The Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Michael Ring, officially opened the Gym and High Performance Training Centre at the AIT International Arena last Thursday, November 26.
The €12 million facility has received €925,000 from the Exchequer, including €188,000 in October under the Sports Capital Programme, which is being used to equip an elite athlete recovery suite.
Minister Ring said: “I am delighted to have been able to support this magnificent facility. It will be of tremendous benefit to the athletic community, the students at AIT, and all of the local and regional teams that regularly make use of the facilities here, both for training and for competitions. I congratulate all those involved in the development of this facility. I am sure it will be money well spent.”
AIT president Professor Ciarán Ó Catháin described the opening as “an exciting new chapter in the life of the International Arena. I’m proud to say that this gym and high performance training centre are amongst the finest sporting facilities in the country.” He said: “We have now in one central location, the equipment and expertise to meet the diverse needs of elite high performance sportsmen and women, as well as recreational athletes. In particular, the recovery suite will be a significant addition to our overall offering.
“Over the past several years, AIT has prioritised sport and active living on campus,” continued Prof Ó Cathain. “This extends from encouraging greater numbers of students to become involved in institute teams at competitive and recreational level. It’s also apparent in the success of the Healthy Campus initiative, our tobacco-free campus, as well as the excellent relationships enjoyed with the various national governing bodies for sport.
“In addition to this, the gym and high performance training centre directly support our degrees in sport management, sport science, athletic therapy, and health science. We are building expertise and competence in teaching and research in these disciplines. Students and faculty will have the opportunity to learn and work in this state-of-the-art setting, a fresh take on the ‘classroom of the future’,” the president stated.
The gym boasts more than 70 diverse workout stations, including cardio machines, a wide range of both plate-loaded and traditional strength equipment, an extensive weight area, as well as Watt Bikes, Keiser M3, Body Bike Connect, and Airdyne.
Further information is available at www.aitsport.ie
