A letter from our founder

Hi, I'm Jeff Pena, the founder of The Haven Athletic Club. Before I ask you to trust me with eight weeks of your life, you should know where I come from.

I didn't grow up playing sports. I grew up in the Dominican Republic, a short walk from the ocean, and I spent most of my free time in online games with my brothers. Those games taught me more than people think: habits, strategy, a second language, and friends I still have today. My brother Jesse logged in every day to go fishing in a game while the real beach was right down the road. We even rerouted the house phone line so we would never lose the connection.

I studied computer science and went to work in IT. I thought it would feel like the games. It didn't. And all those years in a chair caught up with me. I weighed over 280 pounds, and a doctor told me I would be on medication for the rest of my life.

My answer was no. Not no to my doctor. No to the idea that this was simply how my life would go. I asked what I could change first.

I leaned on my brother Victor. He had started his own health journey two years before, and he showed me the path was smaller than I feared. I changed my food habits first. Then I started moving my body. No extreme diet, no punishing program, just small changes I could keep and a brother who checked on me. The first 20 pounds came off fast. Then I kept going, week after week, until my body and my mind were different.

People ask me if it was hard. The steps were simple. The hard part was believing they would be enough, and having someone in my corner while I found out. When my family saw what happened to me, they started too. Today we are all healthier than we were.

That's why The Haven exists. I know what it feels like to sit in that doctor's office. I know the first weeks are when most people quit, and I know they don't quit because the plan is wrong. They quit because they're alone. So we're building a place where your first steps come with hope, real support, encouragement, and a group that shows up with you every day.

My parents gave up a lot so my brothers and I could have a shot. Growing, learning, and giving back to the people around me is how I honor that. The Haven is how I give back.

We built The Haven for you. Come meet us.

Jeff