A YOUNG couple who share a passion for fitness and weight lifting opened a new gym in Marlborough this week.

After dreaming about opening their own facility for the last five years, fitness instructors Adam Dobie, 25 and his partner Alix Barbier, 24 opened White Horse CrossFit just off George Lane.

Amongst the team of five staff is Olympic weight lifting coach and five times British champion Marius Hardiman.

The gym itself focuses on CrossFit, a fast-growing range of aerobic exercises that optimizes physical competence, and sessions for children and teenagers are also available, alongside other classes and personal training sessions.

Since opening, over 30 people have signed up for monthly memberships and more than 200 passed through the doors on it's first day.

Mr Dobie said: “It has always been a dream of mine to one day open up my own gym ever since I’ve been into fitness, and to be able to do this with Alix is great.

“I had always thought that if rugby didn’t work I would open up my own place, but it has happened a lot sooner than I ever thought it would.

“I did question if I was too young to open my gym now, but you’ve got to just do these things as and when you can.

“I am really pleased with the interest we have had so far and the amount of people who came along to our open day.”

The couple, who have been personal trainers for a combined time of five years, first met while studying at Hartpury College in Gloucester, where Mr Dobie was studying strength and conditioning and Miss Barbier was studying equine performance.

Born in France and living all around the world, Miss Barbier settled in Marlborough in 2011 and changed her path to start working alongside her partner as a personal trainer.

Mr Dobie said: “I met Alix at Hartpury College and it was a classic university love story, I was a rugby player and she was a horse rider.

“We connected over our love for fitness.

“I am a local lad and went to school at St Johns, so doing CrossFit for children and teenagers as well as adults is a way of giving back to the community.

"It's great that we can give children the chance to learn how to lift weights from a young age under the supervision of the best coach in the South. ”

For more information on White Horse CrossFit classes, opening times and membership, please visit www.wh-marlboroughcrossfit.com