Ironwood Athletic Club

Gary Retter
Owner, Managing Partner
Gary Retter is the managing partner of Ironwood Athletic Club.  He has lived in Coeur d’Alene since 1979 and has been in the Fitness Industry for 30 years.  Gary was a racquetball pro for 25 years and now enjoys golfing, fishing, and working out!

Chip Althen
Owner, Founder
Chip Althen, is the owner and founder of Ironwood Athletic Club.  He has been in the business for 25 years and he is currently in charge of all corporate sales.  Chip is currently training for Coeur d’Alene Ironman 2008 and hopes to beat his 2005 Ironman time of 12 hours and qualify for Kona, Hawaii.  Chip also enjoys traveling, skiing, hiking, and golfing.

Rich Dussel
Front Desk and Maintenance Manager
Rich Dussel is the front desk and maintenance manager for Ironwood Athletic Club.  He is a retired Police Officer and has been living in Coeur d’Alene for the past 5 years.  Rich loves to golf, to tour on his bicycle and to workout.

Kara Lemmon
Group Fitness and Personal Training Director
Kara Lemmon received her Bachelors degree in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Arizona.  She returned to the Northwest in 2002 and is currently the Group Fitness and Personal Training Director at Ironwood Athletic Club.  She has been teaching a variety of group fitness classes for 9 years and she has been personal training for 5.  She is passionate about living a healthy lifestyle and enjoys working with her Ironwood team members.  Kara’s personal mission is to provide individuals with the tools to make health and fitness a permanent part of their lives by teaching others to improve one’s self-image, to make better food choices, to commit to exercise and to receive quality sleep and recovery.

Karen Johnson
Director of the Club Swim: Water Babies & Swim Lesson Program. 
My qualifications include a love for water which developed in my childhood backyard pool and with many days spent playing in the ocean; six years of teaching swimming lessons to children; completion and mastery of child development courses; and a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration from Lewis Clark State College.  My three young children think swimming is the best thing ever (with snow skiing following close behind!).  Water Safety is an extremely important, life-saving and life-enhancing skill.  I am blessed with the rewards of teaching children to become water safe and to love the water.  I am also a Water Aerobics Instructor.  I have taught at Ironwood Athletic Club for three years.  It is great to see people build cardio endurance and muscle strength in a forgiving, fun environment.

Eileen Johnson
Assistant Tennis Pro
Eileen has been an assistant tennis pro at Ironwood Athletic Club for approximately fifteen years and has served in the capacity of head tennis pro since June of 2005.  Her varied background consists of playing varsity tennis at the high school and college level as well as being the girl's varsity coach at Coeur d'Alene High School for eight years. Additional activities include participating in USTA Tennis and coordinating the community junior league for the Coeur d'Alene Tennis Association.

Matt Malone
Private Trainer
Matt has been a private trainer since 1991.  He uses his experience from recuperating his own injuries and his knowledge of Feldenkrais, Egoscue, and NASM principles to focus on rehabilitation.  He was on the UCLA Volleyball and Track teams, and played with the Long Beach State National Championship Volleyball team in 1991.  He graduated from UCLA with a BS in Psychobiology.  He has also been a volleyball coach since 1989, coaching at the collegiate, high school and club levels, and is currently coaching for the Post Falls Volleyball Club.  Matt is currently the Head Trainer at Ironwood Athletic Club.

Allison Rodriguez
Pilates Program Director
Allison Rodriguez is the Pilates Program Director at Ironwood Athletic Club. Her job description is much more than teaching.  Whether it’s pilates, indoor cycling, water aerobics, or one-on-one personal training, she is passionate about helping people make lifestyle changes to better their health and well being.  With several certifications under her belt (Pilates, Spinning, Apex, National Academy of Sports Medicine, etc.), she has been very involved in her education, which has become her career.  It is Allison’s job to know how to help her clients meet and maintain their individual goals, and she takes her job seriously!  For over four years, she has enjoyed working in the fitness industry and she has found what she loves to do and that is helping others find their health through proper exercise and nutrition!

Tallie Althen
Owner, Pro Shop Buyer
Tallie Althen is an owner and founder of Ironwood Athletic Club.  She has a background in art education and taught in the community for several yars.  Her artistic passion inspired the creation of her own art business.  These talents are utilized in merchandising the pro shop, and creating visual displays throughout Ironwood.  Tallie is an active former runner.  She lifts weights, walks regularly, and enjoys bike riding and hiking with her husband, Chip.  They have a daughter, Emily, who lives in Seattle with her husband Grant.

Jeanette Anchondo
Childcare Director
Jeanette has been a childcare provider for 30 years and a member of the Ironwood staff for 15 years. With her love for children and with the great Ironwood staff, working here is a perfect fit for her. Jeanette knows the importance of providing quality childcare so members are comfortable using  the Ironwood facilities knowing their children are being well cared for. She is proud to say that the Ironwood nursery has a wonderful staff who provide a clean, safe and loving environment for  all children. Jeanette is married and has three children, Jenny Sue, Joey and Gus. In her spare time she likes to exercise, spend time with her family and is involved with various volunteer projects.