O2 Fitness — Attraction in Carrboro

I am very concerned about the safety of visually handicapped individuals in the Carrboro O2 fitness venue. For six months I have asked that the main walkway leading from the front door be free from inappropriately placed equipment; specifically two, huge, black ropes which are most often strewn across the black floor while walking to where the free motion station is located. The general Manager doesn't feel that this is a problem and refused to coil them up for my 96 year old visually impaired mother who has been attending a gym for scores of years. She can only use the free motion pully system. I am wondering if Michael Olander is interested in knowing that his Carrboro O2 Fitness General Manager not only refused to clear the walkway for my Mom, but also, told his employee not to as well. I coiled the ropes myself and told the General Manager to come and see how properly coiled ropes should be placed at the base of their apparatus, assuming he may not really know how. He refused, telling me that I didn't have to continue coming to this gym. I have been a member of the Carrboro venue for more than 16 years! I was late to my class because the staff would not do there due diligence to ensure the safety of my Mom, whom after finishing her 45 minute workout, would need to return on the main walkway to the lobby and wait for me to finish my class. This being stated, I will start from the beginning. There were, abnormally, no available parking spaces at 9:50 A.M. I put the handicapped placquard on the window and safely parked against the planter so that I could get my Mom into the building, signed in, set up, and then repark if there were a free space. It was raining and there were food items set up on a table in the lobby. I informed the desk staff of my intention to repark, but that if there were still no spaces I would be leaving my car safely next to the planter where cars could easily drive past mine. I had to walk around the gym with my Mom to bypass the obstacles on the main walkway and safely approach her free motion stand. As I was cleaning her handles and setting up her station, an employee approached us insisting that I immediately move my vehicle. I explained that I had informed the women at the front desk and that as soon as I had Mom set up I would move it if there were a parking space.He, again insisted I stop what I was doing and move my vehicle into one of the two parking spaces that had just come available.I looked at him and irritably stated, "I said I would move it!" As I went to move my vehicle the ropes were still across the main walkway. I went to the employee who had insisted I move my vehicle and told him that he should be more concerned about the safety of visually impaired persons tripping on the ropes in the walkway than he was about my vehicle being out of a normal space for five minutes. I suggested that while I was moving my vehicle he should be coiling the ropes so that the walkway would be safe. When I reparked my vehicle, I came in to get to my class and the employee was sitting at his desk and the ropes were still strewn across the walkway. I asked him, why he still hadn't coiled them up and that is when the General Manager said that he had told his employee not to remove the ropes from the walkway. The General Manager himself then refused to clear the walkway. I suggested that the staff and their patrons needed education on gym safety. This is when I was told that I did not have to use this gym. I wonder if Michael Olander cares about this management problem. I gave the most important part of this review first and filled in the meat here at the end. I hope that my review is a wake up call for Carrboro management, and that if Michael Olander does look at reviews, he have a chat with his staff about safety. The other O2 facilities in the area are very safety concerned....

Sadly, and after more than a decade as members, my family has made the decision not to renew our memberships. Here are our reasons:

Incomplete circuit of weight machines (e.g., no ab or pec machines at all).

Poor access to machines due to "camping". It's now very common for people to demand exclusive use of a machine for 15-30 minutes where they sit and text or listen to music between sets and refuse to let people "work in". In some cases, one person will demand exclusive access to three separate machines, placing personal items on the seats of all three machines and blocking access for one hour. The result is frequent incomplete workouts if one doesn't have two full hours to commit.

Staff do not want to get involved with people who block access to machines. Courtesy signs with machine usage rules would largely solve the problem, but they removed all such signs at some point over the last decade. Most people do not want to be forced to confront machine campers and people who are inclined to dominate a machine are generally unreceptive to being approached, even politely.

Staff now sweep with a broom, often next to you, kicking up clouds of dust as you are breathing deeply from exertion. The evening maintenance person is not receptive to being asked not to do this next to aerobic machines while in use. It's unsafe to do this around many people (e.g., asthmatics) and unhygienic to do around anyone. As recently as last year, they used a HEPA vacuum. It wasn't great to have next to you while exercising, but it didn't put gales of dust into the air and they used to be receptive if asked not to work in your immediate vicinity.

Their aerobic machines are old and are frequently out of order. People regularly dominate these machines for an hour or more. Again, there are no courtesy signs to prevent this. With broken machines and a few dominators, it's common not to be able to use preferred machines.

Automatic spray machines in and around locker rooms emit overwhelming clouds of scented aerosols that could easily be deadly for an asthmatic. Inquiries as to the ingredients have gone unanswered. Many of these products contain very high levels of estrogen mimics that are illegal in other countries as they are linked to higher cancer rates. In general, it's not the kind of thing many want to breathe before or after an aerobic workout.

I will look for indications that these problems have been corrected before we purchase memberships elsewhere but there is no possibility we will return if these...

O2 Carrboro is a great place to work out. I have a silver sneakers membership in my retirement which helps a lot with my budget. I also took advantage of their 2 free initial personal training sessions, and I learned a lot. Sammy the training specialist is quite knowledgeable. I was a competitive swimmer in my youth, but I gained a considerable amount of weight in my thirties and forties. Masters swimming before COVID-19 helped, and diet and exercise at O2 is keeping me on track. At six feet, I am down from 319 pounds to 231 presently. The staff at O2 is very friendly and professional. Dalton the manager was a swimmer at UNC and is quite personable. I give O2 only four stars because even though most of the equipment is well maintained, the facility is older and in need of some repair. The lockers are nice, yet the shower stalls are narrow and the more spacious handicapped shower is not in working order. The sauna is currently being repaired and renovated with budgetary delays. The mirrored aerobics and yoga teaching area is very spacious and nice, and there is also a room in back for the more heavy lifters. O2 is located in downtown Carrboro and within walking distance from Harris Teeter and many eateries if you work out longer and want to take a break before or after you workout and stretch. It is also convenient for me because it is within walking distance of my apartment. Once Covid-19 has been kicked, I encourage you to get out to O2 Fitness and embrace a healthier lifestyle. After I get back in the pool, my overall goal of getting back down to 210-220 pounds is realistic and attainable, more strength and stamina and less pain are in sight, and O2 is instrumental in making this possible. My thanks to the entire team at O2 Fitness for making my retirement healthy and contributing to my quality of...