Spartacus Athletic Club

By his own admission, Roy Duquette “practically grew up” in Spartacus Gym. In fact, he's been a part of the facility's evolution for more than 20 years in a variety of roles — first as a patron, then as an employee, a trainer and, as of January 2012, the gym's owner. And under his guidance, Spartacus, which has been a Commercial Drive fixture for more than 40 years, has undergone a radical rebirth, one which has been a hit both with locals and celebrities from all over the world, including bodybuilding champions Cory Holly and Bert Sims, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu World Champion Emily Kwok, Canadian MMA Champion Garett Davis and actor Michael Rowe (Deadshot on CTV's 'Arrow').

“People come here to train,” Roy explains. “People come here for the community feel, the unpretentious vibe. That's the characteristic that Spartacus has. It's a real gym. Nobody gets dressed-up to come here. You don't see a lot of the narcissism that's associated with fitness. You see people coming here because they love the classes, they love the instructors, they love the vibe.”