One-stop makeover

There’s a five-storey building on West Avenue, Quezon City, where you can go from floor to floor to experience a total physical makeover from working out in a gym to learning the Freddie Roach style of boxing to washing down stress in a wooden tub at a state-of-the-art spa to doing therapy for that nagging pain in the knee to, of all things, undergoing cosmetic surgery to remove those ugly eyebags.

It’s a one-stop shop that Body Worx Spa and Fitness Club sports director Kendrick Lim Uy guarantees will work wonders for anyone ready to take the wellness plunge.

Kendrick, 19, is perfect for the job. He’s an accomplished athlete who knows the importance of a sound body and a sound mind. The University of the Philippines junior was recruited to join the national swimming team in 2003 and has since set at least four Philippine records in freestyle. He has represented the country at the World Championships in Shanghai, the Pan-Pacific Games in Canada, the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Manila and the Asian Games in Doha.

Kendrick has smashed the freestyle records in 50, 100 and 200 meters that Ryan Papa established 15 years ago. He’ll swim in the coming SEA Games in Thailand and his ultimate goal is to compete in Beijing next year then perhaps, in London in 2012.

Kendrick is the older of two children of Wilson and Kathy Lim Uy. His sister Kimberley, 13, is a national junior swimmer and at 5-5, will surely mature into one of the country’s tallest competitors ever.

Kathy is CEO of Body Worx and supervised the construction of the Hollywood Square Building on a 1,200 square meter property along one of Quezon City’s busiest streets. The building is a haven for fitness and wellness buffs.

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On the fourth floor is the Freddie Roach Boxing Camp, which the celebrated American trainer himself opened last January. It’s the only camp he has authorized to carry his name anywhere in the world. Roach owns and operates the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles and trains some of the world’s best fighters, including Manny Pacquiao and Oscar de la Hoya.

Roach, 47, was a never-say-die pro fighter who retired in 1986 after battling

  the likes of world champions Hector (Macho) Camacho, Greg Haugen and Bobby Chacon. He learned the ropes from the legendary Eddie Futch and is now considered the world’s No. 1 trainer with over 20 world titlists to his credit.

Roach signed an open-ended contract for Body Worx to manage his camp as an exclusive licensee. He spent several days teaching Body Worx instructors Gil Abad and Ronald Gallego how to work a 10-session program in the basic, intermediate and professional levels. Roach also provided Body Worx with a set of his 28 instructional DVDs.

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 “We’re excited to offer Freddie’s personal boxing program to Filipinos,” says Kathy. “Body Worx has the exclusive license to run Freddie’s camp. No other camp in the world has access to Freddie’s 28 instructional DVDs. Freddie chose us to be his first extension abroad because of his love for Filipinos and our country. He told me he would love to retire in the Philippines.”

A 10-session program in each boxing level has a price tag of P2,250.

Kathy says a future plan is to arrange a tour for the local Roach campers at the Wild Card Gym where they can observe the workouts of some of the world’s best fighters.

More on Body Worx in tomorrow’s column.