Flash Fitness grew from need to ‘get strong’
By PEG LUKETIC
McKeesport Community Newsroom
y has been operating the McKeesport gym since February 2025.
Jessica McCauley threw herself into fitness as an escape when tragedy hit her family in 2014. The father of her infant son was in an accident at his family’s camp that left him a quadriplegic, leaving her to care for him and three young children.
As a result, McCauley had an epiphany.
“I gotta get strong. That was my way,” McCauley said. “I’d wake up in the morning, I’d work out. That was my escape.”
McCauley, an energetic 43-yearold Glassport native, realized her dream of providing a welcoming space for anyone who wants to become stronger in a supportive community in February 2025 when she opened Flash Fitness in McKeesport.
Helping others has always been the mission of McCauley, a patient care technician at the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, UPMC McKeesport, before becoming a fitness trainer.
“I loved it there, but it was a hard job, meeting so many great people and watching that disease dwindle their spirit,” said McCauley.
Her first job in fitness was at the YMCA in Wilmerding, where she earned her trainer’s certification and quickly rose to head trainer. She loved the feeling of community at the Y.
She worked at different facilities after the Y closed in 2017 but realized that a “big box” gym wasn’t for her.
Owner and fitness instructor Jessica McCauley works out at Flash Fitness in McKeesport. Photo by Comocrea Johnson / McKeesport Community Newsroom
In 2019, McCauley briefly returned to work at UPMC McKeesport in the ICU unit, where her partner, who passed away in 2017, received treatment after his accident. She realized that she needed to leave and pursue her dream of opening a gym.
The idea of opening her own gym came up when she and her co-workers were discussing what they would do after the YMCA closed. Her son Jase came up with the name from the superhero The Flash.
“He and I used to watch The Flash together all the time and he would say, ‘Mom, you’re fast and strong like The Flash. So it was Flash Fitness,’” McCauley said.
McKeesport resident Dawn Wunderling has known McCauley since they worked together at the YMCA. The 64-year-old teaches Silver Sneakers Circuit Training and Drums Alive at Flash.
“She puts her heart into everything she does and she’s working hard to get this facility going,” Wunderling said. “It’s a lot of work, but she’s up to the task. I believe that if anybody can make this work, she can.”
McCauley offers a wide range of classes and activities such as self-defense classes, painting parties and Tai Chi in Renzie Park. Last Thanksgiving she hosted a Friendsgiving dinner at the gym for members. This summer she plans to rent garden boxes at the McKeesport Community Garden and provide gardening and healthy food prep workshops.
“My vision is to become a community hub, not just for working out, but for community, wellness, health, and friendship,” McCauley said.
She enjoys meeting people of all ages and from all walks of life.
“A little part of me just kind of links with every single one of them,” McCauley said.
The gym, which includes two classrooms, is located in a former car dealership at 524 West Fifth Ave. A winding red-brick staircase leads to a classroom where women of all ages and abilities can be found enjoying a beginners’ step class on Saturday mornings.
Retired nurse Luann Castro of McKeesport, has been working out at Flash Fitness for nearly a year and appreciates the camaraderie.
“I do go to another gym, but I like it here because Jess McCauley listens to all of your needs and wants, and she’ll adapt classes accordingly,” Castro said.
Hours at Flash Fitness are 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. Group classes and personal training are available.
Peg Luketic is a retired social services provider and lives in White Oak. She is a member of Tube City Writers, a program of the McKeesport Community Newsroom.
