Babylon Gym Owner Prepares For Reopening

BABYLON, NY — After Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Monday that gyms can reopen starting next week, local fitness centers across Long Island are preparing for the big day. While Babylon Crossfit on 158 East Main Street has already managed to take its classes outdoors and has even signed up 20 new members since June, owner Trish Evangelista says she is still excited to be able to reopen her business on June 26.

According to Evangelista, the gym will continue to run all classes outdoors, weather permitting. Currently, Babylon Crossfit is operating with a full schedule of morning and afternoon classes with up to 12 people per class.

"Having run classes in this manner for almost two months now, the system we have in place is working efficiently while minimizing risks for our members," she told Patch. "When we return indoors we will have 6 foot boxes laid out on the floor to maintain safe social distancing during workouts. Unlike conventional gyms, we do not have air conditioning and our two garage doors will remain open to enable better ventilation. We also are vigilant about wiping equipment after each use."

Evangelista purchased the gym with her husband last October. After owning the gym for only five months, the couple was mandated to close due to the coronavirus. Now, in addition to preparing for reopening, the two are preparing for their first child, who is expected to arrive any day now.

"It’s been a struggle, but we are grateful for our community and members as we wouldn’t have made it through this pandemic without them," Evangelista said. "We hope that if you don’t choose our gym you choose another local boutique studio/gym to support. We are a very tight knit community and communicate openly about what's working and what's not."

Since Babylon Crossfit has been operating with outdoor classes for almost two months, the business has not reported any cases of coronavirus in the gym, according to Evangelista. The couple has managed to continue to grow the gym with new members who are comfortable with the precautions they have taken.

"It has been a long few months for all of us. During lockdown, while our members worked out at home, we all collectively realized the importance the community plays in our workout experience and gained a much bigger appreciation for that aspect of our gym," she said. "Being able to motivate each other in-person and the friendly competition that exists within each class is the accountability that makes the difference and keeps people coming back day after day."

The gym trains athletes from as young as 15 to almost 70 at all levels of experience. Evangelista said that they have even had members who have never done Crossfit before.

All photos courtesy of Trish Evangelista