Revealed: Owners behind some of Geelong’s popular gyms and fitness centres
After a tough two years of Covid-19 pandemic-related shutdowns and restrictions, Geelong’s gyms and fitness centres are beginning to bounce back. Here’s how they survived.
Geelong
Don't miss out on the headlines from Geelong. Followed categories will be added to My News.
After a tough two years of Covid-19 pandemic-related shutdowns and restrictions, Geelong’s gyms and fitness centres are beginning to bounce back.
Here’s a list of some of the colourful owners of much-loved establishments.
Jase Lydom – GBOT Fitness, South Geelong
Jase Lydom has seen first-hand how Covid-19 impacted the fitness industry.
Mr Lydom’s centre GBOT Fitness, which is a boxing and obstacle training centre, has been open for six years.
He said while it started out strong, the business took a dramatic hit in the midst of lockdowns and restrictions.
“Our membership halved over Covid-19,” Mr Lydom said.
“It was pretty tough.
“The team here, we just had to relied on our structure.
“We’re rebounding a bit now.
“Across the board in Australia, gyms were hit hard, and are now starting to rebound.
“It’ll take about 12 to 18 months.”
Mr Lydom said he first got into the industry by running outdoor bootcamps.
“We saw that the numbers grew to about 100 people,” he said.
“So, I started looking for a permanent venue, and here we are.
“I like the community, the different personalities that walk through the door.
“Seeing people connect with other people that they would have just walked past on the street is great.
“There’s a real community here.”
Mr Lydom, who also owns and operates Fit N Focused and will soon be opening a Ninja Warrior gym, said he had a few tips for people looking to get involved in a gym or fitness centre.
“Do your research on the gym or gyms you’re interested in,” he said.
“Ask to go and do a trial class, and take a buddy with you.
“Don’t just do one class, try and do the full range of what they have.
“Everyone’s nervous. You just have to try and turn those nerves into energy to help you succeed.”
GBOT Fitness also offers online challenges for those looking to exercise from home.
“We do virtual challenges,” Mr Lydom said.
“They’re workouts that are put out online, that people can do outside, at home, or at a gym.
“They’re not time restricted, so it’s flexible for each person.”
For more information, visit gbotfitness.com.au/
John Bourke – Elite Training Centre, Newtown
While the pandemic was tough, John Bourke said he and his team at Elite Training Centre managed quite well.
Mr Bourke started his journey to owning his own gym in 2012, when he started a personal training studio.
He said he moved on to a gym a year later, which merged with Elite in 2016.
Through the pandemic, Mr Bourke has been able to open other gyms, including one just for mums and their little ones.
“Obviously Covid-19 was pretty rough,” he said.
“But we did quite well.
“We just opened another gym, just down the road called Mums and Bubs.
“We opened that because it was dangerous having little kids running around the adult gym.
“We’ve been pretty lucky to be able to do that.”
Mr Bourke said he had seen the gym community “bounce back” over the last three months especially post-Covid.
He said Elite Training Centre boasted about 150 members, returning to close to pre-pandemic levels.
As for the best part of owning a gym, Mr Bourke said watching people gain confidence was the highlight.
“It’s not about seeing them lose weight, it’s more about watching that confidence get greater and greater,” he said.
“We see so many people who want to get fit, but are afraid to come through that door.
“The hardest part is setting foot through that door.
“No-one’s watching you, no-one cares, we’re all doing our own thing.
“It’s about getting the most out of it for yourself.”
For more information visit etcgeelong.com.au/
Lucy Brennan – Luce Fit Australia, South Geelong
Lucy Brennan founded Luce Fit Australia with the mission of empowering women to embrace life everyday.
Ms Brennan started as a personal trainer in 2014, and she opened Luce Fit in 2017.
Having recently giving birth to ‘Captain Troublemaker’ Freddie earlier this year, Ms Brennan displays true girl boss energy.
“My passion is to simply empower women to be the best version of themselves and feel confident doing so in a safe and supportive environment,” she said on the centre’s website.
“I am definitely a perfectionist when it comes to all things Luce Fit, it is my much loved baby.
“If I am not on the floor teaching, I am usually floating about with a long black coffee in hand, working upstairs in my office or these days whipping up a smoothie in the Montana van.”
Ms Brennan said her team and community at the centre were what made Luce Fit what it is.
“I am forever grateful for the support I have received from so many over the past 4 years and I am so excited for all that's still come at LFA!”
