Spence Van Tiem played for the FGCU club hockey team for three years before graduating in 2024 and becoming a coach for the Eagles. His fiancé Margaret Berry was also a student-athlete. She transferred for her graduate season to play for FGCU women's soccer in 2022.
Now, the two former FGCU athletes are teaming up to give back to the Southwest Florida sports world. Vien Tiem and Berry have opened the third location and first-ever franchise of Matterhorn Fit.
“I like to put it as we give people their lives back," Van Tiem said.
Matterhorn Fit is a fitness facility that specializes in pain relief and prevention. Their methods are different from most, but they get great results from athletes of all ages.
“We aren’t a gym, we aren’t a physical therapy office, but we synergistically combine those two things to create what we call advanced rehabilitation and training," Berry said.
Matterhorn Fit scans its clients' bodies to take a deeper look at their pain. They then provide unique rehabilitation techniques and individualized training programs for each client.
Since opening its first location in Bonita Springs in 2018, Matterhorn Fit has trained 12 Olympians, nearly 100 professional athletes, and thousands of local active individuals — from golfers to pickleballers and everyone in between.
“We can pivot on our feet," Van Tiem said. "Nothing scares us. We’re optimistic. We want to solve any problem that comes through our doors. We get to give people hope and their healthy, active lifestyles back."
Van Tiem and Berry's franchise is located in Fort Myers off Alico Road by the Gulf Coast Town Center. It is just minutes away from where they both played college sports and met.
“I fell in love with this place," Van Tiem said. "To give this pain relief to the Southwest Florida community, I think it’s super rewarding.”
Two former Eagles are expanding the Matterhorn Fit brand and doing so together.
“I think starting this facility has been both of our dreams and being able to do it with him has been a dream come true," Berry said.