BGU & YOU

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Sylvan Adams Upgrades BGU Sports Center

Photo: Yedioth Ahronoth

What is the best time for college students to exercise? At Ben-Gurion University, students will now want to spend as much time as possible working out at the new Sylvan Adams Sports Center. For the first time since 1982, the BGU sports center is receiving a much-needed expansion and upgrade, thanks to generous funding by Canadian-born businessman, philanthropist and amateur cycling champion Sylvan Adams. The Center will be dedicated at the Board of Governors meeting in May and completed by August. The new facility will include two indoor swimming pools with luxurious changing rooms, pools that will make a big difference not only to the University but

to Beer-Sheva, which has few indoor pools. The Center will also include a sauna. In addition, the entryway, lobby, commercial space, fitness center and tennis, beach volleyball and footvolley courts are all receiving an upgrade. A highlight is the new PowerWatts indoor cycling studio, which will become one of just eight such facilities worldwide. Adams is himself an avid cyclist, and the new studio will seriously boost the ability of cyclists and triathletes to train effectively. The Sports Center already plays a crucial role in campus life as the home to various BGU Academic Sports Association (ASA) teams and a place for students, staff and local families to use throughout the year.

With a passion for sports, Adams was involved in every stage of the project. He has also played a significant role in using sports to present the true face of Israel to the world. Adams has brought world-class cultural and sporting events and guests to the country, including Lionel Messi, the Argentinian national soccer team, and the French Super Cup. He was also behind Israel's hosting of the "Grande Partenza," the Big Start of the Giro d'Italia – the largest sporting event in the country's history. Exercise has many study-boosting benefits for college students. Not only can staying fit relieve stress, but it also improves concentration and memory. Thanks to the new Sylvan Adams Sports Center, we expect BGU to become a healthier place.