Ian Thorpe Aquatic Centre

One of the more friendly gyms that I have been to over the years. For a person of aging years gyms can be intimidating places.
Good facilities and clean, which is important these days. Staff are ok, however one stand out member (consistently) is Sam. Bags of energy and one of the few members of the team that always says hi. I have been going to this gym for many years and for me when he is not there the room is lifeless. I am harping on about this guy because i don't see this kind of person enough.in any business.
Sometimes the difference between 4 and 5 stars is a person.

I have been attending the Centre for 5 years and coached by Sam who has been my personal trainer for that time. I have found that the centre has provided me with excellent professional service and I have regarded the training and advice from Sam and all the other staff to be exemplary. This includes Aya and all the others present at the desk and on the floor.
The new equipment is fantastic. The spin bikes, the rowing machines and the rest of the gear is top shelf.
I continue to attend the centre and I value the friendly atmosphere as a loyal patron.

Did Sam Saidden's "Big Biceps" workout from his youtube video in my gym, 30 seconds later I was kicked out by management as other member vomited in disgust. I was then proceeded to be arrested by the police.

Ian Thrope Aquatic "welcomes all feedback" but mainly just 5 star reviews written by Sam's fake accounts, except when they ignore majority of 1 star reviews, and brushes under the carpet any complaints related to criminal behavior by staff. The management has no sense of accountability, and allow a toxic culture to be molded for a decade

I have been a member at the Ian Thorpe Aquatic Centre since it opened in 2007. I live close by and sometimes it seems that the place was built just for us locals, but it is such a marvellous centre that I would be happy to travel a good way to get to it. Since it opened I have been happily using all the facilities, including the swimming pools, sauna and steam room, and gym. The swimming pool is housed in a beautiful easy facing room with a soaring ceiling and is always clean and fresh. The gym is a very spacious room with lots of light and has so much space that it has never come close to being overly full during the last two years of social distancing due to COVID floor space restrictions.

The gym has recently been refurbished with very good quality aerobic and weight machinery and is a joy to use, but, more important than the machinery, is the quality of the gym floor and personal training staff. There is always a good, friendly atmosphere attributable to excellent management and qualified, diverse and knowledgeable staff who are always pleased to help members new and old.

A great example, amongst the numerous excellent Personal Trainers I have encountered over the 14 years I have been attending ITAC, Sameh Saidden stands out. Since I first struck him in a morning abs class, that made punishing my abs fun, I have been mentored by him and he has become a veritable institution amongst members over the same 14 years that he has been part of the gym. My family and I have all benefitted from his professional and knowledgeable running of classes and from personal training that that shows excellent results. His camaraderie and his friendliness and interest are always on show. He always goes above and beyond to help new people settle in and to advise established members.

Meanwhile my only gripe is that since the COVID the steam room is still not available to members who come early in the morning, similarly the hydrotherapy pool,

Roger Mackell

Amazing facilities, gym/pool classes and workout machines, especially after the renovation. Friendly staff that greets you with a smile and always happy to help.

Special mention to Sam, my PT/mentor and now my good friend. I was new to the gym so everything was daunting, not sure how to start and struggle with my confidence. Sam has helped me build up my gym routine, taught me great workout techniques and most especially he has helped me boost my confidence. Sam is diligent and passionate with what he does, he will go out and help anyone out with a smile on his face.

Great recently refurbished gym and very friendly community. I’ve been doing personal training every week with Sam Saidden for almost 5 years and always enjoy my hour with him. He’s always encouraging and keeps it interesting and challenging. I moved out of the area several years ago but keep coming back to ITAC gym to train with Sam.

Amazing facility. Bathrooms are apalling though. Very little cleaning done on them. When you go of an evening they are a mess.

Have been a member for many years and the recent gym upgrade is great. All the staff are really friendly especially Sam who is always making everyone feel welcome and providing tips and feedback.

ITAC gym. I have been attending ITAC gym for at least 10 years now. The gym has always been a welcoming place for both regulars and newcomers. The gym staff are uniformly friendly, happy and above all, they know their clients well. More specifically, I went with the purpose of finding a personal trainer that I could relate to, work with and who could make a training session at least enjoyable if not fun. Fortunately I met Sam on Day 1 and I have been doing two PT sessions a week with for over 10 years. He knows his job, he can tailor a program but he also knows when he’s pushing the envelope. He keeps me fit and sane and we do have fun, train, chat and enjoy every session together. When he is away, he arranges another compatible trainer to fill in, and they are invariably excellent, but I’m still with Sam.

Great place to train and make friends. Good, new equipment. Excellent personal trainers, particularly Sam. He’s super enthusiastic and helpful. Also Aya.

