Matt George has owned Summit Fitness in Goonellabah for the last 20 years. On Saturday 1 October, Matt shook hands with Michael Kuhnemann, keys were exchanged and from today Summit will change its name to F-Fitness.

(Michael Kuhnemann, his fiance and manager Katie with Matt George)

"It's been 20 years to the week," Matt told the Lismore App, "We opened the second of October 2002 and it's been quite the journey."

What have been the highs and lows for you in that 20 years?

"The highs have been making lifelong friends and sharing the journey together and creating something that is uniquely ours, that was not a franchise, was uniquely Lismore and creating a whole family vibe. That's what it's all about. So, just really, really pumped about what we've achieved in small business, in the fitness industry, which is a challenging industry and we've been able to do things in our own way. I'm incredibly proud of creating a wonderful place for women to train and for kids to learn to swim. It's just been a great experience."

"As far as lows are concerned, I would say that the last three years have been quite a challenge with COVID and lockdowns has been tough, and certainly the way that the flood has impacted on Lismore has been a challenge as well."

Regulars will still see Matt at the premises occasionally as he will be keeping his swimming business so renting the pool from Michael and rebranding it to "Summit Swim and Aquatic".

"We will still look after all things swimming lessons, lap swimming and aqua aerobics. That will stay with us," Matt added.

Goonellabah's loss is the Lismore CBD's gain as Matt has recently signed a lease for the building above the old Timezone building on the corner of Keen and Magellan Streets (the old pilates studio) for his new business which is also in the fitness industry, called XBody.

"XBody is an EMS (electrical muscle stimulation) business. We're going to focus on a B2B distribution of the equipment around Australia and New Zealand but we will also have a studio offering for clients to come in and do EMS sessions," Matt said.

Matt explained what EMS sessions are.

"It is essentially 20 minutes in a specially designed suit which is the equivalent of doing more than a couple of hours of resistance work in the gym so it gives you massive muscle activation without putting any pressure on any joints."

"We can control 12 different channels throughout the suit and activate different muscle groups throughout the body. We can choose what type of muscle fibres we're activating, how deep we're working into the muscles and it achieves huge results fast."

You will see Matt's smiling face in the CBD later this month. Matt is well aware of the perils the CBD faces due to flooding so his evacuation plan is two hours.

"I have confidence in Lismore. I've got confidence in the CBD and I'm excited to bring a new business and energy into the CBD as well."

"I just am so grateful to the Lismore community and for all the people that have been involved with Summit over the years. It's just been fantastic to work with and enjoy time with so many wonderful people."

Exit Matt and enter Michael Kuhnemann.

Michael is from Brisbane but will be known to quite a few people in the fitness industry as he also owns F-Fitness in East Lismore.

"I was a Phys Ed teacher by trade, and then opened up fitness centres throughout Queensland. Lismore's my first northern New South Wales venture. I've had gyms in Cairns, Ipswich, Logan and the Gold Coast."

Michael was in partnership with gyms in Queensland which he sold out of to focus on building Lismore into the fitness model he has envisioned.

The good news for members is that you will be a member of both gyms so you can train either at East Lismore or Goonellabah under the same F-Fitness banner. So, even if F-Fitness East Lismore went underwater again (as it did for the first time on February 28) there will be a continuation of membership.

"People won't be paying anymore for that," Michael said, " You join one and you get both, they're all interlinked."

The building in Goonellabah is a huge space and Michael intends to utilise the non-used space including the remaining squash courts and second-story space as part of a massive rebuild to turn F-Fitness into the leading gym in Lismore.

"Goonellabah is going to offer child minding, more group fitness classes, a bigger gym and more classes while East Lismore is basically a gym and a bit of functional training classes."

"We will still maintain a large female-only area within the gym but most of it will be a unisex environment. The female only area will be ten times larger than what is currently there," Michael added.

"There will be an infrared sauna and massage chairs in relaxation zones."

"Basically, everything you can think of in a modern fitness centre will be at this club."

Michael used AB Construction for his post-flood rebuild and they will be the company he uses for the renovation job in Goonellabah.

"We'll be opening up a lot of areas and redoing rooves, painting, airconditioning and giving it a revamp."

The renovations will be completed in stages so from now on, it is business as usual with the same classes running.

"We'll gradually retweet things as we go along."

When the renovations are complete Michael wants to cater for everyone from 12 to 85 that have varying fitness levels.

"If you can keep moving, we can cater for you," Michael concluded.