Gallery: Teacher turns fitness dream into Burnside community hub
The opening also had an early community win, with $500 raised for Palmwoods Cricket Club within the first hour.
After 20 years teaching English and history, Phil Barry has opened the doors to a new chapter, launching Stepz Fitness Burnside with a focus on both physical and mental wellbeing.
The gym, at Burnside Shopping Centre, which has already attracted strong membership was officially opened on Saturday, June 27, with family, foundation members, supporters and local business groups gathering to mark the occasion.
Mr Barry, who runs the gym with the support of his wife Skye Parker and family, said he hoped the business would become more than a place to exercise.
“I’m here not just for my family, but – and I know this may sound cheesy, but my wife Skye will be the first to tell you that I can be hopelessly sentimental – but for the family we’re building here – what I’ve come to call the Burnside Brigade,” he said.
Mr Barry said some people had been surprised by his move from the classroom to the fitness industry, but the idea had long been connected to a lesson he often shared with students.
His favourite quote, "Anima Sana In Corpore Sano", means "a sound mind in a sound body".
“To me, it’s not just about nurturing one or the other, or favouring one over the other – both need to work in harmony together,” he said.
“And so that’s what I sincerely hope people get out of our gym here – a workout not just for the body but also the mind.”
The opening also had an early community win, with $500 raised for Palmwoods Cricket Club within the first hour.
In his speech, Mr Barry thanked Property Lane, Bendigo Bank, Nambour Chamber of Commerce, Milo Frawley and the Woombye Community and Business Association, the Sunshine Valley Gazette, his family, the Stepz Fitness team and foundation members.
“Thanks, and thanks again, and thanks a million more,” he said.
