Sunshine Coast’s newest sports gym helping people kick drinking habits

A Sunshine Coast dad has gone all in on a new martial arts gym, with the sport going crazy worldwide for its mental health benefits. Hear how it’s changing the lives of its members.

Gracie Barra Caloundra co-owner Aaron Miller and Fabio Bertolli. Photo: supplied.

A Sunshine Coast dad is the co-owner of a a new $100,000 martial arts gym, with people increasingly taking up the sport often to shed weight or kick drinking habits.

Sunshine Coast dad-of-two Aaron Miller, 36, helped open a 340 sqm Brazilian jiu jitsu training facility, Gracie Barra Caloundra, along Grigor St W, Moffat Beach on January 9.

The Peregian Springs resident, who also worked for an asphalt company, said the facility included two mats, a children’s area and a recovery room with an ice bath.

Mr Miller, co-owning the gym with business partner Fabio Bertolli, said one of the biggest reasons for investing in the sport was because of its physical and mental health benefits, especially after Covid-19 shook people’s mental health.

Gracie Barra Caloundra member Luke Hopkins, 37, said he had lost 10kgs, become mentally tough, and cut back on drinking since picking up the sport 14 months ago.

Inside the new Gracie Barra in Caloundra. Photo: supplied.

“My Friday nights have totally changed,” he said.

Mr Hopkins, who trained for three to four hours a week, said he only drank on special occasions given he trained instead of drinking on the weekends.

“It gives you something else to look forward to on the weekend,” he said.

Co-owner and head instructor Mr Bertolli, 48, and co-owner of Gracie Barra Noosa, said he wanted to open a second venue to offer the sport’s benefits to a new community.

The Caloundra facility already has about 20 members.

The crew and members at Gracie Barra Caloundra Photo: supplied.

Mr Bertolli, who has held a black belt in the sport for a decade, said people were taking it up to learn self-defence, build confidence, and tackle depression, drinking or smoking.

“They quit smoking or drinking just because of jiu jitsu,” he said.

Mr Bertolli said the sport was rapidly growing because of its benefits, saying 80 per cent of his members weren’t competitive, and their ages ranged from four to 70.

Inside the new Gracie Barra in Caloundra. Photo: supplied.

While it was early days, the head instructor said he wanted his second venue to sign up hundreds of members and “change their lives for the better”.

Originally published as Sunshine Coast’s newest sports gym helping people kick drinking habits