At her fifth grade graduation ceremony, Vicki Brick-Zupancic stood in front of her Timonium Elementary classmates and told the story of Billy Mills.

Mills, the American hero of the 1964 Olympics, had pulled off a last-minute upset in the 10,000-meter run. Brick-Zupancic’s father had just taught her about the athlete, hoping to impart Mills’ lesson of: Don’t give up. Just do one more lap.

So Brick-Zupancic advised her fellow 10- and 11-year-olds that, when life gets tough, don’t quit. Go one more lap. She carried the advice with her through the years, especially after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2021.

“During this last few weeks of her cancer journey — and I’m not going to call it a battle, it was a journey — I know she was saying to herself, ‘Don’t quit. Don’t quit. One more lap. One more lap,‘” said her father, Victor Brick.

Brick-Zupancic, CEO of the Baltimore-based Brick Bodies Fitness Services chain and a former University of Maryland basketball player, died Tuesday morning. She was 43.

“Vicki was a cherished daughter and a loving mother, wife and sister,” the Brick family said in a Wednesday Facebook post announcing her death. “She was an innovator, a leader and an inspiration to everyone she knew. Her dedication and contribution to the Brick Bodies brand has helped shape us into the clubs you know and love today.”

When Brick-Zupancic was born on July 30, 1981, she came out with calves like golf balls and an intense look in her eye, said her mother, Lynne Brick. Her parents knew immediately she would be an athlete.

Victory surrounded her. It was in her name, Victoria, and the name of the doctor who delivered her: Dr. Nguyen, pronounced “win.”

She grew up in Baltimore County, attending Ridgely Middle School and McDonogh School. She was always very involved in extracurriculars: basketball, tennis and playing the violin, her parents said.

She also tormented her younger brother Jon, her parents joked. But as they grew older, they formed a tight bond, and Brick-Zupancic stood up for her brother like no one else.

At McDonogh, she excelled at basketball. She was twice named Baltimore-area player of the year, among other accolades. Her team was also twice ranked No. 1 in the metro area and 25th in the country by USA Today, Victor Brick said.

She played on the University of Maryland women’s basketball team from 2000 to 2004. During her senior year, she was captain and helped the team reach the second round of the NCAA tournament, according to Maryland Women’s Basketball.

Throughout her collegiate career, she shot over 40% from the field, averaged 5.7 points per game and racked up 364 assists.

“The thing about Vicki — she does everything all in," her father said.

After graduating from college with a degree in kinesiology and communications, Brick-Zupancic played basketball in Australia and the Philippines before returning to the U.S. and joining the family business.

At the time, her parents were opening up a new gym location and Brick-Zupancic started working in sales, she said in a 2015 interview with her alma mater.

“For me, sales was very similar to playing sports — every day, you have to bring your game and prove your worth,” Brick-Zupancic said at the time. “Its production base and my pay (were) directly related to how well I performed. I loved the challenge and the competition.”

She worked her way up to general manager, and in 2013 became vice president of the company. She more than doubled club membership, from 4,000 to 10,000, within nine months of taking on the role. She never wanted special treatment, her father said.

At the start of 2015, she replaced her father as CEO of the company, which currently has locations in Timonium, Reisterstown and Baltimore.

In the 2015 interview, Brick-Zupancic said she enjoyed the variety of her job — some days, she would spend hours in executive meetings talking about finances, and others, she’d be in clubs inspecting cleanliness or assisting with management training.

The same year, she got engaged to Evan Zupancic and moved to Oregon to live with him. She managed Brick Bodies from afar but traveled back to Baltimore — a city she adored — at least once a month.

As she neared the end of her life, Brick-Zupancic told her doctors she wanted to come back home to Maryland.

“Nobody loved Baltimore more than Vicki Brick,” her father said.

Brick-Zupancic was diagnosed with Stage 3 ovarian cancer in 2021, a month after her 40th birthday. She’d given birth to her daughter, Jordan, two years before and noticed some unusual pain at the time, but doctors said her body was just adjusting after childbirth, she wrote in a 2023 blog post.

After her diagnosis, she underwent various treatments, including chemotherapy, Brick-Zupancic wrote.

Jordan was the light of her life. Brick-Zupancic talked often of giving her daughter the same “magical” experiences she had growing up, Lynne Brick said. Last year, they went to Disney and the U.S. Open, despite her being unwell.

The news of Brick-Zupancic’s passing prompted an immediate outpouring of support from friends, acquaintances and colleagues across Maryland, including on social media.

“Those who had the privilege of working with Vicki, whether inside her clubs or across the industry, know she led with both brilliance and kindness,” wrote Taylor Gabhart, editor of the fitness publication Club Solutions Magazine. “She was an innovator and a guiding light — someone who didn’t just adapt to change but often led it.”

Gabhart said Brick-Zupancic’s impact on Club Solutions was “deeply personal.” She was a contributor and thought leader, Gabhart said, but also a friend who shared her passion and insights freely.

Heidi Klotzman, CEO of an entertainment business, said she first met Brick-Zupancic at a high school house party, and found her to be “friendly and down to earth when you didn’t have to be.” Later, they reconnected as women in business.

“We weren’t besties or anything, and we didn’t see each other often,” Klotzman wrote in a Facebook post. “Nonetheless, you profoundly impacted my life and did something generous for my family that I’ll never forget. I’m not alone in my gratitude.”

Brick-Zupancic died early Tuesday, hours after the end of the NCAA men’s basketball championship game. She loved watching March Madness every year, especially when Luther Vandross’ “One Shining Moment” played and the tournament highlights flashed across the screen.

When the highlights came Monday night, her family excitedly told her, “Here’s your song! Here’s your song!”

Lynne Brick knew it wouldn’t be long after that. She even told her friends her daughter was probably waiting for the song, “and sure enough, that’s exactly what happened.”

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This story was updated to correct Vicki Brick-Zupancic's last name.