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North Central Florida YMCA Members Get Pumped for New Equipment

Members of the North Central Florida YMCA are psyched about their new gym equipment.

“I will definitely be using the treadmills; they’re much nicer than the ones that were here,” said Lynn Meyer, a North Central Florida YMCA member. “It’s really exciting.”

The new equipment makes a tremendous amount of difference in working out, said John Bonacci, Chief Executive Officer of the North Central Florida YMCA.  More than $50,000 was spent on 20 new pieces of machinery, including treadmills and ellipticals and miscellaneous items such as kettlebells, ropes and bands for the SilverSneakers program.

“This has come from cost savings, so all of the expenses that we have trimmed over the past few months has allowed to be reinvested in these investments,” Bonacci said.

Most of these savings came from cutting back hours during the YMCA's slow season over the months of November and December. Bonacci says they were able to afford the upgrades after eliminating four positions and reducing staff hours during those two months.

The YMCA is a non-profit organization that has been using outdated workout equipment for the last 10 years. Despite the expensive cost, the equipment upgrade was a necessary step and a significant part of many changes for the North Central Florida YMCA.

"These were equipment that absolutely had to go," Bonacci said, describing them as "archaic" and not in good condition.

Bonacci says the equipment orders were placed with five different vendors including some local ones.

The purchase of the equipment has not affected any of the YMCA's summer camp programs or any other events as a result, Bonacci said.

For Meyer, the new equipment means all the pros of a luxury gym in the comfort of a casual environment. However, she said it’s less about the equipment and more about the atmosphere.

“It’s a nice atmosphere,” Meyer said. “I’m not in any big rush, and I always have access to the equipment.”

Bonacci said the new equipment has been met with genuine surprise and has received a positive response since installation.

"The minute it was installed, people were on it," he said.

Stephanie is a reporter for WUFT News who may be contacted by calling 352-392-6397 or emailing news @wuft.org