Joseph Duenas sought new experiences after graduating from Mercedes High School in 2006.

He joined the Marines. Duenas trained to become an infantryman and did multiple combat tours in Iraq. He would stay on after his military service, working for a security firm contracted by the State Department.

“I spent most of my 20s over there,” Duenas said of Iraq. 

The skills and training learned overseas were put to good use once he returned home. Duenas works today as a paramedic and firefighter in McAllen after previous stints of doing the same in Mercedes, San Benito and Brownsville. Duenas believes he’s on a path forged by his tenure in the military.

“My big takeaway from those years was that there was so much more to my life than working in a typical 9-to-5 job,” he said. “I knew I was capable of more.”

The thought of doing more brought him back to his hometown. There’s a different kind of tenant in the heart of the Rio Grande Valley Premium Outlets in Mercedes. It’s Mid Valley Fitness, owned and operated by Duenas, with classes full of customers from all walks of life and levels of fitness. 

“We’ve got moms and grandmas, gymnasts and serious weightlifters,” he said. “We can scale it up or down.”

Duenas chose to put his business in the middle of the Rio Grande Valley – right off Expressway 83 – handy for commuters to stop by for a workout, but the true mission strikes closer to home.

“My end game is to provide this facility for the Mid-Valley,” he said. “I see our mission as helping to improve the quality of life here.”

Giving Back

Duenas started MVF at the Mercedes Industrial Park in 2017. 

He saw a need for a fitness business in Mercedes rather than opening a facility in a city where many such outlets already exist. The connection to where he grew up was a draw as was having a business with quick access for commuters heading east or west on the expressway.

“It’s a huge advantage,” he said of being in Mercedes. “I have customers that work out before or after work in getting their training done.”

Duenas has always been active in his own right. He described his early years in Mercedes as ones where he “grew up quickly,” cutting yards as a teenager to earn his first dollars before working at H-E-B while going through high school. Duenas has passed on that work ethic to his young son, who recently got his first job at a fast-food business, with the father advising spending money needs to be earned.

The customer base Duenas has earned at MVF has been earned – and has grown. In late 2021, Duenas relocated his operation to the outlet mall. He and his fellow fitness coaches needed more space and to upgrade the facilities. Duenas praised the Economic Development Corporation of Mercedes for their guidance and resource help in making the move to the mall possible.

“I wouldn’t be here without them,” he said of the EDC. “We’ve gotten nothing but the best service from them.”

Fitness For All 

Duenas explained during a recent weekday lunch hour what his chief objectives are with the fitness goals of his customers. 

His facility is open to everyone with group classes or individual coaching available. Improving mobility and flexibility are key goals at MVF. Workouts are typically an hour long. Every aspect of fitness is included in the exercise plans of customers and what he and his coaches implement. 

“A little bit of everything,” Duenas said, mentioning weight work, flexibility and coordination exercises. “We hit every fitness parameter.”

The approach appeals to his customers.

“Love the atmosphere and people, both coaches and athletes,” said Delilah de los Santos-Camacho on the MVF Facebook page. “Very welcoming environment and the workouts are tailored to meet your needs.” 

Another customer, Marc Del Rio, spoke on the page of putting “my diabetes into remission” while losing weight and improving his mental health. 

“The family atmosphere and encouragement of the owners, coaches and members got me to join,” Del Rio said of overcoming initial hesitancy to try another fitness facility. “I have been to other gyms and this one is better than the others.”