CrossFit Valentis on Three Gates Road in Cowes opened in August with the help of a £12,250 loan from the Isle Of Wight Lottery. Head Coach Tom Colwill graduated in Sports Therapy in 2011 and has represented the Isle Of Wight at county level in football and athletics. Stella Stimson Browne and Joe Wade complete the team, offering exercise in a gym setting.
“We’re the Island’s first CrossFit gym,” Tom explains. “I’ve always tried to find myself a career where I can help people. I’ve dabbled in learning support, teaching PE at a Primary School and I wanted to take the next step and take charge of my career, opening up a facility to help people to get fitter. Stella and I take the decisions and I look after the programming side of the gym. Joe uses the facility for sports massage and we’re already seeing the benefits.”
Matched funding from the Isle Of Wight Lottery meant that the team could invest in their 4,100 square foot training facility with male and female toilets, shower and changing facilities, lounge area, kitchen and therapy room.
“A personal loan wasn’t an option for me,” says Tom. “I heard about the Isle Of Wight Lottery loans so I walked up to the desk and got the application form. The panel liked our business plan and asked us questions about cash flow and where we wanted to go with the business. They called me back the next day to tell me that they would provide the funding and that changed everything. It was a great moment. We couldn’t have done it without the support of the Isle Of Wight Lottery.”
Stella added: “We want to stand out from other gyms and we’re currently offering a free one-week trial. We want to offer a more personalized style of coaching with smaller class sizes, giving people guidance and assistance. We’re looking at offering corporate memberships too.”
