Fit Body Boot Camp in Rome Abruptly Closes: “Our Hands Are Tied”

Members of a popular gym will have to work out elsewhere after the facility closed with little warning.

Rome can't catch a break.

Last month, the city was devastated by an EF-2 tornado that rendered 82 buildings uninhabitable. Soon after, residents claimed their utility bills had soared by over 200 percent and accused National Grid of price gouging; raising concerns the company was passing tornado repair costs onto them.

Tornado aside, city residents also lost one of their favorite restaurants in July: Coalyard Charlie's, which was forced to close due to financial reasons.

August hasn't been so kind to Rome, either, with inmate violence at Mohawk Correctional in Rome reaching alarming levels and sparking calls for legislative action.

Read More: Inmate Violence Surges as a Result of New York State Law

Violence continues to be a top concern among Rome residents, as the man accused of murdering Elizabeth Gerling, a beloved Utica elementary school principal, was arrested in the city last week after running naked around Fort Stanwix.

The string of bad luck continued last weekend, with residents learning a popular gym was closing up shop. Fit Body Boot Camp, which had operated on Black River Blvd since 2019, abruptly ceased operating on Saturday.

Customers inquired about the unexpected closure on the People Places and Opinions of Rome NY Facebook page.

There, a purported letter purportedly written by co-owner Tim Skjellerup was shared to the group to explain why the gym seemingly went out of business.

According to the screen grab, the business suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic and the owners "made the difficult decision to take on additional debt to keep Rome Fit Body Boot Camp open."

The business took on loans to help it "weather the storm and continue serving our members."

Unfortunately, as the loans come due, we find ourselves in a position where we are unable to cover both our regular business expenses and the loan payments for the COVID-19 EIDL loan.

Skjellerup, who signed the letter as "Coach Tim", said the business explored multiple options to remain open and even considered selling, "but our hands are tied by the terms of the loan."

Because of this, the business had to cease operating.

"We are incredibly proud of what we have built together [...] It has been an honor and a pleasure to serve this community,"  the letter closed, stating that a video would soon follow up to explain the situation in more detail.

As of print time, the video has not been posted and it appears the Rome Fit Body Boot Camp's Facebook page has been deactivated. Calls made to the listed phone number were also unsuccessful.

While it is upsetting to see another business close down in Central New York, customers of that gym can continue their memberships at one of its sister locations in Whitesboro or Clinton.

We wish Tim and Alicia Skjellerup the best and hope to see them continue their fitness inspiration one day soon.

While 2024 is turning out to be another terrible year for local businesses, it still has ways to go before holding a candle to 2023.

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