Priority Health Fitness Court® opening on Belle Isle in collaboration with HYPE Athletics
(Detroit – Sept. 20, 2022) Priority Health, a nationally recognized nonprofit health plan, and the National Fitness Campaign (NFC) are pleased to announce the opening of a free outdoor Priority Health Fitness Court® at the HYPE Athletics Belle Isle Athletic Complex. The Fitness Court®, featuring a custom art piece by renowned Detroit artist Phillip Simpson, will be unveiled at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, September 22 at 11 a.m. on Belle Isle.
This launch is made possible by HYPE Athletics and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in conjunction with the statewide partnership between Priority Health and NFC. The Michigan statewide campaign was established in 2020 with the intent to expand free access to high-quality workouts and create equitable access to exercise for communities.
The new Fitness Court®, located at the historic Belle Isle Athletic Structure, is an open-air wellness center that allows users to leverage their own body weight to get a complete workout. Created with adults of all ages in mind, the Fitness Court® is adaptable for all fitness levels. The courts can also be used in group or solo settings with local volunteer ambassadors leading classes for groups. Users can also download the free Fitness Court App — a coach-in-your-pocket style platform — that transforms the outdoor gym into a digitally supported wellness ecosystem. The Fitness Court App is available for iOS and Android.
“Belle Isle holds so much history for the City of Detroit and its residents. Priority Health is pleased to partner with the National Fitness Campaign and HYPE Athletics to bring a new Fitness Court® to the island,” said Praveen Thadani, president of Priority Health. “Our hope is that this outdoor Fitness Court® will not only support free access to fitness but will also serve as a community gathering place.”
Belle Isle is home to the sixth outdoor court within the metro Detroit region. Other Fitness Courts® in the area include Oakland University, Madison Heights, Marysville, Highland Park and Redford. Priority Health plans to open more courts in the area and in easily accessible public spaces across the state. NFC's award-winning initiative is now supporting more than 150 cities across America, including cities in Michigan such as Grand Rapids, Lansing, Big Rapids and Saginaw.
“A healthy and active community is core to our mission at HYPE Athletics,” said Ali Sayed, founder & CEO of HYPE Athletics. “Strategic partnerships like this one with Priority Health and NFC help us continue to bring unique and innovative amenities to Belle Isle, the residents of Detroit and those who visit the island.”
NFC developed the trademarked seven-station system in 2012 in an effort to inspire municipalities to transform public spaces into community fitness hubs. There are currently 250 active Fitness Court® locations across the country, and the campaign will be operating in over 1,000 cities and colleges by the end of 2022.
For more information about the partnership between Priority Health and NFC or to inquire about funding, please visit their website.
About Priority Health:
With over 30 years in business, Priority Health is the second largest health plan in Michigan, offering an extensive portfolio of health benefits options for employer groups and individuals, including Medicare and Medicaid plans. Serving more than 1.3 million members each year and offering a broad network of primary care physicians in Michigan, Priority Health continues to be recognized as a leader for quality, customer service, transparency and product innovation. Learn more about affordable, quality health coverage options from Priority Health.
About National Fitness Campaign:
National Fitness Campaign (NFC) is a social enterprise – founded in San Francisco, California in 1979 – that specializes in funding, activating and promoting healthy infrastructure through partnerships with cities and schools. Now operating in over 150 cities, NFC's unique program delivers consulting services and an integrated wellness initiative to communities, centered on: The Fitness Court®. Our mission is to design healthy infrastructure for cities to improve the quality of life for people. Learn more about National Fitness Campaign and follow us on social @NatFitCampaign.
About HYPE Athletics:
Established in 2001, HYPE focused on providing communities with drug-free, violent-free and diverse athletic events and programs for kids and adults. Today HYPE Athletics Community is deep-rooted, nonprofit community-based organization that partners with federal, state and local agencies, corporations, foundations and leaders to provide services, programs. Support through our many community campaigns such as Feed Detroit, Tutor Challenge, Youth and Adult Athletic Programs, Fitness and Health Services and Education with ACT / SAT Support, Career and Leadership Development, Mentoring, Life Skills, Drug Prevention, Homework Assistance, Reading and Math Programs, Teach and Feed Green House Project and much more. For more information, visit hypeathletics.org.