​​Unchained and Unstoppable: How a Toronto Gym is Reclaiming Wellness and Visibility

By ICIC | June 18, 2025

At Unchained Athletics in Toronto, strength training is just the beginning. Here, fitness is a vehicle for empowerment, equity, and healing. Guided by two passionate leaders, the gym is on a mission to help communities break free from systemic barriers—and redefine what it means to be strong.

Unchained Athletics is a place where movement meets mission, where marginalized communities find empowerment, and where the concept of strength is reimagined to include resilience, visibility, and purpose.

Founded by Eddy Bucardo and co-owned by Christina Henry, Unchained Athletics isn’t your typical fitness space. “We’re a strength and performance gym, but more than that, we’re a movement rooted in purpose and community,” Eddy shared. “Unchained was built to help people break free from limitations—physical, mental, or systemic.”

Building More Than Muscle

The gym offers personal training, small group classes, and nutrition support, with programs grounded in science and delivered with intention. Eddy and Christina built Unchained Athletics with the belief that everyone should have access to high-quality coaching, regardless of background, ability, or economic positioning. That belief is reflected in everything from their sliding scale payment options to their culturally informed approach to nutrition.

Unchained Athletics is proudly Black-owned, and its mission is to provide not just physical training but also a sense of belonging. The raw, street-art-covered space isn’t polished—but it’s deeply intentional. “Our space is gritty, but it reflects the energy of the city and our community,” Eddy said. “When people come in, they feel seen. They feel like they matter.”

From Surviving to Scaling: The ICCC Connection

Eddy joined ICIC’s ICCC program through the 2023 Toronto cohort, part of a partnership with Pizza Hut Canada’s Equal Slice program and Yum! Brands’ Unlocking Opportunity Initiative. Designed for small businesses owned by disabled, immigrant, Indigenous, minority, and women entrepreneurs, the program provided free business education, virtual trainings, mentorship, and the opportunity to win one of five $20,000 CAD grants.

Eddy returned in 2024, deepening his strategic foundation. “The ICCC program helped us clarify our market positioning,” he said. “We were able to identify our strengths, fine-tune our customer engagement strategy, and map out our email marketing flows to drive conversions more effectively.”

The insights gained weren’t just theoretical—they were immediately applied to Unchained’s operations. “ICCC helped us strengthen our foundation,” Eddy explained. “We learned how to define partnerships that align with our brand, and we sharpened our messaging to reach the right people at the right time.”

The Power of Visibility

In March, ICCC announced Unchained Athletics as a 2024 Equal Slice grant recipient. The funds addressed a very practical need: signage. Tucked below street level in a busy Toronto neighborhood, the gym is easy to miss without clear exterior markers. “We don’t have a storefront, so people often don’t even know we’re here,” Eddy said. “The grant allowed us to pay down some debt and finally invest in signage. It’s a small thing, but it’s already made a big difference.”

That added visibility has led to more foot traffic, which in turn strengthens Unchained’s case when building partnerships with brands that care about community reach. “It’s a ripple effect,” Eddy added. “That sign isn’t just for directions—it’s a symbol that we’re here, we’re growing, and we’re not going anywhere.”

Innovation on the Edge

For Eddy, innovation isn’t just about tools or trends—it’s about resilience. “Innovation, to me, is about finding creative solutions when your back is against the wall,” he said. “It’s not just about tech or new products—it’s about adapting, reimagining, and building something meaningful out of pressure.”

During the pandemic, Unchained was on the verge of closing. “I created our first pitch deck and sent it to PUMA North America,” Eddy recalled. “It wasn’t just about funding. It was about our story—our impact.”

That leap of faith sparked a partnership and the chance to open a new and improved facility in 2022. Since then, Unchained has developed more than a dozen pitch decks and secured brand collaborations to bring community wellness programming across Toronto.

“Innovation has fueled our growth not just in numbers but in purpose,” Eddy reflected. “It’s helped us turn struggle into strategy and survival into sustainability. Every deck, every pitch, and every new idea is a reminder that being resourceful and authentic is what drives Unchained forward.”

At Unchained, innovation isn’t about hype—it’s about service. “We always ask, does this make our people feel as looked after as elite athletes?” Eddy said. “We don’t just want to offer workouts—we want to offer experiences that build people up.”

What’s Next for Unchained

Unchained’s next evolution? A larger, multi-functional hub for training, education, and holistic wellness. Eddy envisions a space with autonomous training areas, smart tech, and distinct zones for performance, injury recovery, and more. “We want to scale our impact while staying true to our values,” he said.

One exciting new initiative is Camp Unchained, the gym’s first-ever wellness retreat. Launching over Labor Day weekend, the retreat will offer members a chance to step outside the city and reconnect with nature and themselves.

For Eddy, growth is never just about size. It’s about depth. “Every new idea, every pitch deck, every partnership—it all comes back to the same thing: serving our people with intention.”

More Than a Gym: A Movement

What started in a basement gym in Toronto is now spreading across the city and beyond. Unchained Athletics is more than just a business — it stands as a beacon of what’s possible when purpose and perseverance lead the way.

As the team builds for the future, they are also paving the path for others, demonstrating how visibility, capital, and coaching can transform communities from within.

To fellow entrepreneurs, Eddy offers this advice: “Your business matters. Your service is needed. Don’t chase what everyone else is doing. Be bold in your purpose. Stay rooted in your values. And most of all, don’t lose your integrity.”

About ICIC’s ICCC Program

ICCC is a 40-hour “mini-MBA” designed for established small business owners who want to lead, grow, and innovate in today’s fast-moving world. The ICCC program brings together executive education, networking, one-on-one coaching, and access to capital—empowering small businesses in under-resourced communities to break barriers, build stronger companies, and drive community impact. This expert-designed curriculum is offered at no cost to qualifying businesses, thanks to ICIC’s funding partners.

To learn more and apply visit icic.org/iccc.