Plenty of fanfare at official opening of new gym

Noah's Ark conservationists were at the grand opening and will also be taken through their paces with a personal trainer.

June 9, 2021

Jemma Pringle 2 minutes read

Co-founder and managing director of planet fitness Mannee de Wet and SASCOC president, Barry Hendricks, cut the ribbon to the new branch at Northmead Square. They were joined by some South African Olympiads such as Kgotso Mokena (far left), Olympic silver medalist. Photo: Jemma Pringle.

On May 29, Planet Fitness officially opened its new branch at Northmead Square.

The ribbon-cutting kicked off with members rushing in for classes and starting their exercise schedules on the new equipment.

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Noah’s Ark Africa founders Riaan and Hein were guests at the official opening and the City Times had the chance to chat to them about being the new ambassadors of Planet Fitness and about their conservation project.

“We have the biggest task in the world on our hands. It’s going to take between five and £10-billion (around R200-b) to build the Ark Conservation Project,” says co-founder, Richard Prinsloo Curson.

He explained that this mammoth task aims to preserve every species on the planet because the animal kingdom is at a crisis point.

Gillian Elson, head of marketing for Planet Fitness and Mannee de Wet, co founder and managing mirector of Planet Fitness, at the newly opened branch at Northmead Square. Photo: Jemma Pringle.

Noah's Ark Africa founders Richard and Hein Prinsloo, as the new ambassadors of the gym, were interviewed on the day by Jemma Pringle of the City Times. Photo: Supplied.

Mannee de Wet, co-founder and managing director of Planet Fitness and Richard Curson Prinsloo, co-founder of Noah's Ark Africa and Planet Fitness ambassador in an interview during the launch of the new Planet Fitness branch that opened at Northmead Square. Photo: Jemma Pringle.

Noah's Ark Africa founders Riaan and Hein enjoyed speaking about Hein's new book called 'You are Noah!' with City Times journalist Jemma Pringle. Photo: Supplied.

Co-founder and managing director of Planet Fitness, Mannee de Wet (left), and SASCOC president, Barry Hendricks, shared in the day's excitement. Photo: Jemma Pringle.

It was a day of great excitement. Photo: Jemma Pringle.

“Climate change, overdevelopment, farming, ocean plastic, big game hunting and poaching are driving thousands of species off the face of the earth. “If humanity continues this destructive trend, the natural world will be gone in 20 years and the human race will be left fighting the horrific consequences of climate change to survive.

“It’s time to take action, and that’s exactly what we are doing.”

However, the conservation duo realised how tired and unfit they were, having worked day and night around the clock for months on end.

“It was hampering our efforts to make this project a success,” said Richard.

The conservationists will be taken through their paces at Planet Fitness with a personal trainer, who will bring their three-month fitness transformation challenge to become “superheroes” to life.

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By going to Planet Fitness three times a week, the pair have already reported feeling far more energetic since starting their programme in January.

“If anything, this pandemic has highlighted how vital it is to build up our natural immunity to be able to take on the world as we now know it, to take on these challenges you need to be fit and healthy. This in turn builds a strong immune system,” said Gillian Elson of Planet Fitness.

“Hein and Richard are honorary Planet Fitness ambassadors and are an example of the strength of the human spirit to take on one of the world’s most serious challenges, the preservation of the planet, of which we are all a part.”