For more information visit lucefitaustralia.com/
Will Tomlinson – Wildfighter, South Geelong
Former boxing world champion Will Tomlinson started Wildfighter to encourage other people to learn the skill.
However, he did not expect to open his new business in the middle of a pandemic.
“We opened in mid-2020,” Mr Tomlinson said.
“I committed to the space pre-Covid.
“It’s been pretty enjoyable.
“At the start, we did all right because we were the new kid on the block, so to speak, and everyone wanted to check it out.
“Now, we’ve got our base.
“People are rushing back now that the weather’s warmed up.
“In winter, when it’s cold, people tend to stay away, but we’re seeing more people now.”
Mr Tomlinson said his own history of more than 29 professional fights as a boxer gave him the motivation to teach others, including Cat Cameron Mooney.
“If you’re looking to get fit, boxing is a great way to do that,” Mr Tomlinson said.
“You’re learning and practising at the same time.
“You’re also distracted from the hard work and the pain of exercise, because you’re thinking about technique.
“With boxing, you also are progressively seeing yourself getting better and better.
“I get to see people developing themselves.”
Mr Tomlinson said Wildfighter had a good community of people.
He said he enjoyed the community driven nature of his gym.
“We’ve attracted a really good mix of people – guys, girls, different range of ages, and levels of experience,” he said.
“Being around all of that makes for a really fun environment.”
For more information visit wildfightergym.com.au/
John Bourke and Jamie Diamond – Paradise Gym
The dynamic duo of John Bourke and Jamie Diamond is the team behind Paradise gym.
The pair, who both have experience in the health and fitness industry, saw a gap in the market for a gym environment suitable for families.
Ms Diamond said she noticed there was nothing like the Mums and Bubs classes on offer, and decided to fill the need herself.
“Being a mumma myself to three children, my time was precious but I also needed to move my body to feel great and get a hit of endorphins and that boost of energy to get through the lack of sleep and long days!” she said on the website.
“I always enjoyed walks with my girlfriends to catch up on life, chat about kids and all the motherhood mess but I wanted and needed my heart rate up and get my sweat on.
“I needed more.”
Ms Diamond worked as a trainer and in childcare on and off for 10 years prior to co-owning Paradise Gym.
She holds a diploma in children services, and a certificate 4 in fitness.
For more information visit paradisegym.com.au/
Charelle Cuolahan and Gail Asbell – Upstate Geelong
Sisters Charelle Cuolahan and Gail Asbell are the co-owners of Upstate, a fitness centre that has seen great growth over the past few years, despite Covid-19.
The duo’s journey into the fitness industry started over a decade ago in 2009, and they have seen their vision expand to multiple locations.
Upstate has studios in Geelong, Torquay and Melbourne, with outside investor Cotton On set to help the business expand nationally.
Ms Asbell told the Geelong Advertiser earlier this year that customers wanted more to their workouts.
“We’re on a mission to help people find a positive state of mind through movement, connection and positivity and are driven to share this mission with as many people as possible,” Ms Asbell said at the time.
“Our customer wants more than physical workouts; they want emotional and mental wellness.
“That is exactly what Upstate is all about.
“We want our members to feel as though they have arrived at their happy place, and we believe health and fitness should be as fun as it is challenging.”
The sisters were able to use the pandemic slightly to their advantage, using virtual classes to stay connected to their community.
For more information visit upstatestudios.com.au/
Tyson Morrissy and Steven Hull – Strong Geelong, South Geelong
Tyson Morrissy and Steven Hull have used their own experience to create a productive space for their customers.
Mr Morrissy is a Strongman and powerlifter, and won the 2019 SCL Worlds Strongest Man competition for men under 105kg.
He is also a three-time Australia’s Strongest Man in the same weight class.
Mr Hull is described as a “businessman extraordinaire” on the business’ website.
The pair and their team offer advice for how to split training sessions on their social media.
Tips include hitting competition-specific movements more than once a week if competing, managing fatigue and rest days, knowing your strengths and weaknesses, being realistic about how many days of training you will complete, and finding days you have the most energy and using them to your advantage.
For more information visit stronggeelong.com/
More Coverage
Originally published as Revealed: Owners behind some of Geelong’s popular gyms and fitness centres
Racehorse strapper learns fate over sex act with animal
A man was caught on CCTV performing a sex act with a horse after breaking into a stable. A court has heard the horse’s owner can’t get the footage from her mind.
Social housing project stalls, future uncertain
The site of a large-scale social housing project in Geelong’s inner-south sits vacant and details have been pulled from the web, but its proponent says construction will commence soon.