Sun sports extra: Ex-Blue Valley North swimmer Bergmann keepin' it 'Real' in yogurt world

Thank you, legendary former Blue Valley North High School swim coach Greg House.

So much so, in fact, that in some sort of honorary, peripheral, backhanded – er, backstroked – sort of way, one could almost refer to the new specialty frozen yogurt shop, “Mochi-Yo,” set for its grand opening Saturday in Leawood’s One Nineteen lifestyle shopping center, as “The house that House built.”

You would get no argument from Mochi-Yo’s co-owner, former MTV reality TV show “The Real World: Austin” star Wes Bergmann of Leawood. Today Bergmann firmly believes that all those powerful life lessons House instilled in his pool subjects in black and white way back when are showing up in living color right about now.

Bergmann swam for House as a prep up until graduation in 2003.

Amidst House’s impressive string of five consecutive boys state high school titles gleaned from 1998 to 2002, Bergmann could be counted upon as a solid competitor for the Mustangs throughout the latter stages of that run to remember

Also a standout with the Leawood Lightning city team in his early youth, Bergmann swam the 100-yard butterfly and 200-yard individual medley for House’s squads at North.

“House’s program taught you how to look down the road from something and say, ‘I want that,’” Bergmann, 24, recalled recently. Meanwhile the ex-Mustang sat nestled inside Mochi-Yo’s signature “Mochi Tunnel,” a giant wooden structure that rises some 20 feet from floor to ceiling in the shop.

“And then,” Bergmann said, “once you realize what was at the end of the road, then he taught you how to go all the way back to the beginning, and he taught you what those steps were to get to that final goal.”

Actually an accomplished three-sport athlete in high school, Bergmann also performed as a midfielder and defender for a two-time state champion Mustangs soccer team and as a hurdler for North’s track squad.

TIME TO GO TO WORK, GENTLEMEN …

Clearly it is that single association with House, however, that has made for the most lasting waves within the heart, mind and soul of one Weston Bergmann.

The now ex-reality television star, who moved back to Leawood six months ago, could count on House for a whole lot in the way of big-picture wisdom in between trying hopelessly to count all those laps. And laps. And laps.

Hop in a pool for House, and one quickly came to learn a thing or 600 about work ethic. Sure, his pupils were free to question House’s proven methods. But come the end of practice, they also found themselves way too tired to raise a hand to question those methods much.

“It was just pure and utter quantity of work,” Bergmann said with the understanding of a guy who gets it all now. “We were doing collegiate level yardage, and it was turning people who shouldn’t have been good swimmers into competitive threats.”

While Bergmann arrived at North with a few swim credentials as a multiple record holder within the Leawood Lightning program, still, “I turned into the person I was because of his program,” Bergmann is quick to note of House’s.

“There is no doubt about it,” Bergmann added. “I can’t give credit to anybody else. As far as who deserves credit for my success, it was him and then me. There’s no doubt about it. His whole system taught me a lot about myself, taught me a lot about teamwork and a lot about hard work.”

AMERICAN DREAM: “REAL”-LY

Who knew? Who knew that scrappy, big-shouldered, red-haired, freckled kid doing all that swimming under House would, only a brief year or so later, become a household name all across America? His life would unfold before some 44 cameras mounted on walls of a 23,552 square-foot warehouse at 301 San Jacinto Boulevard at East 3rd Street in Austin, Texas, as a member of the cast of “The Real World.”

The wildly popular MTV reality show lab rats seven strangers together from a wide range of differing ethnicities and backgrounds, then settles back along with the rest of America for the Wednesday night fun that unfolds.

“You get to learn a lot about yourself by making mistakes on TV,” Bergmann said. “It’s one thing if you make a mistake and say, ‘Oh, I shouldn’t have done that. Slap on the wrist. I’m going to try and fix it next time.’ And then another thing when everyone in the world is telling you that you made a mistake.

“You’re learning, you’re learning with everyone, and it’s the best way to truly just look at yourself and change what you don’t like.”

While that 16th season of “The Real World” earned Bergmann plenty in the way of fame and fortune, what it did not cost him were his original Midwestern values and one deeply rooted drive to succeed in business.

While some other former “The Real World” cast members today are content to swim in the show’s experiences to the very last drop in terms of fame and real-world exposure, Bergmann will tell you that from the get-go, he had much different ideas.

“With me, I concentrated so much on not losing my original friends, not losing my original goal of creating businesses and doing entrepreneurship,” he said.

Yeah, right? Non-believers, take note: Bergmann’s original show bio at 19 appeared at MTV.com during his junior year at Arizona State University, where in December of 2007 he would go on to graduate cum laude with a double major of entrepreneurial management and marketing.

The MTV site described him as an “obnoxious, super-competitive jock,” as well as “the guy you love to hate,” but also “bright and entrepreneurial,” further noting that Bergmann could not wait to graduate so he could start his own business.

He would enjoy the occasional bonus, spinoff fame, of course.

For instance, Sports Illustrated deemed Bergmann one of its “Twenty-five under 25” to watch in 2006.

