Indianapolis charter school received first ever fitness space, strength training clinics and curriculum
Irvington Preparatory Academy today unveiled their first ever weight room and fitness space, provided by Elevance Health in partnership with the Impact Fitness Foundation (IFF), a national nonprofit that provides fitness resources to schools. The facility upgrade marks the third Indianapolis high school to receive a new fitness space in celebration of the Elevance Health Women’s Fort Myers Tip-Off, a pre-season collegiate basketball tournament that takes place in November.
At Elevance Health, the strategy to become a lifetime trusted health partner is fueled by their purpose to improve the health of humanity, and making an impact in schools advances their commitment to address equity and social justice. Prior to today, Irvington Preparatory Academy staff were required to drive students to a fitness facility that is open to the general public for their sports and physical education training.
“We are grateful to Elevance Health and Impact Fitness Foundation for making our dream of a weight room a reality. This high-quality weight room will provide our female athletes, along with our entire student body, with a new and important resource,” said Joanna Wiggins, CAA Irvington Community Schools Athletic Director. “Many have not had the opportunity to train in any weight room or health center before. Access to this space will allow our athletes to train and improve performance and will enable us to increase fitness course offerings for all students. We deeply appreciate the support of Elevance Health and Impact Fitness Foundation in making this possible for Raven Nation."
Volunteers from Elevance Health were joined by Indiana Fever players and completely transformed a room used for storage and laundry into a state-of-the-art training facility, with new equipment and space for functional movement.
“In the most recent State of Play report, kids themselves point to sports and fitness as a way to improve their mental health, especially when it’s a good experience,” says Chris Welsh, Founder and President of the Impact Fitness Foundation. “Schools are in a unique position to support their students in this way, yet the importance of having dedicated fitness and movement spaces are rarely part of the conversation. We are thrilled to partner with a company like Elevance Health that believes in whole health and is invested in supporting schools that don’t have the resources they need.”
Following the unveiling of the space, students and coaches took part in a training clinic with athletic trainers from IFF and Indiana Fever players to help orient them to their new facility.
“As an organization with deep roots in our communities, we are committed to advancing health equity both nationally and locally,” said Kyle Weber, Chief Strategy Officer at Elevance Health. “Health equity intersects with many circumstances, including where you live. By providing a fitness space, students will have increased access to resources needed to optimize their physical health and impact their mental health.”
About Elevance Health, Inc.
Elevance Health is a lifetime, trusted health partner whose purpose is to improve the health of humanity. The company supports consumers, families, and communities across the entire healthcare journey – connecting them to the care, support, and resources they need to lead better lives. Elevance Health’s companies serve over 113 million consumers through a diverse portfolio of industry-leading medical, pharmacy, behavioral, clinical, and complex care solutions. For more information, please visit www.elevancehealth.com or follow us @ElevanceHealth on X and Elevance Health on LinkedIn.
About the Impact Fitness Foundation
The Impact Fitness Foundation is a national nonprofit with a mission to provide fitness spaces, movement spaces, instruction and education resources to communities that need it most. We believe that we all deserve the same opportunities as we strive for a healthy mind, body and spirit. We transform unused or unsafe areas of a building into Motivational Fitness, Movement and Mindfulness spaces, designed to promote healthy habits and inspire people of all ages to MOVE FORWARD. To learn more about IFF, visit www.impactfitnessfoundation.com and follow us on Instagram.
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