Pahīatua’s gym marks a quarter of a century

The gym room at the Pahiatua Training and Fitness Club.

When an existing gym business closed down more than 25 years ago, some Pahīatua locals got together to buy the equipment.

So in December 1997, 18 people formed the Pahiatua Training and Fitness Club as a non-profit organisation.

A spokesperson for the gym says they weren’t expecting to be repaid for their investment as it was just out of a desire to ensure a facility remained in Pahīatua.

A committee was set up to run the gym and any profits were used to pay for running costs, maintaining the equipment and the purchase of new equipment whenever possible.

The spokesperson says some of the committee members have put in well over a decade of service to the club and others have been encouraged to become involved over the years to ensure new ideas and energy in running the gym.

The StairMaster treadmill.

Initially sited in Main Street, firstly in what is now the Salvation Army shop and then to another building, the gym moved to the new Bush Multisports Complex in 2004.

The permanent location allowed further improvements to be made including heat pumps, ceiling fans, chilled filtered water and a sound system.

There was also ample parking and a quieter environment.

Over the years, the organisation of the gym has changed to reduce the amount of volunteer hours needed and it is now a non-staffed gym with entry controlled by a door system, requiring members to use a keyfob for entry.

The hyperextension bench.

Subscriptions are controlled by an agency, which means the club doesn’t need to handle cash as payment is done online and subs can be renewed instantly using a smartphone.

Subscription increases have been kept to a minimum over the 25 years and the original gym equipment has been replaced by commercial-grade equipment or upgraded, with more recent additions being a hyperextension bench, a preacher curl bench and a stairmaster treadmill.

The preacher curl bench.

The gym’s membership has continued to increase and includes a wide cross-section of the population with ages ranging from secondary school to pensioners.

The committee spokesperson says the success of the club is owing to the support of the community and the volunteers who are involved in the committee. Enquiries can be made by emailing ptfcgym@gmail.com.