RIDING THAT “THE REAL WORLD” TRAIN

You bet your “The Real World” house key Bergmann rode that MTV gravy train for a while. He went on to appear on MTV’s “Fresh Meat,” as well as “The Duel.” He won $150,000 as the season winner of “The Duel.” A bit of that money he invested in Mochi-Yo.

Nowadays, it would take a lot to get him to return to an MTV show, he said. A lot of lettuce, especially. He simply feels those days have run their course, and it is time to get on with things. Adult things.

Or as he put it: “I’m not necessarily opposed to going back. But I promise you if I go back, it was because I was compensated very well. I want to make a name for myself for my brain and entrepreneurship now.”

Right after he smartly enjoyed plenty of the fruits of the lifestyle, that is. He dated castmate Johanna Botta, who went on to become a Miss Peru USA contestant, until January of 2008.

The two continue to co-own a bar together in Los Angeles, as well as a house in Arizona.

“We just weren’t meant to be together at the time,” Bergmann said. “Still, I’m in contact with her on a fairly regular basis just based off of business.”

Afterward, Bergmann dated “The Real World: Sydney” cast member KellyAnne Judd for some six months. That relationship only recently ended.

“Last time we were here we were looking at schools in Kansas, so it was real serious,” he said. “It just fizzled real quick.”

BACK TO BUSINESS

Through it all, Bergmann’s dreams of owning a business has remained firmly and steadfastly on its tracks.

Meanwhile he enjoys plenty in the way of entrepreneurial history with his Mochi-Yo co-owner. Kirk Goza, also 24, is a childhood neighbor from “just around the corner” of the Leawood home of Bergmann’s parents, Doug and Cindy.

Bergmann’s lone sibling, 23-year-old Dean, is a student at Kansas State University. His older brother hopes Dean will become another part-owner of the store following his college graduation.

Close to a dozen other investors already are involved in the Leawood yogurt shop, which is located at 4535 W. 119th St.

As kids Bergmann and Goza, while close buddies and sports teammates, partnered in many a small business venture that ranged from lawn mowing to curbside address painting to a car detailing service.

Goza, a 2003 graduate of Pembroke Hill, went on to graduate from Columbia University in New York City in 2007 with a degree in economics.

Himself an accomplished tennis player, he was ranked on the competitive six-state Missouri Valley Tennis junior circuit. He also played plenty of soccer growing up.

Still, admittedly, seeing the fruits – no pun intended – of their Mochi-Yo dream taking shape strikes one former “The Real World” cast member as a little, well, surreal.

“We played sports together since we were kids, and we always talked about it,” Bergmann said of their co-ownership of the shop. “We always knew we were going to do it, but it’s just weird having it actually be here and be sitting in a tangible facility that came together by nothing but an idea.”

MOCHI-WHAT?

Mochi-Yo (pronounced Moe-CHEE-yo).

The two Leawooders’ product line is modeled after tart frozen yogurt stores that have their origins in Korea.

While attending Columbia, “My friends and I ate at a small, Korean, fat-free yogurt shop every day,” Goza said. “We couldn’t get enough of the stuff, so after graduation I traveled to Korea and learned about where it was conceived. That experience convinced me it was time to bring it home to Leawood.”

Right after he brought the idea home to his buddy Bergmann, that is, with whom he reconnected after a college break. Bergmann, back in Arizona, had tried similar tart yogurt with his girlfriend on trips to west coast beaches and knew the stuff was fast becoming a rage among those craving healthy lifestyles.

Mochi-Yo offers customers four distinctive flavors of frozen yogurt – original tart and green tea, as well as a pair of featured flavors that will rotate regularly. A creative list of healthy toppings includes nine types of fresh fruit, a variety of cereals and specialty items. Mochi-Yo also offers smoothies and organic coffee.

Made with real yogurt, the co-owners trumpet the fact that what will set their trendy dessert apart in the eyes of those young and not so young and on the go is its health benefits.

They note the fact their dessert is full of live active cultures that support healthy digestive and immune systems. Meanwhile, their frozen yogurt is fat free and contains just 25 calories per ounce.

The store gets its name from a Japanese confection made with rice flower. Those sweet mochi balls represent Mochi-Yo’s signature topping and come in three flavors.

“A couple more locations in Kansas City, maybe,” Goza said of their ultimate hopes for the place. “I could see us getting to six locations. I would say that would be pretty impressive.”

“Six is the milestone,” chimed in Bergmann, who already counts himself as a big fan of the flagship place’s original tart yogurt flavor.

Their first big milestone, of course, they conquer the moment Bergmann and Goza flip over their “open” sign for the first time ever this weekend. Alas, these two boyhood buddies and childhood dreamers are seeing their longtime shared dream take shape.

Store hours are 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE …

During Saturday and Sunday’s grand-opening weekend, all customers who enter the Leawood shop will receive a free sample of Mochi-Yo.

As for getting this thing done virtually in his own back yard? After traveling the world, a worldwise Bergmann is admittedly giddy over having opened this business with a close pal and so close to home.

“I don’t want to choose where I live based off a beach or the weather,” Bergmann said. “I choose where I live based off of the people that are there. And this is the best place for people in the world.”

Contact Mark Dewar at 385-6061 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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