YMCA's Sunshine Coast facility expands its role as the leading provider of gymnastics in Queensland

YMCA Queensland’s recent opening of a new, state-of-the-art gymnastics facility at Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast has expanded its footprint as the leading provider of gymnastics in Queensland.

The YMCA constructed the purpose-built gymnastics facility adjoining the existing Arthur Street Hall at a cost of nearly $2 million.

YMCA Queensland Health and Fitness Group Manager Michael Tsiamis said he believed gymnastics was imperative as the foundation of many other sports, commenting "my wife is a teacher and she says she can always tell the students that do gymnastics to those that don't, as they have more developed hand-eye coordination.”

Tsiamis said the YMCA Queensland had expanded rapidly since the entered into a 20 year head lease with Sunshine Coast Council to manage for the Arthur Street Hall and adjacent land within the Caloundra Central Park Sport and Recreation Precinct.

He commented “when we first opened in Arthur Street we only had 80 gymnasts and now by the end of the year we are hoping to have over 1000 gymnasts.”

When the YMCA took on the lease in 2013, Sunshine Coast Councillor Tim Dwyer advised “YMCA is the largest provider of gymnastics in Queensland with over 3,000 registered gymnasts at five locations.”

YMCA Caloundra is also working with the Sunshine Coast Council as part of the new Healthy Sunshine Coast initiative designed to provide the region with free physical fitness and wellbeing opportunities over 10 weeks.

Speaking in September this year, Councillor Dwyer stated “a key initiative of council is to develop partnerships and programs which assist in making the community more physically active and leading to healthier lifestyles.

“The newly launched region-wide Healthy Sunshine Coast program, developed in collaboration with community partners, will assist our region in maintaining its ranking as the healthiest in Queensland.”

Tsiamis added “the Healthy Sunshine Coast program aligns with our mission of ensuring our community maintains a healthy body, mind and spirit.

“When members of the community adopt healthy habits by getting more exercise, the community becomes a healthier one.

“The outcomes of the sessions will see participants tracking their weight loss, and girth measurements to report on centimetres and weight lost in 10 weeks and a register of the total amount of steps walked in 10 weeks.” 

Images: YMCA Caloundra Gymnastics (top and middle, courtesy of the YMCA Caloundra Gymnastics Club) and  Healthy Sunshine Coast (below, courtesy of Sunshine Coast Council).

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