Augie and Lynn Nieto
Augie's Quest
Corona del Mar, CA USA
"You have a choice: are you preparing to die, or wanting to live?"
Career Roadmap
Augie and Lynn's work combines: Non-Profit Organizations, Sports, and Helping People
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Accounting
Claremont McKenna College
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
Saw his father sacrifice his entrepreneurial dreams in order to provide for his large family.
2.
At age twenty, he went all in on his dream; opened Life Fitness, now a $550 million company.
3.
Had found exercise as his "religion"; wanted to share its power with the world.
4.
When he was diagnosed with ALS, he didn't understand how God could be so cruel-he'd built his life on his muscles, was going to watch them fade away.
5.
A fiercely independent man, he couldn't imagine having to rely on others to help him with his disease.
6.
Tried to commit suicide so he wouldn't be a "burden"; reached a turning point after waking from a coma, accepted his condition.
7.
No longer "reacted," started to act-founded Augie's Quest, which has raised $19 million for ALS research.
8.
Says he used to "keep score" of how much money he made; now his score is set by how much he gives back.
Defining Moments
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
In March 2005, Nieto was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Despite the limitations of the disease, Nieto continues to lead an active life.