Jack Hyslip opened Plano Athletic Club in a former 24 Hour Fitness in 2021.

“[We] upgraded the facility with new flooring,” Hyslip said. “We switched out all the lights to LEDs trying to conserve some electricity. Put sanitizers in the air conditioners to assist with clean air for COVID-19, etcetera and we updated some equipment.”

The set up

Plano Athletic Club is a 47-thousand square foot full service fitness facility which includes a swimming pool, steam room, dry sauna, group fitness room, weight floor, outdoor workout area, basketball court, kids club, recovery area and more.

Group fitness classes are included with a membership. Weekly schedules feature yoga, dance, strength training and spin classes.


“We had a middle aged woman who had a blood pressure problem,” Hyslip said. “Her doctor was talking about surgery. She adhered to the routine and was in group fitness classes. We helped her on the journey and she was able to get her blood pressure to a stable level and was able to avoid surgery.”

Who it’s for

Hyslip said the bulk of their clients come to PAC with weight loss goals, however there are myriad of reasons gym patrons walk through their doors.

“I’ve trained two 12-year-olds, one prepped for his first season of football and the other because he had a medical condition that prevented him from playing any sports so his dad chose weight lifting as his sport,” assistant general manager Jon Cravens said. “I taught them how to do that at a young age, and fostered a healthy relationship with lifting weights and making it fun for them. That was cool.”


Another client success story involves an 82-year-old, long-time member.

“He loves working out, swims everyday, but he fell and that was a setback for him,” Hyslip said. “He connected with a personal trainer, they worked through it and he’s back to his routine of swimming everyday.”

Notable quote

General manager Kelsey Smith said new clients often express their surprise over the vast amount of services provided at PAC. However, she receives feedback on the intangible as well.


“When people come in and see all the interactions between everybody at the club—whether it be members with members, members with staff, staff with staff—I hear it all the time, ‘I’ve never felt so welcome in a gym before. I’ve never met so many people. I feel like this is a community.’”