As one of five children, Grymkowski, who has a twin sister, started his career as an entrepreneur in the first grade. He was held back by his Catholic grammar school teachers after falling behind because he often ditched class, rode to the nearby bay, caught carp, got ice from a local bar and peddled the fish for 50 cents a piece.
Born: March 5, 1949, in Rochester, N.Y. Family: Engaged to Joanna Gunst. Mother was a homemaker. Father owned a window-cleaning company.
Education: Grymkowski studied at a Catholic grammar school before going on to public high school in Rochester. He later attended the Rochester Business Institute, the Monroe Community College and the University of Rochester.
Background: Before building Gold’s Gym into an international powerhouse, Grymkowski put himself through college running maintenance and catering businesses, as well as his dad’s window-cleaning operation.
Hobbies: Cooking, weight lifting and community service. Residence: Horseshoe Drive in the Fernwood area of Topanga Canyon. Organizations: Grymkowski is head usher at Corpus Christi Parish; chancellor and council director of Santa Monica Bay Council No. 920, Knights of Columbus; member of the board of directors and vice president of the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum, a nonprofit theater and academy; advisory board member of the Topanga Chamber of Commerce; and co-director of HOPE.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 12, 2004. Read the original PDF.