Grace Road Group says True Fitness gyms are expanding to help address Fiji’s non-communicable disease crisis through training, healthy food, and consistency.
True Fitness has opened a new gym in Navua as part of Grace Road Group’s push to tackle Fiji’s growing non-communicable disease (NCD) burden.
Speaking at the opening, Grace Road Group head Daniel Kim framed the expansion as a direct response to what he described as one of the most serious NCD challenges in the world—affecting not just individual health, but families, communities and the country’s future.
Kim said NCDs such as heart disease, diabetes and hypertension are driving most deaths in Fiji.. He added that risk factors are widespread among adults, citing physical inactivity, unhealthy diets and obesity as key contributors.. For him, the message behind the new gym is straightforward: prevention and education have to be treated as national priorities, not afterthoughts.
Fitness as prevention, not just a lifestyle choice
That framing matters because Fiji’s NCD challenge is often discussed in medical terms, but daily habits are what make prevention possible.. If people can access safe, structured training and pair it with healthier eating, the gap between advice and action narrows.. Misryoum understands that many readers may be wondering what a gym can realistically change against conditions that develop over years—but gyms can also be spaces where routines are built and sustained.
Kim described fitness as discipline supported by consistency and determination, backed by three everyday pillars: balanced food, consistent exercise and proper rest.. The goal, he said, is a “harmonious” approach to health—one that aligns with how families actually live, including work schedules, food access and the challenge of staying motivated.
A farm-to-table model behind the gym
The Navua facility itself is substantial: a 4,000 square metre True Fitness gym, described as the biggest in Fiji. The company says it currently operates three gyms nationwide, with the other two located in Vitogo and Yadua.
For residents, that scale can mean more than equipment—if the training environment feels accessible, affordable and relevant, people are more likely to start and return.. Misryoum also notes that NCD prevention is rarely achieved through one-off effort.. Over time, the difference often comes down to whether healthier choices become easier than old habits.
From an editorial perspective, the group’s approach looks like an attempt to address multiple points in the same chain: movement, strength-building, and food quality.. Many health programmes focus heavily on education campaigns, but Kim’s pitch suggests that changing what people do day to day may be just as important as telling people what to do.
Why this expansion could matter in the long run
A gym network, combined with fresh food access and structured training, could create a clearer pathway for people who want to reduce risk but don’t know where to begin.. The question for many households is whether they can sustain new routines when costs, time and family responsibilities are already stretched.. Kim’s message suggests the answer depends on building habits that fit real life—training that is consistent, meals that are practical, and rest that is treated as part of health, not something you only get when there’s time.
Looking ahead, Misryoum expects the impact of this kind of expansion will be judged over years, not weeks.. If True Fitness continues to grow and maintain a consistent standard across locations, it may help normalise fitness as prevention—especially for people who have been repeatedly told to “start exercising” without being given a clear, supported way to do it.