It's easy to think of a small community like Tsawwassen, tucked away in our sunny corner of the coast, as having little sway in the wider world. But one local fitness consultant, Mike Hamill, has hosted some Hollywood heavy hitters at the site of his new training facility at Tsawwassen Springs.
When Clint Eastwood and Bradley Cooper were in Vancouver last fall to put the finishing touches on American Sniper, which is up for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor, they met up with Hamill for a little fishing on the Fraser River, along with Tsawwassen Springs owner Ron Toigo.
Hamill took the opportunity to tell the two stars about his new facility and show them around Tsawwassen Springs. Mr. Eastwood, who owns multiple golf courses and fitness facilities, including the famed Pebble Beach, is interested in the concept.
"Mike is the guy in Canada," says Mr. Eastwood. "He's one of the top gurus in the fitness industry."
Hamill is a well-known fitness expert, who is quite adept at creating elite fitness training facilities. The new facility, which is slated to open in late summer/early fall, will lead North America in technical sophistication and golf training.
Hamill and Mr. Eastwood go back as far as 22 years where they met on set and became fast friends. Over the years Hamill's company, Lifestyle Equipment, has supplied Mr. Eastwood with the majority of his fitness needs ranging from set design to physical training.
Hamill's facility at Tsawwassen Springs will bring an altogether new concept to the region: frontline, high-level fitness training for men and women, with full spectrum health and medical resources to support the training programs. The idea is to provide the resources for better performance.
A major focus, of course, is golf. Hamill's longtime business partner, Grant Roberts, is well known for his golf acumen. He has made his name south of the border in high-end health clubs in Scottsdale and Beverly Hills. (He's also the man behind the Krank Club, the new gold standard for big drives.)
The golf swing program at the new facility will include a top-line swing simulator and a holistic swing program that guarantees a 20 per cent uptick in drive distance.
"Anything Grant and Mike set out to do in the fitness game, I don't think they'd lose — these guys are the best," says Mr. Eastwood.
The room itself will feature 360-degree views of the Tsawwassen Springs golf course and surrounding mountains, and a high-touch interior that befits the premium quality of the concept and the equipment.
Hamill has been offering high-end fitness to the area for 16 years through Tsawwassen Athletic Club. He is thrilled to bring a new gym with a specialized focus that he says will be a "frontline facility for all of North America" to service the many athletes of this community.
