Enrique Morgado Ortiz from Fontaine is known to all the people from Fontaine as “the physical education teacher of the Cruz Valero school”, but his career did not stop there, but for three decades he managed the “Gimnasio Gran Maestre”, and among other activities, he became Extremadura Jiu-Jitsu Coach.
Throughout his years as a teacher, there have been many interviews conducted by Radio La Fuente with Enrique Morgado, but they have never talked to him about his work as a businessman and entrepreneur at the head of the aforementioned gym.
In this matter, Enrique Morgado commented that “the idea of building a gym arose in 1984, when I was a teacher in Granja de Torrehermosa. There, a man arrived who built a judo gym, and practiced and I trained in this discipline, and two years later, in 1986, when I returned to town I decided to build a gym and started teaching judo classes with the relevant certification, something that at that time it was very difficult to manage, but since then 38 years have passed, and the gym continues to grow.
Enrique Morgado admits that “at that time there were no Municipal Sports Boards, children only played soccer while judo was a minority sport, but I started and I was lucky, and we even built a very important school of judo in Extremadura. Then, later, and with the help of my colleague Ángel L. González, I introducedJlet’s go eIn jiu-jitsu, they taught me Extremaduran coach, which is the only black belt with coaching certification, and since then, we have lived a wonderful time in Fuente del Maestre with many Spanish champions, and with all participants as medals.
Over the years, the “Grand Master Gym”, in addition to judo, has also developed in terms of machinery, because according to E. Morgado, “in the 1992 Olympics I started with machinery, years ago We re-introduced many tools due to the need for physical activity, because in the city there is nothing to work on all muscle groups, and in 2013, when my daughter Pura Morgado took the guarding duty, the last major reform carried out with a new machinery, which has improved enormously, since then many kilos are needed, and now the fitness is well used.”
Also, in these almost four decades, the presence of women in the Gym has improved, “fortunately they have taken a step forward, when I started they did not want to come because of the restrictions of doing physical activity, something that bothers me. I’m angry, but now, there are probably 60% women and 40% men, and that makes me happy,” said Enrique M himself.
Currently, the “Grand Master” Gym, managed by his daughter Pura Morgado, is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with an electronic opening system, and offers personal training with machinery, preparation for physical tests of police or firefighters, guided. Pilates, Zumba and strength training classes with guided and advised exercises.
Throughout the interview, Enrique Morgado had words of praise for his daughter Pura M. “who followed my path since she was 4-5 years old, got a degree in physical education and passed the teaching exam , a work combined with the gym. “, and for his wife Pura de la Cruz and the rest of his family “they have been an important support, because in these years there are many weekends away from home, and many hours dedicated in this love.”
A passion that continues, now as a hobby, because Enrique Morgado continues to train in physical activity, “it’s something I like, and as new training systems continue to appear, I continue in training, in fact the last course I did.c“I really enjoyed it because Profe Ortega, the former physical trainer of Atlético de Madrid, taught us,” he said.
Finally, Enrique Morgado praised his life as an entrepreneur “because when I passed the exam as a teacher and started working I thought, what will I do in the afternoons that I have to be active, and in addition, start a business means that there is financial support, social support, personal support…I am very happy with what HE done in my professional life, and if I am born again, I will do the same, because it is something I want.