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New Shaw fitness center addition opens doors

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Alexandria Mosness
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  Team Shaw opened the new fitness and health center addition here Sept. 12.

The approximately 25,000 sq. ft. addition adds a new cardio room, weight room and a men's locker room and a women's locker room.

"The facility that we were in was constructed in 1968," said Charlie Glover, 20th Support Squadron fitness and sports director. "It has gone the course and been added to over the years. It is our goal to make sure our service members have the best equipment so they can continue to be 'Fit-to-Fight,' and this is exactly what we have done."

The fitness center team worked hard to accomplish the deadline of getting equipment installed and working in time for the grand opening, Glover said.

"I have 18 staff members, and I commend them," he added. "They went beyond the call of duty. They got the addition ready while still doing their regular job."

On a weekly basis, the fitness center sees around 1,500 people a day, and on the weekends we see approximately 400 people, so we do a lot of business, Glover said. Numbers are expected this to increase with the addition.

While the addition is almost five times the size of the existing facility, the building includes several environmentally-friendly features.

There are sensors that monitor light levels from day lighting which improves the energy efficiency, according to U.S. Navy Lt. Chris Almond, Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southeast Resident officer in charge of construction. The toilets and sinks have automatic sensors for water efficiency, and there are also solar shades on all windows to limit the amount of radiant heat from the sun.

The new addition features $750,000 in new equipment, including 70 pieces of cardio equipment and 26 TVs. Each of the treadmills, ellipticals, accent trainers, tread climbers, and step mills are equipped with I-pod and TV capabilities, as well as custom workout programs for users, said Glover.

It also has a free weight area with 31 pieces of plate load equipment and four sets of 5-50 lbs. dumbbells, two sets of 55-100 lbs. dumbbells, and one set of 110-150 lbs. dumbbells. The fitness center also added 25 new pieces of strength resistance equipment, as well as instructional classes for those who want to learn proper workout technique with the new equipment.

The construction of the new fitness center addition also brought in members from the local S.C. community. ENVIRO AgScience, Inc., a small business, was the general contractor for the project.

The fitness and health center hours are Monday-Thursday from 4:30 a.m. to midnight; Friday 4:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturday-Sunday, holidays and family days 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.