First Look: New Gym at Turf City

If you’re looking to get your child started in gymnastics, there’s a brand new gym in Singapore with classes for the entire family. Here are three reasons to check it out.

#1 Classes for everyone

From tumbling tots to aspiring Olympians, or grownups just looking to get some exercise in, SWAGA Gym – set to open on 1 April – has just the programme for you. Here’s what to expect:

Baby gym

Gymnastics is a great way to promote motor skills development – and the baby gym classes at SWAGA are an opportunity for infants to discover the activity using colourful play equipment.

Recreational gymnastics

Children can train here on world-class equipment, learn body control and have fun practising gymnastics, all at once. Holiday camps will also be offered regularly for those who want to increase their skills and performance level.

Competitive gymnastics

SWAGA Gym offers competitive gymnastics for those who are ready to take their skills to the next level and compete in school, national and international competitions.

High-level gymnastics

The gym also offers a programme designed for athletes to train in a high-performance environment for international competitions, and pathways for selection into national teams in their country of origin. It’s the only gym in Singapore where athletes from any country can train at this level.

Parkour

This workout uses movements from military obstacle course training, and is great for building stamina and agility. The idea is to navigate from one point to another without using any assistive equipment – just the body – and in the fastest and most efficient way possible.

Fitness classes for adults

Led by qualified instructors, the adult fitness classes are centred on cardio and strength training.

#2 Olympic-level coaches

Located at Turf City, SWAGA Gym’s massive 12,700 square-foot space will be unlike any other gymnastics centre in Singapore. The entire facility is fitted out with highquality Gymnova equipment – from the baby gym area to the apparatuses for recreational, competitive and high-performance athletes.

Then there’s the coaching staff, comprising a number of internationally qualified Olympic level coaches with Singaporean coaching staff to help gymnasts reach their full potential.

Head coach Eric Boucharin trained a number of women’s artistic gymnasts to the Olympic games from 1992 to 2016. He’s a highly qualified FIG (International Federation of Gymnastics) coach and one of only seven coaches in the world with accreditation to educate other coaches, explains marketing manager Toni Lourens.

“Eric is the most qualified and experienced coach in a Singapore club, which is why SWAGA can offer a highperformance programme at a level that no other club here can.”

#3 Family-friendly vibe #3

Gymnastics can take up a lot of time for athletes, explains Toni. So, for parents to be able to form a community to support each other and the athletes in the club is key.

That’s why SWAGA was designed as a space centred around family, fun and friendship, where like-minded people can connect. Not only are parents, caretakers and siblings welcome, but they’re encouraged to socialise with other families.

So, while your young gymnast is training on equipment similar to that of Olympians at the 2016 Rio Games, you can grab a coffee at the clubhouse and chat with other parents while younger siblings keep themselves entertained at the onsite jungle gym.

“We’re looking forward to making expats and locals alike feel welcome, and we encourage them to participate in the community,” says Toni.