Route 1 Fitness has been a staple gym in Manor Royal for ten years now and has recently become the first female-owned gym within the business district. On a mission to make gyms a friendly, community space, Anna Banton and Dawn McCurry took over the gym in October 2022 and have been progressively adding to their offering month by month. Their private gym, down County Oak Way, offers a range of classes, including group workouts and Hyrox training, with a massage studio onsite too.
Anna and Dawn are both qualified fitness coaches and certified nutritionists, and were members of Route 1 Fitness for many years before taking over ownership last year. Anna, a mum of two and Level 3 Personal Trainer said: “We loved the gym, and knowing it was up for sale, we couldn’t say no. It’s been an adventure but we are so thankful to all of our members for their enthusiasm and for standing by our ethos that life is for living, exercise should be fun, and nutrition is all about balance”.
When speaking about their approach to fitness, Dawn commented: “We are very much all about living life to the fullest - I’d be lying if I said I don’t enjoy the occasional pastry at the weekend, and no one should feel guilty about that! Everyone at our gym is hugely supportive of each other, and we see our community as friends more than ‘members’. We hold a lot of social occasions, for example, a cheese and wine night over Christmas, with step-up boxes for a table and weight benches for seats. We’re all about making the gym a friendly place, it doesn’t need to be intimidating. We’re here to make sure you don’t just stick to the cross trainer for 10 minutes and go home. Pick up those weights, get strong, enjoy food, have fun - build your confidence so you can feel good and look good”.
Alongside Anna and Dawn, male coaches Ash Azzopardi and Neil Humphrey assist with semi-private coaching sessions, circuit training, and Hyrox events at the gym. Speaking about the team, Anna said: “It’s really important everyone feels comfortable at the gym, which is why we have a team who specialise in all different areas. Dawn and I are both mums, Dawn’s a qualified beauty and massage therapist, I’m a qualified nurse, so we’ve got a lot of strings to our bow! The guys are great too. Ash has a background in rugby coaching and runs our Hyrox workshops which are a huge hit. Neil has a background in CrossFit and is a keen Olympic lifter; he is also a certified coach”.
These two new owners are off to a flying start, ensuring their personal touch flows throughout their offering, from online coaching to personal training. Route 1 Fitness is now offering 10% off membership options for all Manor Royal businesses. Just call the team on 07500 444292, quote your business name and MANORBID to claim! Offer ends 10 May 2023.
Find out more about Route 1 Fitness www.route1.fitness
Find out more about Manor Royal www.manorroyal.org
Date Published: 16/02/2023