TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Southside neighbors no longer have to drive across town for mat Pilates. A new Latina-owned studio, Studio Fuerza, is opening right in their backyard, making fitness more accessible and inclusive for the community.
For Daniela Vizcarra, opening Studio Fuerza isn't just about exercise—it's about representation, access and giving her community something she wished she had years ago.
"I come from an immigrant family. And I'm so grateful that I have the opportunity to come from the family that I do, of strong people, of people who hustle, and they hustle to survive. And now I get to hustle to thrive. I'm hustling for my passion," Vizcarra said.
After practicing Pilates for a decade, Vizcarra fell in love with how it challenged her body and cleared her mind, but she also realized it wasn't accessible to everyone. She says her classes will be affordable and inclusive to Spanish speakers.
"And I don't want anyone to ever feel like that's unattainable, that they can't do that. It's only something I see on Instagram. But I wanted to bring it to my community. There's a need, there's a want, and I was blown away by the response," Vizcarra said.
Vizcarra tells me she has deep roots in the Southside, growing up just down the street from where her studio is located.
"There's no place that I would rather be than up here on the Southside of Tucson," Vizcarra said.
Data shows Latina-owned businesses make up 14.5% of all women-owned businesses in the U.S. That's why Vizcarra is opening Studio Fuerza in her community.
"I don't want people to forget about us. We deserve nice things. We deserve beautiful things. We deserve education. We deserve to be exposed to things that we don't have the opportunity to be exposed to regularly," Vizcarra said.
She hopes it becomes a safe space for everyone.
"All experience levels, all age levels, whether you're 20 years old or I've even had señoras say, are señoras welcome? Yes, señoras are welcome. Bring your tia, bring your sister, bring your cousin, bring your friends. We want everyone to come and experience it," Vizcarra said.
Studio Fuerza opens Oct. 25 and it is located off 12th Ave. and Nebraska St.
Vizcarra tells me a schedule with classes will be released soon. She says you can reach out for information about signing up for classes or applying to be an instructor on their Instagram @studio_fuerza.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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Jacqueline Aguilar is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born and raised in Yuma, AZ., she is no stranger to the unforgiving Arizona heat. Now this U of A wildcat is excited to be back in Tucson and is looking forward to involving herself in the community. Share your story ideas with Jacqueline by emailing jacqueline.aguilar@kgun9.com or connecting on Facebook, Instagram or X.
