David Patchell-Evans Named First of Six Inductees to 2027 HFA Hall of Fame

The GoodLife Group founder will be honored March 10 during the HFA Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at The HFA Show 2027 in Las Vegas.

For nearly five decades, David “Patch” Patchell-Evans has worked to make physical activity a bigger part of people’s lives—by building fitness businesses, developing fitness professionals, advancing the connection between exercise and healthcare, and supporting research and communities.

That impact will be recognized March 10 when the GoodLife Group founder and chairman is inducted into the HFA Hall of Fame during The HFA Show 2027 in Las Vegas.

Patchell-Evans is the first of six members of the 2027 HFA Hall of Fame class to be announced.

“Patch’s impact on our industry goes far beyond the businesses he has built,” said HFA President and CEO Greta Wagner. “For decades, he has championed the power of physical activity to improve lives, invested in the people and communities around him, and helped move our industry forward. His leadership, generosity, and belief in what fitness can do for people make him incredibly deserving of this recognition.” 

From One Club to a Global Fitness Enterprise

Patchell-Evans opened his first fitness club in London, Ontario, in 1979. What began with a single location grew into the GoodLife Group, which today includes GoodLife Fitness, Fit4Less, Éconofitness, GYMVMT, and canfitpro, along with interests in fitness businesses across North America, New Zealand, and Australia.

But Patchell-Evans’ influence on the industry extends well beyond the clubs he built.

In 1993, he founded canfitpro, helping educate generations of fitness professionals and advance professional standards. He also served as chair of the Health & Fitness Association when it was known as IHRSA, contributing to the association’s work to strengthen and advance the global fitness industry.

Connecting Fitness and Health

Patchell-Evans’ belief in the power of exercise is rooted partly in personal experience. A motorcycle accident that required extensive rehabilitation and a later diagnosis of severe rheumatoid arthritis showed him firsthand the role physical activity can play in health, resilience, and quality of life.

That experience helped fuel his longtime advocacy for a stronger connection between physical activity and healthcare.

His support for the University Health Network’s GoodLife Centre of Excellence and chair in Cardiovascular Rehabilitation and Prevention has helped advance exercise-based approaches to cardiac rehabilitation.

His philanthropic work has also extended to autism research and opportunities for children to be physically active. Inspired by his daughter Kilee’s autism diagnosis, Patchell-Evans established the Kilee Patchell-Evans Autism Research Group and has contributed millions of dollars to autism research. He also founded the GoodLife Kids Foundation in 1998 to expand opportunities for children, particularly those with autism and intellectual disabilities, to participate in physical activity and healthy living.

Throughout his career, Patchell-Evans and the organizations he has built have contributed more than $50 million to charitable causes, healthcare initiatives, research, children’s programming, and community development.

Celebrating Six Trailblazers Who Shaped Fitness

Patchell-Evans will be formally inducted into the HFA Hall of Fame on March 10 during the opening night of The HFA Show 2027 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

For the first time, the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place immediately after The HFA Show Kick-Off Party, bringing the industry together on opening night to honor the trailblazers whose ideas, businesses, and contributions helped shape health and fitness.

Proceeds from the HFA Hall of Fame ticket sales benefit the HFA Foundation, supporting research and grants designed to help the fitness industry build healthier communities.

Five additional members of the 2027 HFA Hall of Fame class will be announced in the coming weeks.

Tickets to the ceremony are available as an add-on to registration to The HFA Show, which occurs March 10-12 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. 

Proceeds from the event benefit the HFA Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charity focused on industry research and grants to help HFA member clubs and studios with their programs facilitating community health.