissue as we can,” Vodden explains. “That’s what’s going to keep our metabolism strong. That’s what’s going to allow us to not lose ability and function as we get older.”

But perhaps more important than the physical benefits is the sense of belonging Vodden and Covell aim to foster. This became especially clear during the pandemic when they moved equipment into parking lots to continue operations.

“People were coming to us saying, ‘This is all I have right now. The only thing that’s keeping me going is knowing that I can come to the gym and see some people,'” Vodden remembers. “These are the only conversations I have.”

It’s this combination of physical and social well-being that drives Vodden as he prepares for Friday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce and Saturday’s grand opening party.

As members and potential members filter in during the soft opening phase Tuesday, Vodden observes them with satisfaction, watching as they discover the facility’s amenities, from infrared saunas to cold plunges to high-end strength training equipment.

“We always tell our staff: try and be the best part of someone else’s day,” he says.

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More information: Pharos will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce on Friday at 12 p.m., followed by a public grand opening party on Saturday from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. The celebration will feature gym tours, membership specials, a live DJ, giveaways, local bites, and more. It is located at 3455 North Indian Canyon Dr.

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