WILTON — The Studio in Wilton will continue to see growth as owner Cyra Morrill expands her gym to now include a 24-hour gym.

Morrill and her fellow trainers Sarah Patterson and Mary Kalel will be hosting signups and guided tours of the new location  from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

“The first 35 signups will get goodies donated by local small businesses in Franklin County,” Morrill shared in a Facebook post.

The gym will be open 24/7 in the secure G.H Bass building, which means access is by membership only. Membership fees are currently listed at $35 a month for 24-hour access.

Located in Suite 190 of the G.H Bass building in downtown Wilton, The Studio has been a staple of the community for the past seven and a half years, though that wasn’t Morrill’s initial intention when she first moved into the location.

Starting in 2017, it was initially meant to be a private gym between her and some close friends.

“Everyone was doing ‘beach body’ and renting out firehouses and small spaces like that,” she shared with The Franklin Journal on Tuesday, May 28.

She was aware of the empty space in the G.H. Bass building and went to try and strike a deal with the landlord.

“The landlord just kind of gave me a blueprint the next day,” she shared, “and two days later I had a lease, and that wasn’t what I asked for.”

“I guess I’m a business owner now,” she added when talking about her initial space and building up her clientele. Her first space was 420 square feet located in the center of the building, but she managed to move into her current space in 2019.

Since starting, Morrill has seen steady growth and developed strong bonds with the community through her one-on-one model, but like many small businesses, she was hit a hard blow during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I had to hustle pretty quickly and think of ways to keep us open during that timeframe,” she shared. She stayed active with her clients through Zoom, and then when restrictions started to loosen up, she thought outside the box and found a parking lot near The Studio where the parking spaces were exactly six feet apart.

Morrill also became a nail technician and a licensed massage therapist to expand her services, which she felt worked well together in conjunction with her gym.

“Because who else is going to know your body better than the personal trainer who is beating it up,” she said.

In 2023, Morrill added Patterson and Kalel to her roster, with Patterson running Carpe Diem Fitness and Kalel hosting her Movements with Mary at The Studio, which specifically targets 55+ clientele.

“Mary was a client of mine, and still is a client of mine,” Morrill said, “and worked very hard when she came to me.”

After putting in the hard work and showing improvement, Morrill encouraged Kalel to go back to school and become a trainer with her.

“I saw potential in her,” Morrill said. “There’s a fire in that woman.”

Since joining, Kalel has helped Morrill bridge the gap between the older community and create a space where they feel welcomed and encouraged.

“She has made connections with that 55-plus community in a way that I would never be able to,” she added, “and knowing that it is embraced within my space makes me very, very proud.”

Having recently expanded in 2023, Morrill had no intention of continued expansion this year, instead wishing to focus her efforts on hosting a retreat at The Studio during the summer as well as other commitments.

Once the neighboring business vacated the office space, opportunity was thrust upon Morrill much in the same way her first space was back in 2017.

Looking at the space, Morrill decided to focus on something more community oriented, so she renovated and opened the office space into a 24/7 gym.

“Some people might not want a personal trainer,” she said. “Some people might not like group classes, but they still want that privacy.”

Morrill reflected on the level of expansion her gym has seen post-COVID, as well as her own health journey.

“I know how I felt when I first started out on my health journey,” she said. “I know how lonely it is, which is funny because this is such a huge journey. Everyone is doing something about their health out there, and yet it is the most isolating experience that you could have.”

She continued, “When I found out that I was opening this, I went, ‘you know what, I want to make sure that everyone knows that they are supported.'”

For more information on The Studio, Carpe Diem Fitness, Movements with Mary, and the 24-hour gym, call Morrill at 207-838-1077 or visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/TheStudio82.