I've been going to ITAC for around 7 years - initially I started aqua with Sam as the instructor and built up my fitness before starting PT with Sam. All the staff are professional but Sam is what keeps me a member at this gym. He is an excellent trainer and his technical knowledge is very detailed. Sam is as a highly experienced trainer and would never push me into injury and works with me (and also my physiotherapist!) when I have an injury and gets me back to strength and fitness safely. The other thing about training with Sam is that you can laugh a lot, share stories and cooking recipes too. This is not wasting either of our time being lazy - he makes training enjoyable during the breaks between sets - and it's the day in my week that I look forward to. Sam is also fiercely honest, professional and trustworthy in every sense.

The bonus is that I'm fitter and stronger than ever, and therefore happier too! Another bonus us that through the occasional social activities you get to know Sam's other clients. They are like minded, and many are senior professionals in their field and whom I've become friends with. That's an amazing outcome from attending PT with Sam and what you'd hope to gain as a benefit from attending a gym.

Since covid hit and when the centre re-opened the staff have been looking after the cleaning impeccably and the new machines in the gym are fantastic.

I hope to come back after the latest wave of covid settles down.ps can you please bring back aqua!

This is by far the best fitness and aquatic centre in Sydney.
I remember walking past the site 15+ years ago and seeing the building rendering and telling myself this would have one day be my pool and gym.

The building is beautifully designed and is spacious, bright and airy. The pool is great and so are the sauna/steam room. The gym is full of light and well equipped.

I've been training here since its opening about 14 years ago and have no plan on ever change that. Why? Because of its amazing people.
Aya, Matt, Alicia and all the other trainers that have come and gone are the real reason I keep coming back to ITAC.

Out of all these great trainers, a special mention goes to Sam. He's the longest-standing PT in the gym and for good reason; he's not only very knowledgeable when it comes to training and nutrition, but he's also one of the friendliest staff you can find. Always ready to crack a joke, he's lighten many a day and, most importantly, he's developed a real community at the centre.

Thank you Sam and Co.for making ITAC a great place to spend time (while keeping fit)!

P. S. Bring back Sam's 4pm Saturday's spin class.

This is a fantastic gym due to the PT. Sam in particular is amazing I lost over 20 kgs with him. He makes training fun and brings decades of experience. Sam's witty and kind sense of humor makes me look forward to training with him rather than dreading the gym and I know many others feel the same. I couldn't recommend Sam and the ITAC more.

My family have going to ITAC for ten years. Both kids have been through the swim school and for the last four years my wife and I have become regulars at the gym.

ITAC took the chance to upgrade the gym during Covid closures, so it is always spotlessly clean, with brand new equipment installed in late 2021.

The gym has a very friendly community. The vibe is inclusive and non threatening. I don’t consider myself to be a particularly sporty or athletic individual but I have always felt confident exercising at ITAC. I especially value my personal training sessions with Sam, whose friendly positivity helped me prepare to run a half marathon, recover from injuries, and keeps PT sessions fresh and fun.

I have been a member of ITAC since 2011 and live in Pyrmont for 7+ years. What first draws me to ITAC is the design of the building (designed by the famous Harry Seidler) and there is no other gym that has better view than ITAC. The gym is very spacious, lots of lights and the view of Sydney CBD is breathtaking. The gym also has recently been upgraded with the newest + coolest looking machine. The staff upstairs and downstairs are always accommodating.

Most importantly, for someone who would like to start their health + fitness journey, I can personally recommend Sam who has been my fitness trainer since the day i joined the gym (literally). I have lost +20 kgs during my years training with Sam. Not only I lost weight, I gained muscle, better understanding on health and fitness and positive outlook on my body image. If it's not because of Sam, I would've moved to another gym (as I am currently living in another suburbs that requires me to commute 15+ minutes to go to the gym). He is friendly, funny and MOST IMPORTANTLY, push you to your limit and WILL deliver results.

Great facilities with brand new gym equipment. Massive shout out to Sam who has been my PT for the last 7 years or so. Sam’s experience and knowledge in health and fitness has helped me reach my fitness goals over the years. I look forward to my workouts with Sam, not a training session goes by without a good belly laugh! Sam’s spin classes are also the best I’ve ever been to. If it wasn’t for Sam, I’d probably attend a more convenient gym.

The Ian thorpe center has it all. I especially love the spin class, and when Sam gives it, there is a really feeling of home, people know him well and have formed a community around him. Keep up the great service guys!

Love the friendliest gym staffs Sam Saiden and Aya also Kane. They makes me feel welcome and comfortable. Sam is the funny guy, helpful and cheeky. My partner and I have been coming to gym for almost 10 years now. They, the staffs are more like family now. The management is somewhat need to lift the game up. It’s getting better now and we hope that it will get betterer.

Signed up to do a 3 day trial to see what the Group Fitness Classes were like. They do not respond to the online message system or answer the phone. Reception staff just on their mobiles. As an upsel to make you join.fail.

Great facility overall. Along with the gym and pool, the center has given me some of the greatest friendships over the years.

At the gym, I have seen how much passion and care the staff pour into their work. Sam stands out of them all. He is a most caring, passionate, and hardworking trainer at the center, and likely the main reason many members visit. I've known Sam through the center for years now. He is a great trainer, and a greater human and a friend.