Making a Difference: Lawrence De Seguriant

First in a series about five fitness pros who are impacting their communities outside the health club.

As fitness sponsor of the 129th Rose Parade, 24 Hour Fitness has embraced the parade’s theme, “Making a Difference,” by inviting team members to tell us how they make a difference in their community. Their amazing stories are deeply moving. Over the next few weeks, we’re sharing five of their stories on 24Life.

Name: Lawrence (Laurie) De Seguriant
Title: Fitness Manager; Castro Valley, Calif.

Wellness is more than physical fitness. It’s a journey that touches you emotionally, socially, intellectually and spiritually—and Laurie De Seguriant helps seniors with every facet of it.

As the creator of Luv’n Liv’n Senior Fitness, De Seguriant took a senior fitness class of four to eight participants to more than 385 participants in nine classes across two 24 Hour Fitness locations. The secret? Helping his community find purpose.

“We all make time to do what we want to do. The secret is 18 inches,” De Seguriant says. “It’s the difference of knowing what should be done and allowing the need to reach our hearts; 18 inches, the difference between the head and the heart. Bridge that and we can move mountains!”

The Luv’n Liv’n community supports the collection of clothing for the homeless (they call their effort to gather new, thermal socks “Sock-It-To-Me”). They also collect blankets and towels for animal shelters, children’s books for an orphanage in Ghana and many other charitable activities. The group extends beyond 24 Hour Fitness and now has more than 50,000 members across 18 countries on Facebook, and continues to grow.

“I am here for a reason,” says De Seguriant, who nearly died from a massive heart attack shortly after founding his organization. Everyone at 24Life and 24 Hour Fitness is among many thousands of people who are grateful that he is.

Photo credit: Halfpoint, Adobe Stock (hero); courtesy of Lawrence De Seguriant