Training Mecca

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32566, 27 March 1971, Page 14

Training Mecca

CINCE the central city headquarters of the Y.M.C.A. in Hereford Street was opened three years ago it has become acknowledged as the biggest sports centre in the South Island and one of the biggest in New Zealand. Mr A. Holt, the physical director of the Y.M.C.A., estimates that more than 3000 persons are using the sports facilities every week. “And the number is steadily growing,” he said. “Now that the new squash courts are in use, it is commonplace for 200 or more squash players to use the courts in one day.” One of the fastest growing utilisations at the headquarters is by athletes training in the lunch hour. Canterbury representative athletes such as J. Sheddan, N. Reid, V. Sykes, P. Watson and A Gilmour can be seen most days of the week doing their mid-day training sessions from the Y.M.C.A. "he variety of prowess among the runners is valuable for newcomers to the sport, who can find usually someone of their own stage of fitness to train with.

“At least 20 athletes who have run the marathon distance are training at the Y.M.C.A.,” Mr Holt said. “For example too in one day the ‘Y 1 has sessions for training in the fitness studio (weight training), get fit classes, sauna baths and massage, table tennis, judo classes, Chinese boxing, rifle and pistol shooting, and distance running

training. “Volley ball, Chinese boxing, and Japanese language classes are all new activities and it is noticeable how these are attracting enthusiasts,” said Mr Holt. The photograph shows the junior cross country champion, Watson (left) leaving the Y.M.C.A on a training run with the national cross-country representative, J. Sheddan (right). In the centre is L. Sulloway, an American tennis player who trained for some weeks from the Y.M.C.A In Sulloway’s opinion the facilities there and the opportunities for training in the Hagley park area were the best he had seen in any part of the world.