Within the first week of opening recently, Port Macquarie’s newest gym, Your Life Fitness Centre, has seen unprecedented success and signed up over 800 new members.
Owner and manager, Gavin Wilcox, couldn’t be happier, but has acknowledged the skills gained at TAFE as contributing to his achievements.
As an excellent PE student at high school, Gavin’s career choice as Fitness Instructor was an obvious one.
He enrolled directly in North Coast TAFE’s Diploma in Fitness and was snapped up by a local gym once he had graduated.
Progressing to the role of Operations Manager, Gavin felt that he could go no further in the industry and, after a few years, decided to gain some retail experience and try a few different sales positions.
But his true calling was still compelling him to return to the fitness industry – the turning point in his career.
“I went back to TAFE and completed a Diploma in Marketing and entered a partnership to run a Fitness Centre. But the partnership didn’t work out and I was still keen to run my own centre. So I sat down and figured out my business plan – that’s when I realised I was ready. I had the skills, the experience and the courage to do it now,” Gavin said.
His family joined him to create a gym that was friendly, well equipped and spacious. Your Life Fitness Centre opened in early February of this year and is also the only gym in NSW to use touch-screen technology on their internet capable equipment. Still, Gavin maintains that it isn’t just about the machines, it’s about the people.
“Our TAFE teachers were all highly regarded within industry and consistently provided us with innovative ‘hands on’ experience.
“We learnt to work with everyone, from school kids to the elderly, and provide them with a great technical outcome and an enjoyable experience. What makes this business so enjoyable is definitely the range of interesting and friendly people I meet each day,” Gavin said.
Occasionally the double-diploma graduate returns to the Port Macquarie TAFE to share his knowledge with current students, and provide them with the latest news from the industry, to keep the future of fitness in good shape.
