“Barcelona can be the world capital of active longevity,” by Rod Hill
Rod Hill, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Fit Brands International and a driving force behind gyms in Spain.
Rod Hill arrived in Barcelona in the late 1990s to introduce several international gym chains to Spain. For this Englishman, former rugby player, sports medicine expert, and father of three, it was love at first sight. From here, he has launched various business projects related to health and wellness, including Énergie Fitness Iberia gyms and, more recently, Zenergy Body & Soul.
Why did you choose Barcelona?
The truth is that Barcelona chose me (he jokes). I arrived to introduce international gym chains throughout Spain during the fitness boom. What was supposed to be a two-year project has turned into almost three decades of love for a city where my three children were born, where they speak better Catalan than English or Spanish, and where I have grown both personally and professionally.
What are the city’s strengths?
Barcelona and its people are a vibrant society — and that’s coming from a Londoner who knows a thing or two about cities. We know how to work, live, enjoy ourselves, take care of ourselves, and live in community. This ‘Barcelona spark’ is something you only truly notice and miss when you are away from our city. And of course, for someone like me who is passionate about sports and physical activity, there could not be a better setting than Barcelona.
Which aspects of the city need to be improved? How?
Short-term issues such as access to housing or better tourism management should be improved. In addition, we cannot ignore other aspects that are already affecting us, such as the aging population and how to respond to a Barcelona that, in just a few years, will have a large senior population.
What do you expect from Barcelona in the coming years?
I hope it continues to be kind to its citizens and remains a city designed for the people of Barcelona. To achieve this, it is very important that it continues to be an economic driving force, supports entrepreneurs, and promotes public-private collaboration in sectors that will become economic leaders in the coming years. One of those sectors will be health and wellness. And Barcelona has everything it takes to become the world capital of active longevity.
Which city do you consider to be your home city? What do you miss most?
I enjoy London every time I visit for work, family, or during the weekends of the Six Nations rugby tournament. My roots are there, and I have passed them on to my three children. But let me ask you a question: who would want to live in a city where it rains so much when I can play sports in Barcelona on a Sunday in March at 18°C, by the sunny sea, surrounded by people from different nationalities and cultures? That is Barcelona, and that is very hard to beat
