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Sun, 25 June 2023,
posted by City of Sydney
Eugene is a Waterloo local, and has lived in the area for 15 years. She has two children and currently works in a high profile role in finance.
Eugene: “Over the years I have been to many gyms where I mainly focused on classes and doing some weight training.
“I used to go to Sydney Uni as my kids, who at the time were in competitive swimming. I would usually just do a class and some weights.
“When the kids were older, I decided to join Gunyama Park as it was a lot more convenient to where I lived.
“I soon discovered what a wonderful place this was with such a huge variety of equipment, classes and services.
"I have found with so many different classes, one class now is never enough! I love doing back-to-back classes, sometimes even three in a row! I try and do around 10 classes a week.
"Though I do enjoy the classes, I would like to get back into the weights room and may consider using a personal trainer down the track."
The importance of mental well-being
"During COVID, like most people, I found it tough both physically and mentally, as I couldn’t get to the gym.
"To help overcome these challenges, my company hired a trainer to teach a HIIT (high intensity interval training) class online to staff once a week. This greatly improved my mental health and made me appreciate the importance of regular exercise.
"However I couldn’t wait to get back to the gym and into my usual routine."
What makes Gunyama Park your happy place?
“The main reason is the variety and number of classes you can do.
"The instructors really motivate me to keep pushing myself as much as I physically can.
“However I am quite the social butterfly, so the social aspect is also very important to me.
"I just love meeting other class participants and having a giggle every now and again. I have a good friend who comes here as well, and we are always encouraging each other to train together.
"Everyone here is so friendly and staff always say hello to you.
"In fact my daughter (Sarah) works part-time at the centre while she is doing her HSC."
Looking ahead
As Eugene has the big 6-0 coming up and is thinking about retiring soon after, her health is becoming a greater priority in her life.
“Even though I plan to stop working, I still want to be active. It is important I am still able to take long walks and be physically active when on holidays.
"A lot of my friends take medication and don’t do any exercise - I don’t want to be like that. In fact, next year I want to be at my healthiest – both physically and mentally.
“This is why I am going hard now as I want to live a long and healthy life. This is why Gunyama Park is my happy place"
Hear more 360 member stories in our 'Happy Place' series:
We've been chatting with 360 members from across all in Sydney to learn more about their training regime, their experiences and what motivates them.
Check out an article below!