Are you as strong as The Great Athrillo?

New Yamba gym owner following in footsteps of his strong-man great grandfather

Jesse Clare is back in Yamba, running gym "Rush".

THE Great Athrillo may not be a household name but his great grandson is keeping his legacy alive.

When Jesse Clare returned to Yamba, buying a gym was not exactly the first thing on his mind but last week he opened Rush Fitness Club in Neptune Place.

His tentative plans to move back to town were accelerated when coronavirus forced the closure of his Bondi swimming business and what happened next was what his family might consider a classic move for the self-described "extreme" decision maker.

"The first day I got back I went into Sue's 24 Hour Gym and got talking to the owners and they said they were interested in selling. So I went in to hire some equipment and I ended up choosing to buy the whole lot."

Seven weeks after that bold decision and with the relaxation of the lockdown restrictions on gyms fast approaching, Jesse and his partner Stevie channelled their inner-builder and started a quickfire renovation of the space.

"It was like we were a team on The Block, it was pretty stressful, we had about six days to get in and paint, put mirrors around the walls, and rebrand from scratch to be open for when the restrictions lifted."

 

The Great Athrillo

 

The finishing touches were done just in time for their grand opening bang on June 13 - and it proved to be a great success.

 

"We were really surprised and humbled by how many who came down and joined up, it was really special."

Mr Clare said he would be incorporating his love of swimming into the business while including a wide range of activities including yoga and boot camps all under the Rush Fitness Club banner.

"I want to make sure there is something for everyone. All ages, all levels, different training, just a place for everyone to come to," he said.

And Mr Clare is now following in his great-grandfather Albert W. Irwin's footsteps. Known as the Great Athrillo, the gym owner and trainer's story has been part of family folklore.

"He was actually the strongest man in Australia, he had several different weightlifting records," he said.

For more information visit www.rushfitnessclub.com.

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