ANKENY, Iowa — You’ll find it all at Trail Point in Ankeny. The 97,000 square foot facility features state-of-the-art cardio and strength training equipment, three racquetball courts, and a track perfect for pushing a stroller.
“It is amazing! There’s so much here,” says member Julie Knutson.“It’s clean, it’s new, and it’s nice to have a variety of equipment to work with.”
Julie has three kids. Baby Claire just arrived three weeks ago.
“With a new little one you don’t get very far very often,” Julie says with a shrug. Trail Point is close to her house, which is nice, but there’s an even bigger draw. “It’s great to have childcare as an option. You can get your workout in and not chase after little ones!”
A number of fitness centers in the metro offer childcare, but here it’s different.
“We’ve integrated our academic programs into the facility,” explains DMACC President Rob Denson. This means the people watching your kids are teaching and studying early childhood development.
Many of the fitness instructors are also DMACC students, majoring in things like physical therapy and sports management.
“The fact that they can do clinical experiences and work with real people in a supervised setting, there’s no better way to earn and learn.”
The community also has a vested interest in Trail Point. Ankeny schools put $2 million into the facility, and in exchange, the district’s swim and diving teams will have access to the eight-lane, competition swimming pool.
“It is a community, Ankeny Schools, DMACC partnership that’s allowed us to construct a facility that’s so much better than any of us could do independently.”
For Julie, it’s not just about community, it’s about convenience and quality of life.
“It’s been great to take advantage of programs for kids. It keeps them moving and active and wears them out. We’re happy with any sleep we can get at this point!”
You can learn more about Trail Point here: http://www.mytrailpoint.com/Pages/welcome.aspx
And vote for the facility here: http://desmoinesregister.secondstreetapp.com/l/Ankenys-Best-2017-1/Ballot/HealthBeauty
