From Garage Workouts to Gospel Ministry: The Story of Trinity Fitness

What began as a garage workout for one mother has grown into a faith-based nonprofit using fitness, prayer, and community to reach people who might never walk into a church.

For some people, the gym is simply a place to get stronger. For Trinity Fitness, it has become something far more meaningful: a place where people are strengthened in body, united in faith, and invited into a deeper understanding of who Christ is.

That mission began in 2008, when Jason and Wendy Palmisano started working out in their Indialantic garage. After having four kids in four years, Wendy was ready to get back into fitness. As neighbors noticed her progress, they asked to join. Before long, women from the neighborhood were showing up early in the morning to work out with her. What began as a personal fitness journey quickly became a growing community.

But as the group expanded, Jason began noticing a troubling pattern. People were comparing themselves to each other—wondering why someone else was progressing faster, losing more weight, or doing things they could not yet do. In one of those moments, he pulled out a Bible and shared a devotion, redirecting everyone back to what mattered most. That was the beginning of the faith-based identity that is the foundation of Trinity Fitness today.

From Garage Workouts to Gospel Ministry

Today, Trinity Fitness is a faith-based nonprofit with locations across the country, including three locations in Brevard: Indian Harbour Beach. Merritt Island, and Suntree. Erin Davison and Susan Zipperer serve as co-facility directors for the Indian Harbour Beach location. "Our organization has planted 13 locations across the country, but its heart remains rooted in the same calling: to use fitness as a bridge for sharing Christ with people outside of the church," Zipperer explained.

That truth helps explain why Trinity is not merely trying to create a positive environment. The aim is to create a place where truth is led by example, where people are loved well, and where even those who are skeptical of Christianity can encounter its message in a setting that feels welcoming.

"We are here to plant seeds in the heart of nonbelievers and to strengthen the community of believers."
— Erin Davison

Trinity Fitness offers more than 25 classes a week, with most drawing 15 to 30 people. Every class begins with a short devotion and prayer. The workouts generally run about 35 minutes and often combine weights, cardio, and gymnastics. There is also a variety of workouts people can choose from, including mobility flow sessions, Ruck Club on Saturday mornings, and Open Gym. At the end of class, members often share prayer requests and pray for one another again. Over time, that rhythm has created more than a workout routine. It has created a consistent culture of care, accountability, and spiritual conversation.

Their motto is “Built, Not Broken.” This message is simple, but powerful: people are not made to be broken down. In Christ, they can be built up. That phrase reflects a philosophy that values sustainable strength, injury prevention, and perseverance over punishment or performance. The goal is to equip people—to help them embrace challenge with endurance, both physically and spiritually.

Their key verse, Davison said, is 1 Timothy 4:8: “For physical training is of some value, but godliness holds value for all things.”

That balance shapes the culture of the ministry. Physical discipline matters, but it is never treated as the end goal.

The leadership model reflects that conviction too. Trinity’s trainers serve as volunteers. Trainers go through a certification process and are expected to understand both the physical and spiritual heart of the ministry. The result is a team built not just around coaching workouts, but around shepherding people well.

Faith in the Hard Seasons

One of the clearest pictures of Trinity’s identity came during one of its hardest seasons.

In 2022, after learning their longtime building was being sold, the ministry suddenly found itself without a home. For about five months, Trinity operated outdoors on a concrete slab at a local church, hauling equipment in and out for every class. Although they were initially unsure how it would affect participation, they were surprised that people continued showing up and that new participants even joined during the transition.

The directors compared that season to the Israelites wandering in the desert—uncertain, uncomfortable, and dependent on God. But looking back, they now see it as a reminder of His faithfulness. Not long afterward, Trinity moved into a new building that Davison and Zipperer say has proven to be an even better home for the ministry. "I remember being upset about leaving our old location. I never could have imagined what God had in store for us here at Tomahawk Drive," Zipperer said.

A Place for All

Over the years, Trinity Fitness has seen stories of transformation that go well beyond physical results. Davison and Zipperer shared numerous stories of members they have witnessed find healing from abusive relationships and addictions throughout their time attending the gym. Many members credit the faith, community, and physical strength developed at Trinity with helping carry them through recovery.

Yet, even those who begin far from faith are often drawn in by the consistency of the community. The directors described people who openly say they do not believe in God and yet keep showing up because they know they are loved there. At Trinity Fitness, discipleship often begins long before someone recognizes how much their soul longs for it.

In recent years, Trinity Fitness has expanded its programming for children and homeschool families. The gym now offers five kids classes, including TF Kids for third through sixth grade, middle school homeschool classes for boys and girls, a high school boys class, and an advanced co-ed homeschool class. Signups for the fall season are now open.

Like the adult classes, these programs include a short devotion and prayer, blending movement with spiritual encouragement in a way that feels natural and accessible. Trinity also accepts Step Up for Students funding for homeschool families, helping broaden their participation.

That same accessibility shapes the adult side as well. Trinity does not operate on rigid contracts or mandatory fees. Instead, it encourages suggested giving, with individuals encouraged to give around $80 a month for unlimited classes. For those who cannot afford that amount, the organization works with them rather than turning them away. Sponsors help bridge the gap, with sponsorships beginning at $150 and up.

Reaching Beyond the Gym

The ministry of Trinity Fitness does not stop when class ends. Over time, the gym has become a hub for outreach and community involvement, giving members practical ways to serve both locally and globally. Trinity regularly participates in Operation Christmas Child and supports local high school sports teams. The ministry has also hosted community-centered events such as their "Warrior Appreciation Cookout Night" and worship nights with local band Sons of Thunder. What happens inside the gym—prayer, encouragement, perseverance, and spiritual growth—spills outward into the lives of families, neighborhoods, and mission partners.

That same heart for outreach also extends beyond Brevard County. Trinity Fitness has taken part in service efforts to El Salvador and Uganda.

These efforts reflect the ministry’s larger vision: not only to build stronger bodies, but to help form people who are ready to serve others with compassion, generosity, and endurance. The goal is not simply community visibility, but giving people real opportunities to put their faith into action.

The Trinity Fitness Commitment

Now the ministry is pursuing another major milestone: purchasing the building they currently occupy. They have already raised the down payment and hope to close by the end of the year. Davison and Zipperer are encouraged by this remarkable next step.

Yet, eighteen years after a few neighbors first gathered for workouts in a garage, the focus of Trinity Fitness remains the same: it is a place where classes begin with prayer, where truth is grounded in Scripture, and where people are reminded of the eternal hope found in Christ alone. Its faith commitments are not hidden: Trinity affirms that the Bible is the inspired and authoritative Word of God and that salvation is found in no other name except Jesus Christ.

This is an encouragement to all believers to remain faithful, surrendered, and bold to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. In a culture that often treats fitness as self-focused, Trinity offers a different testimony.

At a Glance

— Isabel Gray is a Jesus-loving coastal cowgirl from the heart of Kentucky who finds joy in loving God's people, experiencing His Creation, and writing stories that need to be told.