20 Years Of ANT - Part 4

2020 started like any other year - with goals and plans to keep improving my offering of a fitness service to Portland & surrounds.

Within months, the world was rocked by the Covid Pandemic, and the world as we knew it, ceased to exist. Over the next few years, we would be subject to lockdowns, covid entry screenings, vaccinations, limited numbers when meeting as groups, limited grocery items, restricted travel boundaries...the list could go on.

From a business point of view, the covid years were perhaps my most challenging, and there were times where I did question whether ANT Fitness could or would survive.

During those initial years, I made some tough decisions that would have a lasting impact on ANT Fitness and ultimately change the future direction of my business.

With gyms closed through government orders, casual visits, which I had offered for 14 years, suddenly stopped at ANT Fitness. In order to continue to survive, for the first time ever, I offered an online fitness service which included classes and Personal Training LIVE on Zoom. At the same time, my face to face Personal Training sessions increased to record levels as I was still allowed to train outdoors one on one.

When we were eventually allowed back into the studio, it came with a list of conditions, all fair mind you, considering the seriousness of the issue. There were now regulations for signing in, equipment spacing, class capacity limits (dependent on studio space), covid cleaning and reporting requirements, along with a lot more. So much time was now being taken up through covid cleaning and reporting. After every class and personal training session, we had to close for 15 minutes to clean and sanitise everything that had been used.

Due to the spacing requirements, I had to get rid of some of my equipment. This decision and the constant cleaning that was required to meet Covid Safety Plans, influenced my decision to not reintroduce casual visits. Instead, I kept a full diary of PT sessions and increased my class offerings.

At the end of 2021, following another lockdown, I made the next big decision - to move ANT Fitness to The Foundations - the old Portland Cement Works. This I believed covered me up for any future restrictions, as I had a larger indoor space to work with, as well as access to the large outdoor area the site offered, which was also private land, not public space.

At the start of 2022, The Old Boiler House became ANT Fitness's new home, and I was both pleased and surprised to see the business start to grow again. On top of my regular face to face offerings, I continued to offer online classes via LIVE on Zoom and Fitness on Demand (pre-recorded), as the online component had remained popular as it gave people who couldn't be at ANT Fitness in person, the opportunity to still take part in ANT Fitness classes. I'm pleased to say, that our Zoom classes are still offered today, and are more popular than ever. With participants logging in from all 3 eastern states of Australia.

During the early months of 2022, I was forced to close my doors for 6 weeks, as we attended a medical emergency for our eldest son in Sydney. The love, care, and financial support that came from not just Portland and surrounding communities, but across the country, was truly touching, and not something that can easily be put into words. We were, and still are, so very thankful for everyone's generosity and love and support during this period.

On return to work in mid 2022, the business continued to grow, and I reintroduced my kids fitness classes, Active Ants, as well as being contracted to offer a Youth Resilience Outdoor Fitness Program for Outdoors NSW & ACT.

In August 2024, ANT Fitness moved once again. This time from the Old Boiler House to The Annexe - a recently renovated historic building on The Foundations site.

The Annexe, aka The ANT Nest, offers a bright, large space with a beautiful outlook over the Old Cement Works site. It also once again offers ANT Fitness main street frontage, making it easier to find for all of our clients, both new and old.

And it is here, in The Annexe, I operate, living out my dream, 20 years on, having the opportunity every day, to make a difference to people's lives.

What started out as a tiny business in our small back room at home, with my former boss giving me a lifespan prediction of 12 months, has turned into something more than I could ever have hoped, and introduced me to a community of people that have become family - the ANT Fitness Family.

And I am both proud and honoured to be given the opportunity to be their trainer.

Thank you everyone for the part you have played in the first 20 years!

Let the fun continue...

Be Active,

Andrew