St Patrick’s College in Gympie opens $500k gym

A “commercial” quality, $500k gym has opened at one of Gympie’s elite private schools with access promised to students and staff to encourage a love of exercise.

Todd Pooley (Leader of Learning - PE), Flynn Nolan (student), Ayden Mitchell (student) and Mark Newton (Principal) at the gym.

An elite Gympie private school has unveiled a $500,000 gym as “well-equipped” as a commercial gym with the aim of encouraging a lifetime of passion about exercise in their students.

St Patrick’s College principal Mark Newton unveiled the major upgrade, showing off free weights and a rack of weighted balls, to kettlebells and smith machines,

He said it was “as well-equipped as a commercial gym”.

The $500,000 project was designed for students to learn about and participate in physical activity “to set them up for now and for their whole life”.

Staff will be inducted and able to use the facilities outside of school hours as part of their wellbeing package.

“This is the equivalent of three classrooms,” said Mr Newton, highlighting the size of the space.

PE leader of learning Todd Pooley, students Flynn Nolan and Ayden Mitchell, and principal Mark Newton at the gym.

The gym is part of the many improvements made at St Patrick's College.

The gym is open to students and staff.

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“We also have several qualified staff who have backgrounds in personal training and gym instruction.”

A new gym is just one of the many updates being overseen by the principal.

He plans to lease land at The Dawn to expand the school’s agriculture program, about 12 minutes away from the school.

Mr Newton said students would be driven to the land for their studies as soon as 2025.

Mr Newton also recently refreshed the oval, the learning support centre and the wellbeing centre.