NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Working out outside is now an option for sailors working on ships at Newport News Ship Building.
“I think it’s pretty great," sailor Karla Tamayo said.
“I’m always happier when I’m in the sun," said sailor Karissa Potts.
The Navy’s first outdoor fitness pavilion was officially opened Tuesday at Huntington Hall in downtown Newport News.
Watch: Parking garage to be built to help with parking at Newport News Shipbuilding
Any sailor working on a ship at Newport News Shipbuilding can use the pavilion.
This pavilion is one of the ways the Navy is responding to mental health challenges connected to sailors working on ships at Newport News Shipbuilding.
“The war fighters that work on the ships in the shipyard, their job's not easy," Naval Weapons Station Yorktown Commanding Officer Capt. Dan Patrick said. "So being able to bring this outdoor facility that they can use any time, after they get home from work (or) before they leave for work, it just gives them that release, that mental stability.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, exercise can help with depression and anxiety, can boost confidence and social interaction, and can help you cope in a positive way.
As News 3 has reported, in a 12-month period from April 2021 to April 2022 seven sailors assigned to the USS George Washington aircraft carrier died by suicide.
Watch: 4th sailor assigned to USS George Washington dies by suicide
That includes 19-year-old Xavier Mitchell-Sandor. Sandor was working on the USS George Washington while it was undergoing an overhaul at Newport News Shipbuilding.
“It could’ve been preventable," Sandor's father, John, said.
In 2023, News 3 spoke with his parents. Since then, his father has filed a $60 million lawsuit against the Navy and the shipyard.
Watch: Father of sailor who died by suicide files lawsuit
Back in 2018, sailor Brandon Caserta died by suicide at Naval Station Norfolk.
“This shouldn’t be happening," said Caserta's mother, Teri.
News 3 has spoken to his parents multiple times as they’ve worked to get a federal law passed, called the Brandon Act, to help service members get mental health help if and when they need it.
Watch: How is Brandon Act implementation working
In 2022, the Navy launched investigations to try to figure out why there were so many suicides and what can be done to prevent them.
As a result, the Navy now says it's heavily focused on improving quality of life for sailors.
Watch: Top admiral addresses quality of life concerns
Potts and Tamayo said the fitness pavilion is a welcome addition and believe it will make life better for sailors.
“This is an amazing facility," Potts said.
“It’s not musty like the gym," said Tamayo, referring to the indoor gym available for sailors to work out in. "It helps release endorphins and it helps me de-stress.”
The pavilion took about eight months to complete and cost about $335,000.
