Community
13 March, 2025
Barry calls time
TERANG Fitness assistant manager Barry Wurlod is set to call time on his career after 14 years helping Terang’s thriving gym develop a beloved culture of support and acceptance.
Mr Wurlod has been part of the Terang Fitness team since the facility first opened in 2011, and from 2013 has served as assistant manager.
He will finish up on Thursday March 20 to pursue new challenges, but leaves with confidence Terang Fitness is well-positioned for the future.
“I’ve been here since the gym opened after starting out doing bike groups,” Mr Wurlod said.
“I got a position as assistant to Richard (Wearmouth, former manager) and was also a personal training coach, which I’ve done for many years.
“I’d spoken to Kelly (Mullen, manager) some time ago about stepping down as I had a lot of other stuff that needed my attention, and I thought it was a good time to let someone else have a go.
“Kelly and I have been waiting for someone else to come along who we felt would bring value to the gym – that has now come about, so I thought it was probably time to pull up stumps and call it a day.
“I’m not a young person – I still enjoy physical activity, but I often think people who are the face of a business like this need to be younger than what I am.”
Mr Wurlod spoke to Western District Newspapers on Tuesday evening after leading a 45-minute spin cycle class, which he acknowledged was still something he loved doing after all these years.
“Even today, the people in the group have the choice of going hard or not going hard, but were all went hard despite the heat and we all enjoy it.
“I still look at the clock at 2pm in the afternoon and think that I’ve got to stop what I’m doing and head in to the gym.”
Mr Wurlod said much had changed during his years with the gym, which has grown from strength to strength, but felt he was most proud of the one thing which has never really changed.
“It started out as such an innovative concept and I’ve seen so many changes here, from members and staff coming and going, but I remember back in the early days one of the female members had said to me what a great gym it is because not everywhere is as supportive,” he said.
“You often go to gyms and get aggressive people, especially around the free weights.
“She said she could go up to the free weights and have no concern someone will try to push her out of the way – there’s only support from everyone.
“That’s the culture of this gym which has developed over time, which has been really good.”
While Mr Wurlod will step back from his passion of fitness training, he’s got no plans of quietly lingering in to retirement.
He and his wife, Bernadette, remain busy as the founders and owners of Keayang Maar Vineyard and are excited to pursue new challenges.
“My wife and I run a vineyard and a cellar door which will keep us going, and we’ve got grandchildren growing up who we want to support,” he said.
“Bernadette and I have other things we want to get in to which support the community, so we might call it retiring but we’re not retiring as such.
“We’re just changing.”
Mr Wurlod thanked everyone in the Terang Fitness community for their support over the years.
“Thanks to everyone and a big thanks to the management – Kelly especially, as the most recent manager – what a great job she’s doing here,” he said.
“Also, a thanks to Richard who started all this up and was the first person running the facility, and the committee.
“I appreciate the fact this is a community endeavour – Terang Fitness is not a business for someone making a living, which I’ve got nothing against, but it’s been set up so what is made is put back in to the community, so it’s here for the community.
“I certainly enjoyed working here and a big thanks to everyone who has been a member and those who came to the groups I ran.”
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