The Wellness Vault opens in Cheney

CHENEY – A new business is bringing wellness classes and a feeling of community to town, and the owners have been overwhelmed by the support in the short time they have been open.

The Wellness Vault had a soft opening April 1, followed by a grand opening April 22 that drew a sizeable crowd.

Co-Owners Renee Traversie and Samantha Rich said they have teamed up to offer as many wellness services as they can.

They are teachers as well as owners with Traversie teaching the barre classes. Rich teaches yoga and is a licensed mental health therapist specializing in eating disorders.

"We are already offering massage therapy with licensed therapists," Rich said. "But we would also like to add a dietician that helps people understand their bodies more, because we are a 'health at every size' focused facility."

Wellness Vault owners said they are different from other clubs because they are the first group and fitness boutique.

There are a couple of other gyms, but they don't have the same community feel upon entering the 513 First St. business, they said.

"Community is a huge word in here," Rich said. "We want people to come in here and feel accepted for who they are without worrying about being judged. We just want people to feel good about who they are and as they work to better themselves."

Building on the community theme, there were several local businesses that contributed to the success of the Wellness Vault's grand opening by donating items for a gift basket raffle, which has been tremendous, the owners said.

"We have just been absolutely overwhelmed by the community support and generosity," Traversie said. "So many businesses came forward to offer support even before we were open, and that really says a lot about Cheney's community values as a whole."

Both admitted there were some obstacles to getting business up and running, but it only took about six months to get from the discussion to doors open.

Rich said they first had the idea in October of 2022.

Traversie explained that the hardest thing to deal with was finding a suitable space in the downtown area.

"We couldn't really find a spot to rent in downtown Cheney for a couple of months," Traversie said. "But then when Touchstone Real Estate moved from this building; we jumped on it and got construction going."

Rich attributes the rapid opening to dedication and hard work behind the scenes. She explained they would have to put their kids down for bed and then head down to paint walls or install flooring in the business just to meet their deadline.