Why I Left My 9–5 to Build a Movement Gym in Koh Samui, Thailand — And Rethink Fitness Altogether
- Jared Foote
- Jul 7
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 30
Five years ago, I left my consulting job in Canada and took a leap into the unknown—pursuing movement, coaching, and a more meaningful way to train. Fast forward to today, and I’m standing inside a gym I co-built on the island of Koh Samui, Thailand—overlooking the ocean, surrounded by people who believe fitness is about more than six-packs and PRs.
Here’s the full story. Why I walked away from the “normal” path, what I discovered along the way, and what’s coming next for the Evolution Collective.
🌱 The Spark: Where It All Began
When I was a kid, my dad’s Metallica playlist doubled as a morning alarm. He’d be up lifting weights in the basement by 5am. At first, I couldn’t sleep through it—so I joined him. That’s when I fell in love with training. My first fitness heroes were my dad and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
But as I got older, I realized the body I idealized often came with a price: steroids, chronic injury, burnout. I also started struggling with anxiety. Lifting helped, but it wasn’t enough. What did help? Therapy. Breathwork. Yoga. That was my first lesson: true health is mental as well as physical.
Perspective Shift
In my 20s, I started noticing how aging was affecting my loved ones—my grandmother’s Parkinson’s, my parents’ joint pain, despite them being active. I couldn’t ignore it. I wanted to help them, and avoid the same fate.
Here's comes my hippy phase; I, went vegan and flew to India to complete a yoga teacher training. I gained flexibility, fast—but lost a lot of strength. This pushed me to search for ways to maintain better physiological balance. I found a variety of practices; including Calisthenics, Animal Movement, and Mobility Training. All of which felt like separate pieces of a puzzle. Together, they started to create a complete picture.
Bodyweight training gave me the strength I needed, no gym required. I could travel and still train. I could flow, move, play, and stay strong—all while supporting my mobility and mental health. That balance? It became my obsession.
Always a Student
I dove into movement education, training with some of the world’s best teachers: Mike Fitch (Animal Flow), Dr. Andreo Spina (FRC), Roye Gold (Movement Israel), and many others. Each helped shape my belief that true fitness isn’t about how heavy you lift—it’s about how well you move and adapt. That philosophy is now the foundation of everything I teach.
What I Believe
Fitness, to me, is the art and science of becoming your best self—physically, mentally, and spiritually. Not chasing unnatural aesthetics, but moving toward sustainable strength, mobility, and functional longevity. I want to help people move better, feel better, and live longer. With intention, with curiosity, and with community.
🌿 What’s New for 2025
After months of late nights and early mornings, I’m finally able to share two huge projects with you:
Our brand new training space designed for calisthenics, yoga, mobility, and primal movement. Think: sunset classes, epic views, creative flows, and a space to evolve as a community.
The Evolution Collective started as a humble spreadsheet during lockdowns. It’s now a fully integrated platform—and we’re taking it even further.We’re launching a brand new EV/CO app (iOS + Android) with:
Progressive training programs
Progress tracking features
Community support
Access to 400+ free movement tutorials
Yes, the entire training library is now free. Just sign up and dive in.
Whether you’ve followed me for years or just stumbled across this post, I want to say thank you. Gravity & EV/CO wouldn’t be possible without your ongoing support. You’re part of a growing tribe that believes in training not just for aesthetics, but for life. For longevity, resilience, and joy.
Let’s evolve, together.
With gratitude,
Jared F.
Creator & Head Coach | EV/CO
Co-owner | Gravity Samui
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