Gym of the Year 2018 winner announced

The sports and fitness centre, based on Chichester Road, West Wittering, was named number one by readers, who cast their votes based on which gym they felt was the best at offering friendly, professional staff, quality equipment, various classes, flexible hours, and affordable prices. The family owned gym was also named Gym of the Year for 2017.

Since 2005, Harbour Way Country Club has been owned by husband and wife team Mandy and Trevor Keet, who run the club with the help of their son Tom, and a team of staff managed by Paul Wells.

“We are proud to have won the Observer series Gym of the year for the second year running and would like to thank all of our wonderful members for voting,” Mandy, the managing director, said. “We are situated in the Chichester Harbour Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and offer our members a broad range of facilities to be enjoyed by all of the family.”

Harbour Way Country Club’s cardio gym, which overlooks the indoor pool, is light and airy. It has many treadmills, crosstrainers, bikes, advanced motion trainers and rowers.

“We are also proud to offer our members the most up-to-date, state-of-the-art Precor gym equipment in our recently updated and refurbished gym areas,” explained Mandy.

The Precor machines have the latest PREVA software installed, which enables users to easily log in to their own Cloud-based account via the PREVA app on each individual machine, using their Harbour Way wristbands. This can bring to the latest touchscreens the user’s workout history, goals and achievements, together with award achievement badges.

Mandy said: “Our members have found this facility to be not only fun and entertaining but also a fantastic inspirational tool which they can manage from their tablets or smartphones. “The screens can also be used for watching live TV, listening to the latest music and watching music videos while working out, as well as watching YouTube or catching up on their Facebook pages or just reading news reports.”

The strength gym offers a range of free weights and kettle bells plus TRX equipment, a Smiths Machine, EasyGlide functional trainers and many other strength machines. Both gym areas have dedicated Sonos streamed music and have the latest high density comfort rubber flooring.

Mandy added: “We have two in-house personal trainers, Michelle Kyte and Hannah Satchelli, who offer one-to-one or group personal training sessions and bespoke programmes to help members achieve their own fitness goals.

“Our superb facilities also include up to 50 classes per week, included in membership, either in our purpose-built, air-conditioned studio, our indoor pool or in our state-of-the-art virtual indoor cycling studio, which offers either instructor-led classes or Virtual Scenic Myride classes with our huge cinema screen and amazing sound system.”

January also saw the introduction of a new online class and court booking system.

“Four LTA standard tennis courts together with a mini children’s court finished in the Wimbledon colours, purple and green. There are club nights, children’s tennis group lessons and one-to-one lessons with the team of tennis coaches led by senior club head coach Dena Nelson-Smith,” continued Mandy. “There are superb indoor and outdoor heated pools, with swimming lessons for children, groups or one-to-one by swimming coach Maggie Snell. The club also has a Finnish sauna, squash court, table tennis, Pool table, recently refurbished sports bar and lounge area with a children’s room, a lovely patio area overlooking the tennis courts and the outdoor pool.”

Laburnum Gym, located in the Laburnum Centre on Lyon Street, Bognor Regis, placed second, and Chichester Racquets and Fitness Club, at Oaklands Park, Chichester, came third.