WINNER of National Fitness Award despite opening club 5 months before COVID struck.,
On Saturday 13 November Clare Everest travelled to Newcastle upon Tyne for the National Community Awards. Clare owns Everest Fitness Health & Wellbeing Centre in Southam and was nominated for Community Team/Group in the North and Midlands for the first time.
The club was nominated for the award and then Clare had to complete an information form explaining about her team and the community in which she works, in addition to how they have adapted throughout the Pandemic. Once submitted, votes opened for participants across the country to vote. Everest Fitness were selected as finalists, which was a huge achievement as it was the first time they’d been nominated since opening.
It was a huge shock for Clare to win the award and such an honour, especially when meeting other finalists who had also achieved huge things over the last 12-18 months, in such challenging times. Clare is absolutely delighted that her club and the whole team have got the recognition they deserve and immensely proud.
Having opened their doors in October 2019, the pandemic forced their doors too close, along with many others in March 2020. The club has two fitness studios with excellent ventilation and air conditioning. They are a class based company offering over 40 classes a week from Indoor Cycling, to Les Mills BodyPump, Combat and Balance, Yoga, Pilates, Meditation, Aerobics, Step, Young at Heart and so much more. They also have two therapy rooms offering Sports Massage, Bowen Therapy, Counselling, Reiki and Sports Massage and a specialised Personal Training room.
During the pandemic Everest Fitness started offering exercises classes via zoom to keep their members active and having social contact. The club lent out equipment for members to use also. During the second lockdown, they increased the number of online classes, offering over 15 classes a week. Having fully reopened, they have continued to offer access to live classes which can be accessed via zoom to members who have really realised the potential of online classes, whether due to child care issues, working from home, not wanting to travel on the colder dark evenings... so many reasons. This has also helped secure the clubs financial future with the limits placed on class numbers due to social distancing.
Covid has taught us many things... it is important to look after your physical, mental and social health, be flexible in what you offer and how it is accessed, be grateful for the wonderful (award winning) community around us!