A brand new health middle designed for youngsters is ready to open quickly in Topeka.
Troy and Cayla Brown, who not too long ago moved to Shawnee County with their three kids, plan to open a My Fitness center franchise this fall in Seabrook Purchasing Middle, at 1921 S.W. Gage Blvd., the place Anytime Health was beforehand positioned.
The Browns are U.S. Military veterans who not too long ago retired from the service and determined to maneuver to the Topeka space from the east coast to lift their household. Troy spent greater than 30 years with the Military, whereas Cayla served for about 28.
“We had been on the lookout for a slower-paced, family-oriented neighborhood to lift our younger youngsters,” Cayla stated of their transfer to the capital metropolis.
Upon retiring from the army, the Browns needed to remain busy and thought entrepreneurship may be the proper match. They appeared into proudly owning a My Fitness center franchise, as they had been acquainted with the enterprise from having held their very own kids’s birthday events there.
“We love youngsters. We love health — clearly, being within the army all these years,” Troy stated. “This was proper up our alley.”
My Fitness center Topeka opening in October, will probably be third location in Kansas
My Fitness center has been round for greater than 35 years and boasts greater than 700 areas worldwide. This would be the third My Fitness center location in Kansas, with present franchises in Overland Park and Wichita.
“In america, we’re very talked-about on the coasts. East and West Coast have fairly a couple of. … So we’re type of trickling inwards,” stated Kayla Schadegg, who has been with My Fitness center for eight years and was not too long ago employed by the Browns to function a supervisor and coach on the new Topeka location.
In actual fact, Schadegg’s transfer to Kansas appeared like destiny, based on her and the Browns.
The Browns had been enrolled in franchisee coaching with Schadegg when she labored at a My Fitness center in Maryland, the place they had been all dwelling on the time. Simply earlier than the Browns moved to Kansas, they instructed Schadegg to achieve out if she ever wound up again within the Sunflower State, as she is initially from Olathe.
Because it turned out, Schadegg’s husband, who can also be within the army, acquired “simply the correct” job supply shortly after, and the Schadeggs determined to maneuver their household to Kansas, too.
“I texted Troy, and we have been teamed up ever since,” Schadegg stated. “It is labored out very well as a result of they get to have anyone who is aware of what they’re doing and has been with My Fitness center for actually my total grownup life — that is what I’ve completed since I graduated school — and I get to have the job that I’ve recognized and beloved for the previous eight years.”
Schadegg will assist run My Fitness center’s Topeka location, which the Browns hope to open by the tip of October.
Health courses, mother and father’ evening out and extra to be a part of program choices
There has already been plenty of curiosity from locals, they stated, with near 100 households both pre-enrolled for My Fitness center memberships or signed up for a two-week trial interval.
“Proper now, we’re providing two separate issues,” Schadegg stated. “One, we have now a restricted variety of founding memberships which are out there. These are reserved for people who find themselves enrolling earlier than we get open, so that they’re getting a particular deal. Usually, our tuition can be $99 each 4 weeks. That $99 covers limitless courses. … In the event that they do the founding membership and enroll with us earlier than our opening date, they get $20 off a month — so it is solely $79 each 4 weeks for so long as they keep enrolled.”
However these restricted slots are going quick, she added.
“The opposite possibility that individuals have is to do a two-week trial with us,” Schadegg stated, “so that they pay $2 and get two weeks of limitless courses.”
Such courses, relying on the age group, could embrace tune and dance elements, a swing time, actions that develop gross motor expertise, a wide range of health video games, kid-friendly cardio and extra.
“We’re actually, at that age, educating the guardian how one can get their youngsters to like health and the way they’ll incorporate these issues into their on a regular basis life,” Schadegg stated.
Upon opening, My Fitness center expects to supply courses seven days every week, catering to kids ages 4 months to 9 years.
“We’ll have a rock wall. We’ve got a climbing ladder that goes up the wall. We’ve got a trampoline. We have excessive bars and steadiness beams,” Schadegg stated. “So it is going to be one thing that will get them shifting and coordinating their physique elements.
“And we have now variations for all the things. We begin at 4 months previous, and clearly, what we do with a 4-month-old goes to be very completely different from what we do with our 9-year-olds.”
My Fitness center additionally hosts birthday events and plans to host a “Dad and mom’ Evening Out” as soon as a month, throughout which members could drop off their youngsters for a couple of hours of enjoyable within the night. These nights out will sometimes fall on Fridays.
Schadegg stated they’re additionally leaving room to increase their program choices and age teams.
“We’ve got the capability to go a bit of bit older if we get the curiosity in it,” she stated.
In the meantime, the programming schedule and setup of the health club is anticipated to vary weekly. However proper now, the native spot is present process renovations.
The Topeka My Fitness center was in a position to safe a lot of its gear at a reduced worth from one other franchise location that hadn’t been open lengthy earlier than having to shut through the COVID-19 pandemic.
That has helped decrease the full price it will take to face up the enterprise, although Cayla famous it nonetheless “isn’t low-cost.”
Cayla added she and her household stay up for contributing to the Topeka neighborhood by forming partnerships with different native organizations and giving again the place they’ll.
“It is fascinating how a lot of issues have fallen into place,” Cayla stated, “and proceed to point to us that we should always keep the course. That is going to be nice.”