Refusing to cancel my membership

I want to cancel my membership with the gym after 12 months, because I only signed up for 12 months. Now they are telling me that I signed up for 36 months!! I only visited the gym ONCE and that one time my car was broken in to and my belongings ****** - everything - right in front of the gym!! There was no security and the gym blamed me. I didn't return again as I felt unsafe visiting the gym at Bromhof. I moved to Springs in July 2014 and asked that my contract be cancelled, because there is no Gym Company in Springs. I was told that I could only do that at the end of my membership in May 2015!! 12 months after I signed up, or pay the reminder of the membership fees. Today, when I wanted to cancel, I was told that there are still 24 months left!! This is ridiculous!! I don't have the money to pay a cancellation fee for 24 months!!!