1 hr 32 min
Eric Morris - D2E Gym #043 Ballarat Talks
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- Business
Eric Morris
Though often confused for a Ballarat Local, Eric Morris’s journey to Ballarat was a long and fairly convoluted one. Eric, well-known owner of Ballarat’s own D2E gyms, was born in Cowra, in country NSW, and spent a lot of time growing up in various small towns around NSW with his mum and sister, and his grandparents in Cootamundra. At the age of 16 he made the move to Canberra and took on an apprenticeship as a glazier before an injury to his hamstring provided a setback and he was forced to find a new job that would allow his injury to heal. At the age of 18 he took a job as a signalman on the railway and remained for four years working as a contractor for John Holland, completing the railway sleeper replacement works that took place from Sydney to Melbourne. While working on the railway was an opportunity to make good money, the nature of the work was a hindrance for a young man in a new city. Having already completed his PT ticket, Eric left John Holland and took on a job as a personal trainer at Fitness First gym in St Kilda. Having to compete for work with many other trainers at the gym Eric realised he was going to struggle to get ahead, so, after a brief journey back to the railways to get some money behind him, his passion for health and fitness drove Eric to take a job with AWA Supplements in Albert Park. The success of the business allowed for the development of a new store in Ballarat and it was with AWA, that Eric first started working in Ballarat, commuting back and forth daily to Melbourne. During his time working at AWA Eric met his wife, Mel, and together they moved to Ballarat in 2012. For both Eric and Mel their background in fitness prompted them to take a chance and step out of their corporate work back into group fitness training. Initially training out of a friend’s gym their group sessions soon became so popular that they had to find a way to move into their own space. With an unfortunately less than perfect financial history in the background Eric and Mel had to find a creative solution to make their business work. Initially starting with group training sessions and a small amount of second hand equipment, Eric and Mel were able to open D2E gym in its current Delacombe location and have built it up to be one of the most popular 24 hour gyms in Ballarat with state of the art equipment and a solid member base. Since opening D2E, Eric, along with Mel, has poured so much time and energy into their business in an attempt to build an atmosphere where members feel safe and comfortable to train. In the midst of the pandemic, with multiple lockdowns occurring in the health and fitness industry, Eric and Mel took a huge leap and opened a second D2E space in Wendouree. Now, as we emerge from the height of the pandemic, Eric is enjoying the challenge of running both gyms and raising his young family with Mel.
Eric Morris
Though often confused for a Ballarat Local, Eric Morris’s journey to Ballarat was a long and fairly convoluted one. Eric, well-known owner of Ballarat’s own D2E gyms, was born in Cowra, in country NSW, and spent a lot of time growing up in various small towns around NSW with his mum and sister, and his grandparents in Cootamundra. At the age of 16 he made the move to Canberra and took on an apprenticeship as a glazier before an injury to his hamstring provided a setback and he was forced to find a new job that would allow his injury to heal. At the age of 18 he took a job as a signalman on the railway and remained for four years working as a contractor for John Holland, completing the railway sleeper replacement works that took place from Sydney to Melbourne. While working on the railway was an opportunity to make good money, the nature of the work was a hindrance for a young man in a new city. Having already completed his PT ticket, Eric left John Holland and took on a job as a personal trainer at Fitness First gym in St Kilda. Having to compete for work with many other trainers at the gym Eric realised he was going to struggle to get ahead, so, after a brief journey back to the railways to get some money behind him, his passion for health and fitness drove Eric to take a job with AWA Supplements in Albert Park. The success of the business allowed for the development of a new store in Ballarat and it was with AWA, that Eric first started working in Ballarat, commuting back and forth daily to Melbourne. During his time working at AWA Eric met his wife, Mel, and together they moved to Ballarat in 2012. For both Eric and Mel their background in fitness prompted them to take a chance and step out of their corporate work back into group fitness training. Initially training out of a friend’s gym their group sessions soon became so popular that they had to find a way to move into their own space. With an unfortunately less than perfect financial history in the background Eric and Mel had to find a creative solution to make their business work. Initially starting with group training sessions and a small amount of second hand equipment, Eric and Mel were able to open D2E gym in its current Delacombe location and have built it up to be one of the most popular 24 hour gyms in Ballarat with state of the art equipment and a solid member base. Since opening D2E, Eric, along with Mel, has poured so much time and energy into their business in an attempt to build an atmosphere where members feel safe and comfortable to train. In the midst of the pandemic, with multiple lockdowns occurring in the health and fitness industry, Eric and Mel took a huge leap and opened a second D2E space in Wendouree. Now, as we emerge from the height of the pandemic, Eric is enjoying the challenge of running both gyms and raising his young family with Mel.
1 hr 32 min