Western Sydney residents open Doonside’s first gym

Although COVID delayed their opening (originally planned for April), four local Doonside residents have recently launched Doonside’s first ever gym - Snap Fitness Doonside - on 11th October.

Doonside is located 40 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Blacktown and is part of the Greater Western Sydney region.

Michael Georgy, his wife Tamara Georgy, and husband and wife duo Shirein and Jay Hickman, had a vision for over 10 years to open a gym in the area they grew up in, providing a positive health and fitness community for local residents.

Snap Fitness Doonside Franchisee Michael Georgy said the idea to open a gym in Doonside in Sydney’s greater west, had been in the works for many years with the opportunity coming to fruition almost three years ago.

Michael Georgy notes “growing up in Doonside, we understand the area and identified a gap in the market and a need for a community location where people could gather together to socialise, exercise, and be a place for the youth in the region to come and spend their time.

“We researched a range of 24-hour gym and fitness franchises, looking for something more than just a gym. Snap Fitness offered us and our potential members a premium brand – from the equipment, facility and fit out, to the support – it was very evident that Snap Fitness was the way to go.”

As Snap Fitness Doonside prepared to open its doors in April, the COVID pandemic heightened, and new lockdowns were introduced across Sydney and New South Wales.

Georgy adds “we were excited to launch Snap Fitness Doonside in April, but due to the ongoing lockdowns and impacts from the COVID pandemic, we postponed our opening. These hurdles continued when our second opening day in June was postponed once again. With the recent lockdowns eased, we finally opened our doors on 11th October.

“We waited 110 days to open the gym, but since opening our doors almost one month ago, our members have been excellent at supporting our requirements to continue operations under the current COVID restrictions, from cleanliness to top-notch safety.”

Snap Fitness Doonside boasts state-of-the-art features including:

• Crowd DJ for music selection by members

• Premium classes

• Brand new Technogym equipment of Olympic standards

• Beauty Bars in the female bathrooms

“Snap Fitness Doonside is not only the first gym in the heart of Doonside, but we are a 24- hour gym with a premium facility and a premium offering. From our classes and equipment to the one-on-one customer service, we treat each member as if they were our only member,” Georgy said.

“Our facility isn’t just a gym for our members. When they enter Snap Fitness Doonside, they’re walking into a community. It is a place where you can work out at your own pace and socialise with the local Doonside community and people from surrounding areas.

“We know our members were keen to kick-start their health and fitness goals and take advantage of the social benefits of being a part of a gym following the pandemic and ongoing lockdowns.”

Outside of gym operations, Georgy and the team are committed to giving back to their local community.

Georgy shares “we have also developed relationships and partnerships with other organisations in our extended community. We sponsor local soccer, cricket and football teams and have a partnership with the five local Subway locations that surround Snap Fitness Doonside, giving discounts to our Snap Fitness Doonside members.

“As we continue to grow, our aim is to expand our partnerships. We have a vision of local businesses supporting other local business with Snap Fitness Doonside leading the way. In the future we hope to have a partnership program that encourages one business a week to set up a stand inside our facility to promote the business such as supplement stores and butchers, also providing our members with benefits such as discounts.

“One day we hope to see Snap Fitness posters in every business around Doonside.”

For more information on  Snap Fitness go to www.snapfitness.com/au/ and for more information on Lift Brands - the parent brand to Snap Fitness and Fitness On Demand, and a minority partner in the 9Round global franchise and functional-based fitness brand Fitstop visit www.liftbrands.com

Image: Snap Fitness Doonside, Maikil and Tamara Georgy, Shirein and Jay Hickman