What has been Jeff Garcia’s most lucrative investment?

His body.

And now the quarterback of the San Francisco ’49ers is reinvesting the rewards of fitness back into the fitness business.

Garcia, the $6-million-a-year football superstar, has joined forces with former Calgary Stampeder teammate Vince Danielsen in becoming a shareholder and endorser of Innovative Fitness as the privately owned company expands into California.

Photo courtesy Calgary Stampeders Football Club
Jeff Garcia is joining forces with ex-teammate in venture.

“It’s a natural fit,” Garcia said. “I know what fitness has done for my career as a professional athlete and I grew up as a gym rat (in his father Bob’s fitness centre in Gilroy, Calif.). And it’s great to be teammates with Vince again.”

Nine years ago, Danielsen and Garcia were rookies with the Stampeders. While Garcia moved on to stardom in the National Football League against the longest odds, Danielsen retired from the Stampeders a year ago to focus on Innovative Fitness, a specialized top-end personal fitness and health organization based in Vancouver.

Innovative Fitness recently opened its first California studio in San Rafael and plans four more centres in the Bay area. Danielsen owns the Calgary studio, while the others are located in Vancouver, North Vancouver and Bellevue, Wash.

Garcia, a Pro Bowl quarterback the past three seasons, underscores the importance of health and fitness in all walks of life, particularly the corporate world, a market targeted by Innovative Fitness.

“Fitness and health are so important for business people who want to be as productive as possible,” said Garcia, who at 33 has four years remaining on a six-year, $36-million U.S. contract.

Garcia, who did not divulge the amount of his investment, says his motivation for joining Innovative Fitness goes beyond the investment and association of his name with the product.

“I can’t play football forever, maybe four or five more years, so this is one of the avenues that I can fall back on because I’m not just going to sit on a lawnchair and chill out after my career.”

Danielsen says landing a big-name athlete such as Garcia is a major coup for the company.

“Jeff could easily have jumped on board with some big chain, but he chose a smaller company that he has watched develop for years,” Danielsen, director of corporate marketing and promotions with Innovative Fitness, said of his close friend.