Flood, Sweat and Tears: The epic comeback of Stepz Fitness Lismore
11th Nov 2024
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By Emily Ainsworth
When floodwaters crashed through Lismore in February 2022, Alyce Benson could only watch helplessly as her decade-long dream literally floated away.
Just 10 days after taking over Stepz Fitness Lismore, she found herself swept up in the biggest flood in modern Australian history.
“We watched the gym get destroyed right in front of us – I had to be rescued from the shopping centre roof,” Alyce recalls. “It was devastating watching the floodwaters rise. You could hear everything crashing and banging.”
Three days later, when it was finally safe enough to wade through floodwaters to assess the damage to her just-bought gym, she simply “bawled my eyes out”.
“It was heartbreaking,” Alyce admits. “I went from being on the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. But the support from the whole town was just amazing – friends, family and even strangers off the street were coming in and trying to help salvage whatever we could.”
Rebuilding from scratch.
Beyond the physical destruction, the aftermath of the disaster presented multiple challenges, including funding the rebuild of the business she’d just spent a chunk of her savings on.
Taking it “week by week”, she persevered through an almost 12-month rebuild, transforming a 70 per cent membership loss into a thriving community that now exceeds pre-flood levels.
“We’ve set little goals along the way and now we're doing better than we ever were. You just have to stay positive and keep pushing forward.”
From management to ownership.
For Alyce, a veteran personal trainer with almost 20 years of industry experience, gym ownership was always the goal. After managing Stepz Fitness Lismore since its opening in August 2020, the opportunity to buy the business came in early 2022.
“When Sam [Waller, Stepz Fitness Franchisor] and I first met, that was one of his first questions – did I see myself owning a gym?” Alyce says. “The timing was right, and he gave me that opportunity.”
The transition from manager to owner seemed natural.
“Sam was really flexible. He'd say, ‘you know what you're doing, just run it’. I was already handling everything except the bills, so it felt like the next logical step.”
A lifelong passion.
A former competitive swimming champion who competed at national level, Alyce has been involved in sports and exercise her entire life.
“I love being part of anyone's fitness journey, whether they want to build muscle, lose weight or improve their mental health,” she says. “It's not just my career – it's part of who I am as a person. I wouldn't be doing anything else.”
This passion drives her approach to running the gym, where she emphasises community and connection.
“We've created a real family vibe. Members have coffee clubs, bring treats and check in on each other when someone hasn't been for a while.”
The Stepz advantage.
The Australian-first Stepz Fitness hybrid model, combining 24/7 access with group training, provides the perfect platform for serving diverse member needs, Alyce says.
“The model is absolutely fantastic – you get the best of both worlds. Plus, the support from head office and other franchisees is amazing. It's like one big family.”
From watching her dreams literally sink under nature’s fury to steering the helm of a growing fitness community, Alyce exemplifies the resilience that defines successful franchise ownership.
“If you're passionate about fitness and helping people, there's nothing holding you back with Stepz. You've got all the support you need to succeed.”
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