SIX former coaches from the closed California Fitness club and two of its ex-customers have together opened a fitness gym so as to continue their pursuit of fitness training as a career or hobby, reported the Shin Min Daily News.

More than a hundred aggrieved ex-customers, who are still hoping to recover their advance payment to the company since its sudden closure in July, turned up yesterday at the Midland House in Bugis to show support to the new 24-hour gym.

One of the gym’s partners is Faris Mohamed, who was an elite coach at California Fitness – a position he worked for 10 years to reach – when he was told in July he had lost his job.

“When the news came, a sense of loss and helplessness immediately came over me,” he told the Chinese evening daily.

“I went through a low period. But because I kept my zeal for fitness training, I had a talk with my peers and decided to spend my savings from over 10 years to purchase the equipment and rent this venue,” the 37-year-old recounted.

He said his team understands customers now have misgivings about long-term membership and course packages after their experience with California Fitness.

“So we changed the operation model. Our coaches would work out separately with clients how they would pay, according to short-term plans,” said Mr Faris.

Many at the opening yesterday told Shin Min they distrusted long-term fitness contracts, having suffered losses with California Fitness.

“I’m very scared of being told to come up with a one-off amount, which is actually paying for a future consumption,” said Wang Chunwei who is in the sales line.

“I will never do that again,” vowed the 37-year-old.

An executive said he had come to give support to Mr Faris and his team as he had trained under them in California Fitness.

“Besides, this location is convenient so I can stop going to a less accessible one,” said Zheng Guoyao, 50.

Mr Faris also has unfinished business with California Fitness, which he said still owes him and other coaches at least one month’s salary.

JV Fitness, a Hong Kong-based company that owns and operates the California Fitness chain here, was reported in July to have chalked up losses of more than $25.6 million as at June 30.

Claims by the chain’s 27,000 members, who paid in advance for their gym memberships, amounted to $20.8 million.

California Fitness closed all its four outlets here in July, following an order by a liquidator, a week after 12 of its gyms in Hong Kong were shut down.

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A SINGAPOREAN fell to his death while training for a competitive climb on Mount Kinabalu, Malaysian police said yesterday.

Rescue workers believe that Woon Tai Kiang fell 150m into a ravine after slipping off the trail.

He is believed to have died of serious head injuries, according to the police.

“He was found dead. It appears to be an accident and there is no suspicion of foul play for now. But we are waiting for the post-mortem to confirm this.

“He was found with severe head injuries,” district police chief Mohd Farhan Lee Abdullah told The Straits Times.

He added that the police had not been able to locate the passport of Mr Woon, who they said looked to be in his mid-30s.

Mr Woon had been training on Saturday for the 29th Mount Kinabalu International Climbathon but failed to report back to Sabah Parks authorities at midnight.

The annual event is set to take place on Oct 16 after it was put on hold following the earthquake on June 5 last year.

According to Bernama news agency, park officers and a mountain search and rescue (Mosar) team proceeded to make checks at Laban Rata, the guesthouse closest to the summit, and other lodgings around Mount Kinabalu.

But they called off the search because of bad weather and low visibility due to fog.

The Fire and Rescue Department joined park rangers after 6am yesterday to resume the search and found the climber at about 7.30am.

Mr Woon’s body was found in a ravine near Sayat-Sayat point, about 3,700m above sea level. The checkpoint is the last stop before reaching the 4,096m summit at Low’s Peak.

It took rescuers about six hours to bring the body down the mountain. They turned over the body to the police before it was sent to a hospital for a post-mortem.

Mr Farhan said Mr Woon’s family has been contacted and family members are on their way to Sabah.

The trail to Low’s Peak was reopened in December after the June earthquake which killed 18 people.

The quake also claimed the lives of seven pupils and two teachers from Tanjong Katong Primary School as well as a Singaporean guide.

Sabah Parks closed the mountain after the tragedy and later opened the trail to Panalaban at an altitude of 3,314m in September.

shannont@sph.com.sg

Mount Kinabalu after the quake

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ChieRong Chai

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