Whanganui Chronicle
  • Whanganui Chronicle home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Taranaki
  • National Park
  • Whakapapa
  • Ohakune
  • Raetihi
  • Taihape
  • Marton
  • Feilding
  • Palmerston North

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • New Plymouth
  • Whanganui
  • Palmertson North
  • Levin

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Whanganui Chronicle

From member to owner: New face in charge at Club Fitness

Mike Tweed
By Mike Tweed
Multimedia Journalist·Whanganui Chronicle·
13 Sep, 2022 05:00 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Mathew Munson is reacquainting himself with an old stomping ground. Photo / Bevan Conley

Mathew Munson is reacquainting himself with an old stomping ground. Photo / Bevan Conley

A familiar face has taken over the Club Fitness gym on Guyton St.

Mathew Munson is a longtime member and worked there from 2006 to 2012.

He takes over from Dave and Vaughan Cockburn, who ran Club Fitness in various locations for more than 20 years.

"It's a dream come true, really," Munson said.

"There are still regulars here and some of my old training partners as well.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"At the moment I'm doing a bit of everything, right down to the cleaning. When you have the passion for something you tend to go the extra mile."

The gym has about 400 members on the books.

People of all shapes and sizes were welcome at Club Fitness, with a focus simply on results.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"That could be people who want to transform into a different body, lose weight, increase muscle or just be happier," Munson said.

"Exercise obviously has an important role to play in mental health improvement as well.

"One key difference here is that we don't have the judgemental stigma that is associated with other gyms."

Munson's own fitness journey began in 2006, when he studied to become a personal trainer at the New Zealand Institute of Sport in Wellington.

Discover more

Strong wind watch for Whanganui for Monday evening

11 Sep 09:00 PM
Rugby

Rugby: Epic match at Cooks between Meads Cup top contenders

11 Sep 05:00 PM
Kahu

Te Manu Atatū opens shared business space

09 Sep 05:00 PM

New chief executive appointed for The Backhouse

09 Sep 05:00 PM

After his first stint at Club Fitness, he moved to Jetts in Palmerston North and brought that franchise to Whanganui.

"Jetts Whanganui reached about 700 members and then I took off to London to do the same sort of thing at Anytime Fitness in Clapham South for five or so years.

"Then, it started to feel like it was time to come home. I'm loving being back."

Outside of personal training, he enjoyed a lengthy stint as the KPW (Kiwi Pro Wrestling) champion as H-Flame, holding the belt from 2006 to the end of 2009 and the KPW tag team championship with Lazarus Volt from 2011 to 2013.

While in the KPW stable he rubbed shoulders with another Whanganui wrestler, Chris Delorean, and trialled for the WWE in 2008.

Bringing back regular assessments and workout routines were on the top of his to-do list at Club Fitness.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Getting some more modern equipment is another one. We want to show that we're putting money back into the business.

"There is definitely a club feel here. Everyone knows your name and eventually we'll have open days and barbecues."

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Whanganui Chronicle

‘Explosions’ ring out over Palmerston North as multiple cars burn

19 Jun 09:44 PM
Whanganui Chronicle

Our top Premium stories this year: Special offer for Herald, Viva, Listener

19 Jun 08:11 PM
Whanganui Chronicle

Whanganui rugby: Regional rivalry returns

19 Jun 05:00 PM

Jono and Ben brew up a tea-fuelled adventure in Sri Lanka

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

‘Explosions’ ring out over Palmerston North as multiple cars burn

‘Explosions’ ring out over Palmerston North as multiple cars burn

19 Jun 09:44 PM

Fire crews were called to Tremaine Ave at 4am to tackle the blaze.

Our top Premium stories this year: Special offer for Herald, Viva, Listener

Our top Premium stories this year: Special offer for Herald, Viva, Listener

19 Jun 08:11 PM
Whanganui rugby: Regional rivalry returns

Whanganui rugby: Regional rivalry returns

19 Jun 05:00 PM
'Empower our young people': Student safe driving campaign celebrates four decades

'Empower our young people': Student safe driving campaign celebrates four decades

19 Jun 05:00 PM
Help for those helping hardest-hit
sponsored

Help for those helping hardest-hit

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Whanganui Chronicle e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Whanganui Chronicle
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP