Oh what a year 2020 has been!
We started the New Year (how long ago does that seem!?) with an upgrade to a lot of the equipment on the gym floor and we also added 30 new Johnny G spin bikes to our gym studio. It was great to have such a positive start to the year and the changes and new equipment was extremely well received by all our members and customers. The introduction of the new bikes meant that our already popular heated spin class reached a whole new level of popularity.
Unfortunately, in March, the reality of Covid-19 hit Irish shores and with it came wholesale changes to our way of life and the way we do business which has continued to the present day. We had to close our doors on March 15th, and we remained close for over 12 weeks. For these 12 weeks, home workouts, zoom, baking banana bread and Tiger King became everyone’s ‘New Normal’ (anyone else hate that phrase as much as me?). One positive point to note during this period was our ability to donate some PPE to a lot of the local nursing homes. While only a small gesture, it was nice to know we were still able to help the local community.
Thankfully, we were finally able to reopen our doors on June 29th. We stayed open then until the announcement of the second lockdown in October. This period was the best that Xtreme CSC Clonmel has ever experienced. Yes, there were lots of new rules and protocols to adhere to, including temperature checks and our new booking system, but from day 1 the positivity in the gym was immense.
Training sessions were busy and it was easy to see the desire people had to return to the gym and get some normality back to their training. July, August & September are 3 of the busiest months we have ever had in Xtreme CSC Clonmel as new members and our old regulars all flocked back to the gym (while obviously maintaining their social distance)!
Thursday Sept 24th was National Fitness Day and we held a number of classes and challenges for members to take part in and challenge themselves using different aspects of their fitness. The hang tough competition was particularly competitive throughout the day. The members of Xtreme CSC Clonmel smashed it again though. The day was a huge success and the energy and the buzz on the floor all day was electric!
Our reopening in Oct has coincided with the Tipperary Footballers winning their first Munster Title since 1935! We are lucky to have several of the squad as members in Xtreme CSC Clonmel. The hard work and dedication they show on a weekly basis is inspiring so it was wonderful to see them getting rewarded for this. Who knows what the future holds for this panel of young footballers but the sky’s the limit!
2020 has undoubtedly been a year like no other. It brought many challenges but also gave us plenty of opportunity to grow and develop by meeting these challenges head on, not only in life but also in business. Yes, things are different but we have all come out the other side. We can now hopefully look forward to 2021 where Xtreme CSC Clonmel can continue to be the biggest and best gym in Tipperary.
A massive thank you to all my amazing staff this year. They were forced to adopt a lot of new work protocols because of Covid but they did so with an unwavering professionalism and a smile on their face. An even bigger thank you to all our members who continued to support us throughout the year. It is only because of this support that we have been able to continue to grow and look forward to 2021 with a renewed sense of optimism.
Shane, Clonmel Manager