Fitness Corner Port Elgin celebrated 20 years of making people sweat on November 19.

Hub Staff

The team at Fitness Corner Port Elgin celebrated the gym’s 20th birthday with cake, protein, healthy snacks, and merriment November 19 at the Elgin Street location.

“It went by in a blur, that’s for sure,” said Holly Vanderzwet before cutting a celebratory cake alongside her husband, Frank. The fitness instructor and owner of Fitness Corner and Fitness Corner South, which celebrated a decade in business in 2016, said that not much has changed in the past few years where the building is concerned besides upgrades and the addition of a studio; but said she has definitely noticed a change in fitness and what members want.

“When I think about it, it was 1997, it was about high impact aerobics, step was already in but spinning probably wasn't very popular, yoga and pilates were just starting to come in, so the trend has been maybe away from high impact stuff into more mind, body fitness,” said Vanderzswet, later adding that HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) is gaining popularity.

Many of the fitness studio’s 24 staff members attended the celebration including personal trainer Louise Parisotto, a fixture at Fitness Corner when it opened 20 years ago, and has recently returned to the gym as a trainer.

To celebrate the 20 years since opening its doors Fitness Corner has been giving away special prizes when some fitness junkies scan their membership cards at the front desk including a challenge with prizes to try all fitness classes; and door prizes were given away at the birthday celebration.

Vanderserzet said the future looks good for Fitness Corner as they plan on keeping up with fitness trends while keeping up with upgrades and renovations. Fitness Corner and Fitness Corner South have close to 1,000 members between the two facilities.

Fitness Corner owners Holly and Frank Vanderzwet cut a celebratory cake marking the Port Elgin business’s 20th birthday.

Fitness Corner owner Holly Vanderzwet celebrated with longtime members Andre Arvanitis, Jeanne Harris (age 94), and Victoria Arvanitis at Fitness Corner’s 20th birthday celebration November 19.

Fitness Corner’s Holly Vanderszwet (right) with personal trainer Louise Parisotto (left). Parisotto worked as a trainer when Fitness Corner first opened its doors and now is back and ready to work out, which was part of the gym’s 20th birthday celebration Novemer 19.