*Seadna and Chloe Morey. Photograph: Joe Buckley
A SIXMILEBRIDGE gym founded by first cousins Seadna and Chloe Morey is continuing to grow as the village’s population expands, with the owners keen to provide an accessible space for people of all fitness levels.
Established in 2021 by former decorated inter-county stars Chloe and Seadna Morey, Morey Movement identified a gap in the local community for a facility focused on conditioning and general fitness and has gone from strength to strength since then.
“We have a massive interest in strength and conditioning,” Seadna explains. “We just wanted to bring something to the community in regards to keeping health and fitness as a priority for people and giving them an outlet to be able to come and exercise”.
Chloe and Seadna Morey. Photograph: Joe Buckley.
The cousins currently run a sports camp for children in Sixmilebridge and said the idea for the gym developed naturally from their involvement in the local community. They subsequently completed their qualifications with Setanta College while continuing to work in their previous jobs before opening the facility.
Morey Movement operates on a pod based system, where members have access to their own squat rack and bench and are free to work out at their own pace rather than sharing with others. The gym is used by the Clare senior hurlers and has a contract with Sixmilebridge GAA to provide strength and conditioning for underage members, as well as providing a space for locals just looking to keep fit, showcasing the wide range of services and coaching available.
Chloe says that providing amenities for new and existing residents was an important consideration following The Bridge’s recent growth. “When a village grows like that numbers-wise, it’s important that there’s amenities for them as well. We didn’t just want a run-of-the-mill gym. We wanted to create a space where everybody’s welcome”, she explains.
Photograph: Joe Buckley.
This unique approach allows exercises to be tailored to each person’s ability and experience, Seadna outlines. “You could have never come into a gym before in your life and when you come in the coach on the day would ensure that every single exercise is detailed towards your technique, your ability and we slowly build you up from there”, the two time All-Ireland and five-time Clare SHC winner highlights.
The owners have also noticed a growing focus among members on strength and overall wellbeing rather than simply losing weight in recent years as Chloe points out that “People these days now are more conscious of actually gaining strength. It’s not all about losing weight. More often now people are realising how brilliant strength work is for their head more than anything and the improvement in their mental wellbeing”.
Photograph: Joe Buckley.
For Seadna, some of the most rewarding aspects of running the gym come from seeing small changes in people’s everyday lives. “You might have someone come over to you and say ‘I did this for the first time in my life’ or ‘I don’t feel my back pain anymore. It’s the small things. It’s not the athlete who’s been out running, winning a race or anything like that. It’s the small little changes in people’s lives that you hear the stories about that kind of make it rewarding”, the Sixmilebridge native notes.
Looking ahead, the cousins hope to strengthen their links with other businesses and organisations in the village through events and initiatives. For now however, Seadna believes there are still plenty of people in the expanding village who are unaware of the gym and is determined to continue their progress. “The village is so big, I don’t think a lot of people still know we’re actually really here. It might not be for everyone, but getting in the door is the hardest part for people”, he explains.