He’s the fit in fitness

His background, both personal and athletic, is as diverse as it is eclectic. Mother from Italy, father from New York, and Phil Martin born in Canada, where his dad — Philip Sr. — played in the Canadian Football League.

And sports? Basketball, volleyball and curling. ("I can sweep," he’ll tell you.)

But for all the globe-trotting Martin has done and all his passport stamps, Hawaii again has been home. The retired Italian pro basketball player fell in love with the islands when he arrived from Ontario in 1999 to play at the University of Hawaii.

March Madness has a special meaning for the 6-foot-8 former power forward, who was a sophomore on Hawaii’s last NCAA Tournament team in 2002. He and business partner Bryan Watkins are deep in the madness that comes along with being new owners.

They also are dedicated to recreating their recent purchase — the Clark Hatch Fitness Center in downtown Honolulu — turning it into what could be described as the "Cheers" version of a health club.

"The facility has been around for 42 years and it’s been a membership that has grown by word of mouth," said Watkins, who has been involved in the fitness industry for several decades beginning in his native England. "We have a membership of over 600 and it’s very much a family down here. Everyone knows each other, the members are very welcoming when they see a new face.

"The facility can accommodate 1,400 comfortably, but we’d like to be at around 1,000. We don’t want to lose that personal relationship."

The pair closed the purchase in December after about a yearlong process, Martin said. They formed BP Enterprises LLC, capping a long relationship in which Watkins was Martin’s personal trainer at Watkins Fitness in Hawaii Kai.

"This opportunity presented itself and I approached Phil, thinking he’d be a great fit for this," Watkins said. "We get along very well, he is very recognizable in the community, he’s in tip-top shape himself.

"Everyting has fallen into place."

Watkins, who previously worked for fitness leader Clark Hatch, said the facility will retain Hatch’s name. What will change is the facility itself, a reported $400,000 renovation that included $100,000 worth of Star Trac equipment that arrived in January and a planned upgrade of the heated lap pool.

The plan also has included an emphasis on the health aspects of the gym, with monthly lectures by local health and wellness professionals. The class schedule also is being expanded to meet different needs and trends in fitness.

"We want to appeal to a broad spectrum of people," Watkins said. "We want to meet people’s needs, come down, get fit and get educated."

"This is absolutely a perfect fit for me," added Martin, the only four-year starter in Riley Wallace’s 20 seasons at Hawaii (1987-2007). "I can’t imagine a better one. It’s the perfect extension of what I’ve been doing my entire life with athletics.

"We’re more on the ownership side, but it allows me to bring background, especially that of a pro athlete, to the table."

Martin has added another job title to his resume. He and his wife, the former Erica Lum, who played volleyball at Punahou and Fordham, are busy with their — no surprise — very athletic young daughter.