Musselburgh gym owner 'trying to stay positive' through lockdown after daughter's death

Just two months after martial arts coach Vincenzo Parente received the keys for his new “one-stop shop” gym Forza Fit-In Fitness, at 109 Musselburgh High Street, in December 2018, his daughter Lana (pictured below) suddenly passed away after suffering a seizure.

The heartbroken dad said he used the following year refurbishing the premises above BrightHouse, which is owned by Co-op and had stood empty for 12 years, as a “coping mechanism” for his loss; only to be confronted by lockdown just six weeks after partly opening the business last year.

Father-of-six Mr Parente said: “Our plans were to make Fit-In Fitness a one-stop shop for mixed martial arts, and we’re going to have a coffee bar and gym as well.”

With the sudden loss of Lana, Mr Parente’s refurbishment work came to a halt.

He said: “It was a bit of a shock and I took a step back and didn’t do any work. But then I used doing the gym up as a coping mechanism, as a distraction from what happened – as I’m still doing.”

The property on Musselburgh High Street. Image: Google Maps

Mr Parente, who moved to Edinburgh from Italy with his parents when he was eight years old, and took up martial arts after being bullied at school, was a professional fighter and has been a martial arts coach for 20 years.

He and his family live on Musselburgh High Street.

After a year of demolition and refurbishment, Forza Fit-In Fitness was opened in January last year, with a partial timetable of boxing, fitness and mixed martial arts.

Mr Parente said: “We were trying to do an introduction before we got opened, just to get people through the door and get some revenue in.

“We were open six weeks and then we got struck with Covid as well, so we had to close back down again.”

Last month, East Lothian Council was awarded a share of Government funding to support businesses in lockdown.

Mr Parente’s partner Kelly Rennie applied for the Strategic Framework Business Fund, and Forza Fit-In Fitness is now benefiting from its £2,000-a-month funding.

Ms Rennie said: “It keeps us on an even keel; I wouldn’t say it’s keeping our heads above water but it’s allowing us to continue to a certain degree. If we didn’t get it, we would have to be closing our doors before we’re even officially open, so it is helping, definitely.”

The couple hope to open the gym as soon as Government restrictions allow; however, the services it offers will be dependent on guidelines.

The premises before and after refurbishment

Ms Rennie said: “Because we are a contact sport, we are limited as to what we can do if we open the gym.”

Mr Parente added: “We’re trying to stay positive.

“Once we get opened, I reckon we’ll be OK; we’ve got a good following of people in the area and a lot of support from family and friends.”

Councillor John McMillan, East Lothian Council’s spokesperson for economic development, said: “Our teams have worked very hard to process applications and make payments to more than 600 businesses through the strategic framework fund alone.

“We have also launched our discretionary fund – the closing date for this is 5pm on Friday.”

The Big Pick & Zero Waste shop, also on Musselburgh High Street, is the planned site of another fitness centre, J&L Boxing Club, run by Jay Tuveri and Laura Casement, who have applied to East Lothian Council for planning consent for part change of use of the premises.