D1 athletic training center to open in Pinecrest Plaza

D1 has leased this vacant space in Pinecrest Plaza.

An athletic training studio called D1 is coming to a vacant storefront next to Lidl at Pinecrest Plaza. 

Franchise owner Tom Fukuda hopes to open in May or June. 

D1 offers athletic-based, personal and small group training for adults and scholastic sports training for kids and teens ages 8 to 18. 

“This will be the place for athletic training,” Fukuda says, noting that D1 defines an athlete as “anyone dedicated to their fitness.” The premise is “everybody needs training. We help people set goals and help them meet their goals.”

D1 creates training and conditioning programs to build strength, speed, ability, and overall fitness. 

About half of the space will be a turf field with weights and other equipment. The rest of the space will have bikes, rowing machines, and treadmills. 

D1 is a rapidly expanding franchise business with about 60 locations in the United States. The one in Pinecrest Plaza will be the first in Virginia and the D.C. region. 

The company’s founder and CEO is Will Bartholomew, a former fullback at the University of Tennessee. He was set to play for the Denver Broncos when his career ended due to an injury during training camp. He created D1 because he couldn’t find a training facility that met the needs of elite athletes at the Division 1 level. 

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Fukuda played football, basketball, and ran track in high school; played volleyball in college; and coaches youth teams in basketball, soccer, and lacrosse but says his main area of expertise is in business. 

When asked about the difficulty of opening a business during a pandemic, he says, “there are always challenges, and in many ways, this is a good time to identify new opportunities.”

Pinecrest Plaza is a good location, he says, because it’s been recently renovated, the new Lidl is a strong anchor, and there’s a good mix of tenants. Also, the area has several high schools and a strong youth sports presence.