Colorado Springs gym recovering after break-in costing them thousands of dollars
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - The owner of NEXUS gym, Ashley Coffey, says the front window of her gym was smashed in and around three thousand dollars worth of technology was stolen or destroyed. NEXUS gym is a queer-affirming workout space off S. Tejon street.
"I think no matter who you are, it shakes you," Coffey said.
Coffey worries the break-in at her gym may be connected to the ideals of the gym, namely being a safe space for people within the LGBTQ+ community.
"Anything rainbow that had been up here, a piece of paper, our marketing was torn up, ripped to pieces, and then the window was busted and the tree had fallen," Coffey said.
The owner said they also noticed that their pride flag had gone missing after the alleged break-in. They decided not to put it back up in the interest of the safety of their employees.
"If we become a target, how can we process and eliminate those risks and still be an operating, fully supported queer gym?" Coffey questioned.
The gym also increased security measures, adding more cameras, using bars over their windows at night, and adding more sensors to alert them of any more threats to their security. She said it was a tough process to tell their gym members what had happened, but adds the physical cleanup was quick and efficient.
"Within 2 hours, all the glass, all the destruction, everything had been picked up, cleaned, and the window was boarded. And we were fully functioning as if nothing had ever happened," Coffey said.
She was surprised, however, by a GoFundMe organized by her friend, Shelly Campbell, which has already surpassed its initial goal in fundraising by about two hundred dollars.
"When I found out that the GoFundMe had happened, I was blown away by people's love and support for our small little gym here," Coffey said.
She says it highlights the community that's grown in the space.
"Hate doesn't win because you break a window. I can fix my window 100 times. I can buy another computer. It's the space that we stand for, the love that we create, having space, equal space for everyone, no matter who you are," Coffey said.
