Rusty McConnell and his family moved to Oconomowoc last year. Being in the Oconomowoc area had been a goal for their family for quite some time as his wife grew up here and they absolutely love the area. Prior to Oconomowoc, they lived in Omaha, Berlin, Germany, and Chicago. Earlier this year Rusty decided to finally pursue his passion for fitness and for being around people by opening a small gym right in the heart of downtown. Fitness has always been a staple in his life since playing college football and beyond. He feels incredibly blessed to have been welcomed so warmly to this community and he is very excited for what the future holds.
About Rusty McConnell
Q: Please tell us a little bit about your family.
We have two lovely yet wild child daughters. Logan is 4 years old and a “mini-me.” Noah is 2 years old. Each of my girls has enough personality for 5 kids. And yes, we named our girls with traditionally, what some would call boys, names. We also share our home with a pup named Harper Lee.
Q: Please tell us about your life and what you do (whether working in our community, a business owner, volunteer, etc.). How did you choose that path?
We opened Wisconsin Fitness Company in August 2023, right in the middle of downtown Oconomowoc at 202 E. Wisconsin Ave. It used to be a gas station and we remodeled it to fit the needs of our members. The overhead garage doors open for wonderful fresh air and that outdoor feeling in pleasant weather. We absolutely love Oconomowoc and want to connect our members to the community through fitness. I have always had a passion for fitness and have experienced first hand how fitness and community can blend perfectly to improve people’s lives. I want to share that with Oconomowoc. We focus on cross training, which is a collection of modalities… constantly varied high intense movements, with personal training.
Q: What do you love most about what you do?
I absolutely love seeing people accomplish something they didn’t think was possible when they first walked in.
Q: What was the most difficult challenge in getting to where you are now or in your life?
Our family has been blessed to have lived in a bunch of places all around the world. Inherently, that has resulted in us not feeling truly at home in any one place and the timing was never right to pursue the dream of owning a gym. Fortunately we are now at home in Oconomowoc.
Q: What is the most rewarding part?
Every day I come here I see people smiling and enjoying being around each other- before, during, and after a workout. You can see the community building each day and the excitement that comes with it. Our approach is unique in that we offer smaller sized classes (7-9 people), with lots of personal coaching. Members come to our facility to hang out as “family.” We have an intimate, friendly, and fun atmosphere for people of all ages.
Q: What are some of your future goals? Do you have anything exciting coming up that you would like to share?
Our goal is to keep doing what we are doing and include as many people as we can for as long as we can.
Q: What advice would you give to someone interested in doing something similar to what you have done/are doing?
I’ve found there are many ways to work a problem or achieve a goal. It’s easy to get bogged down when trying to make progress with a singular approach. Keep an open mind and explore ways to do things differently. I focus on the end result and define it very clearly. The path toward achieving the goal may have several twists and turns, trials and errors, and that’s OK!
Rusty McConnell & Our Community
Q: What is your favorite thing about our community, favorite thing to do, or something unique about our community that you love? (Feel free to share as much as you’d like!)
I LOVE seeing people, families, and kids out enjoying everything Oconomowoc has to offer. Oconomowoc provides so many opportunities for people to be outside and be a part of the community. I am so excited for my girls to be able to grow up in this environment and be able to enjoy the town and everything it has to offer.
Q: Who is an interesting person you’ve met here in our community, and how have they inspired you?
A good friend of mine, Will Loepfe, is co-owner of Bubbles Foam Farm car wash here in town. He has been an incredible inspiration, mentor, and friend throughout the entire process of opening the gym.
Q: Do you have a favorite coffee shop, cocktail shop, or restaurant?
Oconomowoc has a wealth of amazing food and drink options. I have become quite fond of walking over to Whalen’s after a workout for coffee or ice cream.
Q: What 3 words would you use to describe our community?
Vibrant, welcoming, homey.
For Fun
Q: What is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
I coached crossfit and olympic lifting in Berlin, Germany without knowing much German. It was quite the experience but incredibly fun. And I am an open and loud person with few secrets, just in case people didn’t know 🙂 I purchased a telescope recently and am adding stargazing/astronomy to my list of fun things to do.
Q: What is your favorite book, TV show, movie, poem, or song? Why?
The Sandlot – reminds me to try to be a kid and have fun from time to time.
Q: Who inspires you to be better?
My daughters -They attend St. Paul’s and I want them to have as many opportunities as possible and to grow up with positive role models in their lives.
Q: If you were a drink (can be a coffee drink, alcoholic, non-alcoholic, etc.), what would you be?
Irish Coffee – its going to start your day off with a blast of energy and a little bit of fun. I’m also very Irish so it fits well.
Q: If you could have lunch with anyone, who would it be with? Why?
Gordon Ramsey – you know the restaurant would ensure that it’s the best meal ever and it would be great to see one of his food reviews in person.
Q: What is something on your bucket list?
I want to see a football game in all of the major college football stadiums. My wife, McKenna, and I have season tickets to the Packers and hopefully we will have the time to attend as many games as possible. Starting a new business takes a lot of your time.
Q: What makes you the happiest?
Just hanging out with my family and friends with no agenda. The best days are being around everyone after a workout and just hanging out.
Q: Any general life advice you would like to share?
I have found that I am most happy and successful when I spent time focusing on things I am passionate about. It’s easy to get distracted. When IÂ find a way back to my passion, good things happen.
Where to Find Rusty McConnell
Email: rusty@wisconsinfitnesscompany.com
Phone: (623) 261-6952
