Augie Nieto

Augustine L. Nieto II (February 15, 1958 – February 22, 2023) was the founder and chief executive of Life Fitness, as well as the chairman of Augie's Quest to Cure ALS, and the ALS Therapy Development Institute. He and his wife, Lynne, lived in Corona Del Mar, California, and had four children and eight grandchildren.

He was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) disease in 2005, and established "Augie's Quest to Cure ALS", which has raised over $75 million in funds for research into the disease. A documentary titled, "Augie" was released in 2017. Advances in technological communication using brain wave detection in patients with physical challenges that impacted their ability to speak was mentioned in Through the Wormhole, with Morgan Freeman Season 4, Episode 6 in 2013. Augie Nieto's involvement in helping scientists improve the technology was featured in this episode.

Career In 1977, Nieto founded Lifecycle with an exercise bike of the same name. In 1984, he sold the company to Bally Total Fitness, but was soon named president of the combined company, Life Fitness. He left as an executive of the company shortly after its acquisition by the Brunswick Corporation. As a board member of Quest Software, he was part of a committee that helped to negotiate the sale of the company to Dell in 2012.

Five for Fighting song In 2009, John Ondrasik of Five for Fighting wrote a song in Nieto's honor on his album Slice to help raise awareness and funds for Augie's Quest.

Sponsors Corporate sponsors of Augie's Quest have included Crunch Fitness, Orangetheory Fitness, Zumba, Shea Homes, ClubCorp, Life Time Fitness, LA Fitness, Curves, Safeway, Oakley, Jenny Craig, Life Fitness, and Equinox, among other companies.

Awards Nieto received the EY Supporter of Entrepreneurship Award for the Orange County Region in 2007.

In September 2015, he received the fitness industry's top honor, the Club Industry Lifetime Achievement Award.