Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, City of Willmar and National Fitness Campaign Make Fitness Free for Everyone in Willmar

WILLMAR, Minn. (July 12, 2023) – Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (Blue Cross), City of Willmar, and National Fitness Campaign (NFC) today announced an agreement to bring an outdoor Fitness Court® Studio to Sperry Park. The Fitness Court Studio, located at Homewood Avenue NE, will open on Wednesday, July 19 at 10 a.m. with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The City of Willmar’s Fitness Court Studio will be the first-of-its-kind to open in the state of Minnesota.

One of 37 active parks in Willmar, Sperry Park is highly visible and accessible to residents and visitors. Located off one of the most traveled roads in Willmar, this location was selected for its proximity to nearby Robbins Island and its recreational amenities for families and adults of all ages. The Fitness Court Studio will be within walking or cycling distance of approximately 9,500 Willmar residents.

This Fitness Court Studio was developed by Blue Cross, City of Willmar and NFC to expand free access to high quality workouts and create equitable access to exercise for communities around the state. 

Blue Cross’ sponsorship will accommodate up to ten Fitness Court sites throughout Minnesota over the next two years. The health plan is placing racial and health equity at the center of its support through accessible fitness opportunities that will benefit a wide range of communities both geographically and culturally. Additionally, Blue Cross is emphasizing community art beautification with Fitness Court space designs commissioned by local artists. In the City of Willmar, Sonja Madsen, a sculpture artist by nature who was born and raised in Willmar, was selected to have her work featured as a permanent aspect of the Fitness Court Studio.

The Fitness Court Studio is twice the size of a standard Fitness Court, providing over 2,000 square feet of healthy infrastructure. With the Fitness Court Studio, classes such as yoga, pilates, zumba or stretching can take place while the Fitness Court is utilized for simultaneous group and individual workouts. The Fitness Court is the world’s best outdoor gym that lets people use their own body weight to get a complete workout using seven exercise stations. Created with people aged 14 and over and with all abilities in mind, the workouts are adaptable for all fitness levels, allowing participants to move at their own pace. Users also may download the free Fitness Court App which acts as a coach-in-your-pocket and enhances the outdoor gym into a digitally supported wellness experience. 

“This Fitness Court Studio represents our organization’s commitment to create healthier communities across the state,” said Bukata Hayes, vice president of racial and health equity and chief equity officer at Blue Cross. “Over the past decade, Blue Cross has established a truly special relationship with the Willmar community through ongoing public health initiatives. We are excited to build upon these efforts with a barrier-free, equitable opportunity for exercise that can help to drive even more positive health outcomes in the area.”

“When Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota approached Mayor Marv Calvin last year on the Fitness Court concept, staff agreed that this was a great opportunity to bring a new ‘adult’ playground to the city of Willmar," said City Administrator Leslie Valiant. "It was an opportunity to collaborate with a private entity to stretch city park improvement dollars further and bring a new feature that previously was not available to our residents. Thank you to Blue Cross, National Fitness Campaign, and Sonja Madsen for the beautiful public artwork and to city staff for all the work that went into bringing this new fitness feature to the city of Willmar.”

“I’m overjoyed at the opportunity to bring a lasting work of art to my hometown,” said selected artist Sonja Madsen. “Out and About highlights the diversity of our community and the universal connection to nature and fitness.”

“National Fitness Campaign is proud to welcome the City of Willmar to the campaign as a leading partner in Minnesota, championing mental and physical health for their residents,” said Mitch Menaged, founder of National Fitness Campaign. “We are proud to continue our mission of getting people moving outdoors, building a nationwide gallery of public art and helping communities combat the fiscal and humanitarian costs of inactivity.”

Residents are invited to attend the launch event on July 19 at 10 a.m. to try the Fitness Court Studio. For more information, visit the willmarmn.gov or contact Parks and Recreation at (320) 235-1454.

For more information on Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota’s support of NFC, please visit nationalfitnesscampaign.com/minnesota.