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The Canberra Times
The Canberra Times
Lucy Arundell

'End of an era' as one of Canberra's most prominent gyms shuts doors

Braddon F45 has abruptly closed its doors as concerns continue over the franchise's future.

The gym closed down in the last weeks of May, with regulars mourning the loss of the venue on social media.

One of the gym's trainers shared a video of the empty studio on Instagram, posting a broken heart emoji.

Braddon's F45 gym has closed down. Picture by Sitthixay Ditthavong

F45 attendees commented they were "so sorry to hear the news", which marked the the "end of an era."

The owner of the Braddon F45 didn't respond to requests for comment.

Rough ride for fitness franchise

The F45 franchise, which was began in Australia, has faced significant headwinds.

It was delisted from the New York Stock Exchange late last year, and has been served a legal suit from David Beckham for allegedly failing to pay him in a timely manner.

Several Australian franchisees have gone into liquidation in the last year.

However other F45 gyms in the ACT have told The Canberra Times their numbers are going from "strength to strength".

Owner of Dickson's F45 gym Niva Pryor said their community "couldn't be stronger".

She said she believes their trainers and their commitment to their regulars keeps people coming back.

"I think because we're so invested as a team, I think that really builds very strong camaraderie and a real sense of community, which we have in spades," she said.

"For us it's not just about a gym membership that somebody purchases and it's a set and forget, if we don't see our members for a week we actively get in touch.

The empty studio of Braddon's F45. Picture by Sitthixay Ditthavong

Mrs Pryor said their members are a valued part of the studio; she's a keen F45 goer herself.

"I'm a local, I'm in the studio, I love F45 myself. I would train six times a week," she said.

"I very much believe in the brand, I live and breathe it. We're just going from strength to strength."

Canberra F45 owners report strong numbers

Theo Drakakis, owner of the F45 in Phillip, said he believes the closure of Braddon's gym was a one off.

His facility is on the up, he said.

"There's a lot of things in the pipeline, a lot of things we're looking forward to," he said.

Mrs Pryor said while it was tough to run a small business, they still felt supported by the franchise.

She said the brand was strong and they had just signed a deal with Hyrox, which is a global fitness racing program.

"Obviously we all read things in the media and unfortunately small businesses, not just gyms, do close down all the time," she said.

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