After Hurricane Helene destroyed his home, Mike Damico faced setback after setback. He decided to channel his loss into purpose.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — It’s been one year since back-to-back hurricanes tore through the Tampa Bay area, and while many people are still rebuilding, one local business owner is channeling loss into purpose.
After Hurricane Helene destroyed his Treasure Island home, Mike Damico faced setback after setback. From insurance issues to stalled permits, his house is still left down to the studs.
“Everything that I had worked for in my life was just gone overnight,” Damico said.
He was born and raised in Tampa and has weathered other storms but says he’d never seen something like Helene.
Instead of waiting for things to get better, he decided to build something new that’s not just for himself, but for others. That vision became Peach Pump, a women-only fitness studio in downtown St. Petersburg.
“With all those complications and setbacks, I felt like something was calling me to build something bigger than myself,” Damico says.
At the fitness studio, women move through a curated circuit, designed by instructors and focused on empowerment and community. For Damico, it’s inspired by the strong women in his life.
“You’re probably wondering why women only? It’s because I’ve had several inspiring women in my life. My mom, especially. She’s so generous and so selfless,” he says.
Symbolically, Damico held a soft opening for Peach Pump on the anniversary of Hurricane Helene, and the day his home was destroyed. It also happened to be the week of his mother’s birthday. He calls it a nod to resilience, strength and fresh starts.
He says the studio’s mission is simple: to pour back into the women who so often give everything to everyone else.
“A lot of women feel intimidated going to the gym. Here, they can take the guesswork out of it, we’ll take care of you and help you reach your goals,” Damico said.
He said the workouts aren’t easy, but neither is rebuilding after a storm. And for Damico, that’s exactly the point.
“I’m a big believer in doing hard things. On the other side of hard things is everything we want in life.”
He calls Peach Pump his comeback story and says through building it, he can provide the foundation for other people’s comeback stories too.
More information about the new fitness studio can be found on the Peach Pump website.