Fitness
guru achieves ‘significance’ through ALS foundation
By
Aubrey Henretty
October
10, 2006 - “Half
the people diagnosed with ALS die in 18 months,” said
Life Fitness co-founder Augie Nieto. Nieto, who spoke at the
Donald P. Jacobs Center on Oct. 6 as part of the Larry and
Carol Levy Institute’s Distinguished Entrepreneur Speaker
Series, went on to point that his own diagnosis with the degenerative
neurological disease came 19 months ago. “So,”
he added with a sly smile, “we’re doing pretty
good.”
ALS —
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s
disease — is characterized by the degeneration of nerve
cells in the brain that control voluntary muscle movement.
Over time, the disease causes muscles to weaken and atrophy,
and eventually those afflicted lose the ability to control
muscle movement at all. The speaker series, sponsored by Private
Equity and Entrepreneurship at Kellogg and Loop Capital Markets,
features outstanding entrepreneurs in various industries and
will continue throughout the fall.
Nieto’s
remarks spanned his entire adult life from rough beginnings
and subsequent success as a physical fitness crusader to,
in his own words, his newfound “significance”
as a champion of those fighting ALS. “If you’re
successful,” Nieto said, “you might not be missed.
If you’re significant, you will be missed.”
With wife
Lynne, who also spoke briefly at the event, Nieto founded
Augie’s Quest not long after he was diagnosed with ALS.
In the first 13 months of its existence, the organization
raised $6.1 million for the ALS division of the Muscular Dystrophy
Association. And Nieto said Augie’s Quest is just getting
started: “Our goal is to raise $12 million, and we will
raise it by the end of 2007.”
In business
as in life, said Nieto, “Entrepreneurs love to bail
themselves out,” and crises of self-doubt are no match
for the passionate entrepreneur. “Insecurity is a good
thing. It makes you try harder,” he said. “There
isn’t a CEO I know who isn’t afraid someone’s
going to knock on their door and say ‘The jig is up.
Time to go home.’”
Because
the most important lessons are learned through failure, said
Nieto, the entrepreneur must press on even when what lies
ahead isn’t completely clear.
“You
can’t connect the dots looking forward. You can [by]
looking back. You have to trust your gut.” |
