TEMPLE, Texas — Getting fit during a pandemic is tough, but opening a brand new fitness facility is even tougher. Ike Shaw, owner of T3 and The Gym knows the struggle all too well.
His new multi-million dollar gym opened on August 1 after months of delays.
"It was very tough but I think just the fact of the uncertainty was the biggest thing,” Shaw said.
He who also owns T3 next door and bought Gym X last year and transformed it. Shaw invested $2.1 million on renovations and brand new equipment, all in his signature red and black.
"It took us about 14 months to get everything perfect. I will say, we're still doing some fine-tuning on things that make me happy. We still got a few little things that are on backorder, but um honestly just people are loving it," Shaw said.
Inside The Gym, there's a smoothie bar, lounge area, 50 pieces of cardio equipment, a jungle gym, free weights, squat racks, cable machines, dumbbells and turf to run on.
There's also a separate athletic performance training area for young athletes ages 6 to 22. But what you'll notice above all else ... it's clean. Really, clean.
"It's crazy how much we were having to do now. But we're willing to do it because we want to make sure that everybody is safe and we want to make sure that everybody's like this gym is one of the cleanest gyms," Shaw said.
Shaw admitted he’s always been a stickler for keeping things tidy but with COVID it's even more important.
"We have more hand sanitizing stations than I've ever seen in any gym. We're financially invested in putting more sanitizing stations, but also spray bottles so we can make sure we have the stuff that actually kills coronavirus around everywhere," Shaw said.
After months of uncertainty, Shaw is excited to finally be open.
"Everybody right now is looking for something to lift them up, and I believe that what we have created here is something that's going to help.," Shaw said.
Shaw said at T3, it's more than building strong bodies, it's building a strong community that supports each other through global pandemics, and beyond.
"I think that "we are T3" means community. It's not about just looking good. We all want to look good, but we also want to save our life in a whole different way," Shaw said. .”
The Gym also has spacious showers and two saunas, which aren’t completely open yet due to COVID concerns. Shaw said masks are recommended anywhere social distancing isn’t possible, but he understands if you need to take it off while at your station to catch your breath.
If you’d like to schedule a visit and see it for yourself, contact The Gym at (254) 742-2020 or reach out on social media.
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