'I hope you get COVID' reads threat

When people started to wish Sara Green Eddy would suffer horribly with COVID, she knew she had to do something.

Eddy is the owner of Move & Flow Dance Fitness & Yoga in downtown Kelowna, which has a name somewhat resembling Flow Academy, the anti-vax Brazilian jiu jitsu, kickboxing, yoga and meditation gym.

Earlier this week, Flow Academy made big news when it announced people couldn't join the gym if they had received the COVID vaccine.

Flow Academy is also apparently anti-mask.

In a classic case of mistaken identity, Eddy at Move & Flow was peppered with repulsive phone calls, emails and comments on the business' Facebook page.

"I reported the comments to Facebook and they have now hidden them," said Eddy.

"Basically, I was harrassed for being anti-vax and excluding people. The worst were the personal attacks in which people wished I got COVID. People can certainly say mean and angry things."

Phone calls that started out volatile were usually quelled by Eddy when she explained her business is Move & Flow, not Flow Academy, and Move & Flow has been following all pandemic protocols and rules.

Current COVID restrictions means Move & Flow's bricks-and-mortar location downtown at 589 Lawrence Ave., is closed right now, but it is offering 25 online classes per week.

"We're doing our best as a small business to survive," said Eddy.

"This negative publicity certainly isn't helping."

Flow Academy's statement that caused all the furor read, in part: "To put it simply, the unknown health effects of the mRNA vaccines, as well as reported side effects such as viral shedding, seizures and death following the administration of these vaccines, are not covered by our (insurance) liability."

Flow Academy said it would re-evaluate its policy in 2023 when clinical trials of the "experimental injection" are completed.

Flow Academy is known to Interior Health because it was ticketed on back-to-back days in February for not complying with public health orders.