A love story that began on the training floor.
In the early days of getting to know each other, Kira Jones and Mike Matousek bonded over morning training sessions at Equinox Santa Monica, not drinks at a bar. A shared commitment to a high-performance lifestyle rooted in fitness and wellness is part of what attracted them to each other and continues to strengthen their bond that started at Equinox.
Jones had just moved to Los Angeles and her first job out of college and was working as a Membership Advisor at Equinox Santa Monica, where Matousek was a member. She didn't know many people when she moved and began making friends with her co-workers and some of the trainers at Equinox. Jones recalled a weekly beach volleyball game where a mix of Equinox trainers, members, and friends got together to play. "We'd meet at Equinox and walk over to the beach. And so that's when I feel like I started getting to know Mike better," she says.
Jones had just come out of a long-term college relationship and says she had been spending some time thinking about what she wanted in her next parter. Her experience at Equinox is part of what helped her realize that she wanted someone who shared a similar lifestyle and made their health and wellness a priority.
"I knew that I was into wellness, but then working at Equinox and being around people that were like-minded, it started to become more important to me. I knew I was going to have to meet someone that eventually was going to have to enjoy those types of things," Jones says. And meeting someone who prioiritized wellness was key for her since so often people meet at bars or clubs. "It's not like the common ground is drinking and partying, it's doing something good for yourself."
The financial commitment says a lot, too, adds Matousek. "A lot of people spend money on something like a table at a club. You're making a financial decision on basically any activity you're doing. When it's something for your health, it just shows a lot about someone," adds Jones.
Eventually Matousek and Jones were working out together in the mornings as friends, which is when they really connected. "Every morning we would go to the LA Sports Club and we'd play basketball. Before we were even dating, that's really how we got to know each other more," says Matousek. Eventually the friendship blossomed, and they started dating seriously.
Once the couple moved to New York after dating for several years in LA, there was no question that they'd join Equinox since it's where they wanted to find their new community.
Matousek, who is the Co-Founder of Nikkl, Inc., currently works out of Industrious Hudson Yards office, located next door to Equinox Hudson Yards. Jones, who is the founder of Cacti Wellness, a productive wellness platform, also works with Matousek at the Industrious office. Now, they call Equinox Hudson Yards their home-away-from-home since they visit the club every morning for a workout together, followed by a cold plunge and sauna or hot plunge. "I've tried it all when it comes to wellness practices, but the daily cold plunge has been the one where I feel the most immediate results," says Jones.
The couple married in 2022 in an elopement ceremony at Lake Como in Italy, which was featured in British Vogue. "She jokes that her longest relationship is Equinox," says Matousek. "I say it's my longest commitment," Jones says and laughs. "It's been nearly a 10 year commitment, longer than any previous relationship."