Juju Salimeni opens the largest gym in the world and says he is proud to have been a Panicat

At 16 years old, Juju Salimeni entered a weight training gym for the first time. It was a small door that led to an upper storey, with rusty equipment where only men trained. In the early 2000s, the fitness craze was more timid than it is today and it wasn’t as common to see women pumping iron.

Cut to 2024. At 38 years old, the former Panicat has just opened the largest gym in the world. With an investment of R$40 million, divided between it and its partners, Ironberg Alphaville has 32 thousand square meters with swimming pools, shops, restaurants, beauty salon, aesthetic clinic, barbershop, pharmacy, car wash and helipad.

The parking lot with more than a thousand spaces was what guaranteed the title of “largest in the world” to the gym, which at the beginning of the project would be “only” the largest in Latin America. Juju says that the establishment must still receive a technical visit from the Guinness Book to certify the record. In addition to her and her husband, bodybuilder Diogo Basaglia, Betão Iron, owner of the Ironberg chain, and two other investors are part of the company.

‘I ACCEPT WHAT I DID’

Juju began his career in 2008, on Pânico (RedeTV!). Alongside Nicole Bahls, Sabrina Sato, Carol Narizinho, Dani Bolina and Piu Piu, among others, she starred in the Panicats era, one of the most controversial creations on contemporary Brazilian TV. Wearing bikinis, they participated in challenges that tested the limits of objectification, including obscene, scatological and often unhealthy content.

In recent years, a wave of regret has been reaching former stage assistants from the 1990s and 2000s — not only from Pânico, but from other programs that used the female body as an attraction in front of the cameras. Artists like Tiazinha and Feiticeira say they regret having worked in sexualized roles on TV, and everything that came with the package, such as nude rehearsals.

Juju, however, was not affected by this remorse. “I am very well resolved with my past and grateful for it. I respect those who regret it, but I accept what I did and consider myself a successful woman”, says she, who was on the cover of Playboy in 2010.

“I only got to where I am because I did Pânico. I got into the show’s prime, I was lucky. Yes, I worked in a bikini, I showed my body, I still show my body, I work with it and I like it”, he says. She stayed in the comedy until 2011.

BETS

While the gym does not bring a return on investment, the bulk of Juju’s income comes from the internet. She is sponsored by several brands in the fitness universe, such as clothing lines, supplements and pharmacies. A large part of its revenue, however, comes from something not so linked to health: Blaze, a betting giant that has already been investigated by the Federal Police on suspicion of embezzlement.

Juju says that he trusts the company’s integrity and that he believes there is “a plot by the other bets to burn Blaze”. “It’s a correct company that is already aligning itself with the new regulatory rules. I maintain my partnership with them, I would never put my name on anything outside the law”, he says.

GRANDONA FOR CARNIVAL

In her second year as drum queen of Barroca Zona Sul, Juju wants to look “big” for the São Paulo samba school parade. The athlete began the “bulking” process, which consists of gaining muscle mass. “I want to be a little more muscular for Carnival. Have the strength to dance the samba, endure the rehearsals”, she says, who has increased her diet and intensified her training to look good on the avenue.

Juju’s plans for 2025 also include expanding the gym network. She says she is passionate about entrepreneurship and that this is just the beginning. “I have financial goals that I still want to achieve,” he says. “I want to have more companies, this is just the first.”