PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — As we go through the Coronavirus pandemic, Fox 4 wants to remind you: we're in this with you. To prove our commitment to you and our community, Fox 4 is showing you businesses up and running for you, and making a difference.
The owner of Elite Training & Fitness said during this crisis, she's trying to do right by her employees and clients, while keeping everyone active.
Fox 4's Lisa Greenberg spoke to the owner of the gym, Carrie Andrade, from her empty gym. She said in her 12 years of business, she would have never expected this.
"Absolutely never. Ever. So, as far s being prepared? No," she said.
Andrade, like so many other business owners, was forced to close her gym for now because of COVID-19.
"There was a lot of crying," she said. "Then my mentality is 'What can I do? How can I fix this and pick myself up again?"
She said she wanted to keep her members active while stuck at home, so she suspended memberships, transitioned to free classes online.
"In order to build our online community, we've offered free classes. So we've been doing three {Facebook} lives a day," Andrade said.
The classes are streaming live in the Elite Fitness Challenge Group on Facebook. Andrade said starting in April, she'll continue to stream some classes on there, but for a fee, she'll offer one-on-one personal training through video chat, and she'll start using the Zoom platform for workouts, so clients can interact.
"It's one step closer to being in the same room," she said. "Thank goodness for technology!"
She said she knows many are facing hard times right now, but she's charging that fee to help take care of her employees so they don't have to face uncertainty.
"I have no idea how long this will go on for, but I want to continue to pay my trainers," she said.
Andrade invites you to be part of their community to stay healthy and positive during this tough time.
"Join us and just stay active and keep moving through all of this, because this is a super stressful time for everybody, and exercise is an outlet," she said.
To contact Carrie Andrade at Elite Training & Fitness, click here.
