Freeman opens youth gym

By Marc McGowan
FORMER Olympic and world champion athlete Cathy Freeman officially opened Australia’s first children’s gym on Friday in Beaconsfield to begin the fightback against obesity.
Married couple Debra and Gary Campbell are responsible for the landmark juncture and claim that Hype #1 Youth Gym will cater for children of all ages and athletic abilities.
“It depends on what the child’s reason is for coming,” Mrs Campbell said.
“We can improve them in their sport, change their body shape, make them fitter and stronger, and help their selfesteem.”
The centre will include individual and group sessions for children, as well as opportunities for parents to be involved with special family sessions.
Up to seven personal trainers will be on duty at any one time to supervise and educate the children, as they participate in numerous fitness activities.
The equipment includes sportswalls, a learntorockclimb wall, game bikes, an electronic twolane running track and a junior circuit, which provides a full body workout.
“We have been training kids and adults at our Rowville studio (Prestige PT) for six years,” Mrs Campbell said.
“Some gyms run children’s programs, but we are totally focused on kids. It is a gym that they can call their own.”
Mr Campbell is hoping that by creating a safe environment for children to exercise, it will lead to a healthier future for the next generation of Australians.
“You can’t really play outside anymore, because of the ‘stranger dangers’,” he said. “It’s something we need to start young, build good habits, and it will continue onto the next generations.”
Ms Freeman is particularly impressed with the setup and rues the fact that she was not able to benefit from a similar program when she was an upandcoming athlete.
“A lot of the stuff is fun, but it is also of real benefit to your muscles, flexibility, and twitch fibres, whereas in the other room it is a little more sophisticated,” she said.
“You can actually have an elite athlete training you, as well as little children coming in to have a good time.”
Ms Freeman, too, is distinctly aware of how important it is for children to have a safe environment to exercise in.
“I think it is wonderful. I think if the young ones have a place to go to where they can experience the benefits of exercise, that it is incredible,” she said.
“When I think about my parents, when I think about my coach, when I was little, we would have been in here every day or at least three days a week.”