The Fitness Community Comes Together to Respond to COVID-19
by Melinda Burris Willms
In the wake of the unprecedented financial and human toil COVID-19 has wreaked upon the nation and the world, an uplifting message of support and generosity has emerged from members and leaders in the athletic community. If ever the old adage, “There is no I in team” was to be tested, the circumstances gym and fitness studios now find themselves in after months of government mandated shutdowns has certainly provided ample opportunity to learn if the inspiration behind our shared concept of team spirit still maintains that a team is made of multiple players who can make the difference between a win and a loss by contributing all they can to the effort.
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Recent articles in Hurdles First have shared stories describing the plethora of initiatives implemented and/or supported by businesses and individuals across the nation and the world aimed at encouraging individuals to continue to exercise and take care to maintain their physical and mental well-being. These stories, while undoubtably uplifting, are arguably more than equaled by heartwarming stories of neighbors, and in many cases, complete strangers, coming to the aid of those in need of financial and other resources, often in unexpected ways.
Gym Owner Lends Equipment to Customers Enabling Home Workouts
Dave Whitted is the owner of Be Strong Gym in Bloomington, Illinois. When the stay-at-home order was announced in that state forcing Dave to shutter his doors, a primary concern for him was not wanting his patrons to miss out on their daily routines, causing them to either miss or simply give up on reaching their individual fitness goals.1
Prior to the coronavirus outbreak, the gym had been growing at such a rate, Whitted had recently invested significant amounts of money in purchasing new, state-of-the-art equipment. Faced with being forced to close as part of the effort to flatten the curve and stop the spread of the disease, Whitted decided knowing his gym members would have the tools they needed to keep up with their workouts was his overriding concern, so he arranged for members to come and sign out equipment from the gym so it could be taken with them and be used in their individual home workouts. Whitted offered this generous service to his members at no charge.
Approximately 80 members of his gym took advantageous of Whitted’s offer, resulting in an estimated $40,000 in gym equipment ranging from mats, barbells, and weights to exercise bikes and rowers being dispersed.1
Whitted and members of the gym staff played an active part, working with individual clients to determine what type of equipment would be best for them to borrow, choosing items they felt would most likely motivate members to keep up their workouts. Explaining the process, Whitted commented: “I really encourage[d] members to take things home that they loved, and they knew they were going to use every day.”1
The result of the loan program was that the gym was emptied of its expensive fitness equipment in less than two hours’ time. Whitted declared the turn out to be “awesome” underscoring that having his members actively look for ways to continue their training was precisely the point of what he was trying to do by offering to loan the items out to begin with.1
Be Strong Gym Goes Virtual
Like so many gyms and fitness clubs throughout the nation and around the globe, as the restrictions put in place to stop the spread of COVID-19 dragged on for days and then into weeks, the gym began streaming daily online training sessions, allowing gym members to work out together again, virtually.1
One of Whitted’s clients, Paulette Cocco, who regularly attended the gym each week before the coronavirus outbreak, observed that being able to borrow equipment they were familiar with and then train virtually with others they knew from the gym had really strengthened the sense of community among Be Strong Gym members. Cocco added that the virtual workouts have been instrumental in inspiring many to keep to their fitness routines because “[seeing] people posting their pictures and their workouts and makes you feel … pressured” in a positive way. Cocco explained that seeing that someone else was making use of the loaned equipment to maintain their commitment to their fitness goals reinforced for her the need to keep up with her own regular workouts.1
While there have been numerous reports of gyms and fitness studios forgoing charging members monthly dues while they are unable to come to the various locations to take advantage of their products and services in-person, other gyms and fitness businesses have been sued by angry members for continuing to deduct regular fees despite the situation which has left many without services or the financial ability to pay for benefits they physically cannot receive. Whitted, however, has had a very different experience.1
When Whitted offered to refund or extend memberships by one month to compensate members for time the gym was inaccessible, he received numerous calls from gym members urging him to continue charging their monthly dues in light of his generous loan of equipment and the online training sessions the gym has been offering.1
Lastly, Whitted expressed he had no concerns about retrieving the loaned equipment he will need once the gym is finally allowed to reopen. Whitted has no doubt the equipment will be returned quickly by gym members who will be glad to have the opportunity to truly workout together once more.1
GoFundMe for Underdog Boxing Gym
The aptly named Underdog Boxing Gym located in Montreal, Quebec was facing serious financial hardship due to the forced closure caused by the pandemic. The situation had gotten so bad by mid-April, the popular gym and its tough but lovable Coach Lou faced the very real threat of being shut down for good.2
That’s when Elaine Lam and Philippe Francoeur started a GoFundMe page to coordinate a fundraiser on behalf of the beloved gym and its co-owner, Coach Lou. Explaining the need to help save the gym and lend Coach Lou a helping hand, Lam wrote on the GoFundMe page: “Your donation will help him cover the cost of rent at the gym, along with other expenses he’ll need during these hard times. Our Coach Lou’s been putting a lot of effort in keeping us in shape with the Instagram Live and of course being Lou, he would never ask anything in return as he just loves what he does and loves helping others.2”
Apparently, that love is reciprocated, as earlier this month the GoFundMe Page was closed with the fundraiser having proved to be a success, generating $11,000 in donations. Subtracting transaction fees, the fundraiser organizers were still able to give Coach Lou quite the birthday present, choosing to present the remaining $10,650 that had been raised to him on that day.2
Conclusion
In a time when the continued public health restrictions are noticeably beginning to wear thin on vast sections of the populace as they worry about their finances and the strain of the isolation that comes with quarantine has unquestionably taken its toll, it’s uplifting to learn of these instances where a sense of community and appreciation for the help gym owners, trainers, and staff have given to clients over the years is being returned in kind.
References:
- Williams, D., CNN. (14 April 2020). 1. A Gym Owner in Illinois Gave Out $40,000 Worth of Equipment to Members so They Could Workout From Home.
- Lam, E. (17 April 2020). Donation to Help Underdog Gym During COVID-19.
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