The Coastal Gym. A Local Success Story

by Craig Jarvis

It has been a while since I have cruised around the Industrial Area in St Francis Bay. A quick bounce around on the gravel roads soon reveals an area of St Francis Bay that has also undergone rapid and massive development. You can’t see most of it, as it all happens behind the more prominent buildings that front Tarragona.

There are boats everywhere – either being built, stored or repaired. Some units are housing interior designing companies, cleaning companies, surfboard factories, shops, water purification companies, and more.

In one of the new buildings stands Coastal Gym, a success story in the making. Currently based in a rectangular high-roof warehouse, the gym is on the move and expanding. In fact, the gym should now be housed in two such industrial buildings, with a mezzanine in the second and a small retail outlet and water station in the far corner.

The rise and rise of The Coastal Gym is a remarkable success story to come from Sea Vista. Enter Xolisilile Ngantweni.

Wildside TIMES: So, how did it all begin?

Xolisilile Ngantweni: I decided to start some gym training at home, so I began to do some gym work outside my house in Sea Vista. I didn’t have much equipment, but I started anyway. Two neighbours came over when I was training the next day and asked if I could join. So then there were three of us. Then, there were four of us, and we were training together.

So, growing all the time.

Yes, I took a photo of us, put it onto the St Francis Facebook Page, and asked for some help with some old equipment they might want to donate. They all started giving us some stuff, and then I found a shack in Sea Vista, a three-by-three, and we turned this into the gym with all the donated equipment.

That became the gym?

Yes, that was the new gym, and everyone came after work and trained in the gym. We grew to 16 people in one week.

After a while, Marcus Attinger came into the picture to see what Xolisisile was up to. He saw how the work was bettering the community and moved the gym into a small location in the Industrial Area next to Fresh. After that, they moved into a new location, and Marcus got us some new equipment. At that stage, the gym membership was up to 30 people.

The membership just kept growing. More than 50 people, girls and boys of all races, are training at this stage. We have 13 ladies who train here, and some kids train here. We have three 14-year-olds who train here. They don’t go drinking and do drugs; they come here to train, to lift weights, and they keep their minds strong, and then they go to sleep. No time for drink and drugs because they are working hard in the gym, and then they are tired.

Calibre also signed up their entire team of 20, with everyone getting a membership.

“We’re excited to have secured gym memberships for our security response guards at the Coastal gym in Sea Vista,” “said Paul Middleton from Calibre.

"We believe prioritising their physical and mental fitness is as crucial as their professional qualifications, ensuring they perform at their best in their roles. The response team truly love working out at Coastal gym, sometimes going up to five times a week for their workouts, and look forward to breaking a sweat and reaching fitness goals together with this amazing community.”

Our favourite barman, Mike Grootboom from The Full Stop, is also keen on the Coastal Gym.

“I like the mental therapy that it gives, and it keeps me strong, less fatigued, always alert. I actually really enjoy it.”

Mike hits the gym about 5 to 6 times a week.

“We are also doing a bit of running. Marcus, Xolisilile, and I have been getting a few km under the belt. We have been running about 10km weekly to add to the fitness.”

Does the gym work for you?

“The gym is close and convenient, and I like the times. I work different times here at Full Stop, and the Coastal Gym times suit someone like me who works after hours and stuff like that. I have always wanted to get involved with a gym, but we never had the right place.”

Good vibes always?

“It’s a nice vibe, the equipment is always clean, and Xolisilile is always very helpful. I’ve been gymming for quite a while, but he still shows me some stuff, like if I don’t have the correct form or something like that. Sometimes, we train together; he killed me the other day in a session.”

And it all comes in at R200 a month. “Everyone pays the R200, and it is strictly business. I was very surprised at the low cost, but it’s good because the money doesn’t become a problem and doesn’t restrict entry.”

“It’s a community project,`” said the man behind it all, Marcus Attinger. He and his wife Judith are the two who recognised the value of what Xolisilise was doing with the Gym On The Hill and decided to support it fully.

“We saw what he was doing and realised immediately the value of this to the community. The fact that so many people came to the gym and started coming from the beginning shows that it was a much- needed space in the community. We’re just happy it works out so well for everyone.”

Marcus and Judith have a charity organisation grounded in Holland (https:// www.funnyfarmouddorp.nl). With the money generated from the charity, they support several programs, including Matt Davis and the St Francis Soccer Academy, as well as Xololilise and the Coastal Gym.

“The gym funding comes directly from the charity, and we think it is a worthy way of giving back to the community and empowering it.”

With the expansion of the gym to even bigger premises and a mezzanine level for spinning bikes and other cardio machines, it will be a busy season at the Coastal Gym.

More about the Coastal Gym

• www.coastalgym.co.za

• 1st Ave, Bayview 43 Industrial Area, St Francis Bay

• Xolisilile Ngantweni t. 0634809309 e. info@coastalgym.co.za

We’re excited to share that our security response guards now have exclusive gym memberships at the Coastal gym in Sea Vista! For us, it’s not just about their professional qualifications; we understand the importance of their physical and mental well-being.