A track record with champions

Those dumbbells, balls, bands and benches at your local 24 Hour Fitness are just like the ones that Team USA uses. In fact, they’re the same, because 24 Hour Fitness has proudly equipped all three U.S. Olympic Training Centers along with Olympic Training Facilities across the country. We have also provided technical insight and consultation to the United States Olympic Committee to help design and outfit its High Performance Training Centers in London and Beijing, and will sponsor the HPTC for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The equipment and layout of these training facilities give medal contenders something more than a physical challenge. Wesley Barnett, Director, International Games, USOC, has said that there’s a psychological lift that comes with walking through the door of a training center, whether at home or abroad, as they recognize, This is here for me.

In July 2014, the USOC opened the Ted Stevens Sports Services Center at its U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. There, athletes competing in all sports find the strength and conditioning resources they need in order to cross-train. That’s in addition to the support they get from their sport-specific training facilities.

There’s a wow factor inside the doors of this state-of-the-art facility that comes from a light and spacious design with views of Colorado’s famed Pikes Peak, and features like a running track, incline ramp, indoor and outdoor running turf, weight sleds and battle ropes, and separate strength and cardio training areas.

PSYCHOLOGICAL ADVANTAGE

The athletes also experience the placement of equipment within a purposeful and optimal layout, one that happens to be based on 24 Hour Fitness’ years of experience designing health clubs for a great workout experience, for safety and for aesthetics. In total, the Olympic Training Centers support more than 15,000 athlete visits every year, and more than 100,000 contenders have passed through and used the equipment provided by 24 Hour Fitness in their quest to compete at the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The same know-how also goes into the training centers that get constructed at the site of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The USOC has been building on-site high performance training centers since 2000, and 24 Hour Fitness also has equipped these USOC high performance training centers since 2004. It’s a great resource for the athletes, Barnett explains, because they can train on the type of equipment they’re familiar with and do it in a setting that’s exclusive for Team USA.

In addition to providing Team USA with support for its training centers, 24 Hour Fitness also provides complimentary memberships and personal training for qualified hopefuls as they prepare to compete at the Olympic and Paralympic Games. 24 Hour Fitness is also partnering with five athletes who will represent the company as Team 24 Hour Fitness at the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Watch for more on these individuals in future issues of 24Life!