Fuss Free Fitness at O2 Performance
Sarah Vercoe explores a world of fitness at o2 Performance, a hub for the community, inspired by the community.
O2 Performance is not your run of-the-mill gym. An all-encompassing fitness hub, it’s a space where newbies feel just as at home as those who have made this place their own.
From the warmth of the welcoming staff to the thoughtful layout, there’s a sense of community that is refreshing.
The first thing you’ll notice is that it’s not like a regular gym. Something that Operations Manager Sam Cochrane sees as an important aspect of the experience.
“The layout was designed by a sports scientist,” he explains. “Factoring in how your brain would naturally depict the space depending on the purpose of your visit, every station has been carefully thought out to ease people in.
“When you enter you don’t see the actual gym until you’re a fair way in.”
All the heavy lifting platforms, which can feel intimidating for some people, are hidden deep inside the gym behind the group fitness rooms and away from the light-weights section.
Part of the specially-built Sports Hub that operates for the community, injecting profits back into the local sports associations on the Sunshine Coast, o2 Performance is surrounded by supporting facilities such as Allied Health professionals including Exercise Physiologists, Physiotherapists and Osteopaths.
As an all-inclusive centre, health professionals regularly frequent the gym using the well-equipped space to work with clients from all walks of life.
“Being for the community, we’ve taken into consideration any limitations the population might have,” Sam says. “It’s important for us that everyone feels this is a safe place for them,” he says.
“We’ve got specific equipment for clients in wheelchairs where they don’t have to transfer at all, they can simply roll their chairs in and the seats swing out for them. There’s also an exercise machine that allows paraplegics to not only use their arms but also strap their legs in, which is important for muscle maintenance and general well-being.”
The inclusivity extends to the next generation to instill a love of fitness from an early age. Specially-designed classes for kids aged 7 – 12 years focus on the foundations of fitness with the ethos that it’s never too early to inspire an appreciation of healthy living.
“Fitness and health go hand-in-hand,” Sam says. “Getting kids into that rhythm early on is really important for establishing a healthy lifestyle they’ll continue well into adulthood.”
And for kids already devoted to a sport, the Sunshine Coast Sports Institute is based out of the Sports Hub allowing young athletes to use o2 Performance to refine and develop their skills. Featuring an on-site Exercise Testing Lab they can access the facility and come away with individualised programs that will help foster their development.
“That’s pretty cool for the young kids,” Sam says.
With a steadfast vision to empower, educate and inspire health and wellbeing, their approach to living well is all encompassing.
“For us it’s about being active participants in the community,” Sam says. “We want to be involved as much as we can as well as being a safe space.”
Just a few years young o2 Performance has taken the opportunity to support people with disability, working with Community Solutions to provide employment.
“Zach on our front desk came to us through Community Solutions and is now a valued member of our team,” Sam says. “Their program has sent some fantastic employees our way.”
O2 Performance is as unpretentious as they come. A state-of-the-art yet modest gym it’s a place for anyone who wants to put their health first; there’s no ego here. Offering everything from yoga and pilates classes, bootcamps, box fit,
a highly functional all-access gym floor and even a creche for busy parents, there’s a little something for everyone.
“We’re here to empower you on your journey, whatever path you’re on,” Sam said.
O2 Performance, Cnr of Main Drive and Sportsmans Parade, Bokarina. Phone 5493 7070.
