44 | www.Ups tatePhys i c i ansSC . com | www.Hea l thL i nksUps tate. com Established in 1975 as the Greenville Racquet & Fitness Club, today’s Sportsclub has been a successful, family-owned operation for more than 45 years and with success often comes expansion and growth. The response to its popularity has included the name change as well as a second location opened in Simpsonville in 2003 and a third one in Five Forks in 2008. Most recently, in August of 2022, acac, a Virginia-based fitness and wellness company, acquired all three Upstate locations. From the start, Chris Craytor, CEO of acac, expressed a desire to build on the already established success of Sportsclub: “Our plan is to make significant investments in these three facilities in the form of new equipment, system upgrades and renovations. We look forward to building upon the Sportsclub brand and to maintaining its position as the Upstate’s premier fitness and wellness destination.” True to his word, Craytor is investing more than $2 million in new equipment and improvements for all three locations. New spin bikes, Matrix treadmills and Les Mills steps and weights are some of the newly purchased pieces. Renovations to the locker rooms and tennis courts, improvements to the general fitness areas and upgrading the current technology also are on the docket. Members of Sportsclub Fitness & Wellness are enjoying the new equipment and renovations, but, according to John Whitten, who heads up operations for the three locations, “What really distinguishes us from typical exercise gyms is our variety of client options for children and adults of all ages. We currently have members from youth to a 94-year-old senior. Because all three centers lie within 10 miles of each other, both instructors and members can easily bounce from one site to another.” Whitten is enthusiastic, not only about the recent acquisition and improvements, but about the fact that Sportsclub has been able, in defiance of industry trends, to successfully survive the recent shutdowns of the pandemic. The membership today has returned to more than 15,000 participants. Upgrading sanitation procedures and further spacing exercise equipment is a noticeable response to the challenges of COVID, but Sportsclub Fitness & Wellness is highly focused on the future. Today, 300 employees offer programs as varied as coaching competitive swim teams at Five Forks to running after-school care and 10-week summer camps for school-aged children in Greenville. In addition to leading group exercises at all locations, personal trainers as well as tennis and aerobics instructors also are available. Whether members want to challenge themselves at pickleball or racquetball or exercise with Pilates, there is something for almost every age and interest at one of the Sportsclub locations. Whitten summed up the philosophy of the company succinctly: “Our goal is to help our customers become the most healthy, happy and fit version of themselves. We can do this by offering them the opportunity to meet new people and participate in more than 250 weekly classes and specialty activities and by making our memberships flexible and value-packed.” SPONSORED MEDICAL CONTENT AN UPGRADE FOR SPORTSCLUB FITNESS & WELLNESS Janet E. Perrigo For more information, call 864-288-7220 in Greenville; 864-228-8282 in Simpsonville; or 864-675-5808 in Five Forks; or visit sportsclubsc.com. Our goal is to help our customers become the most healthy, happy and fit version of themselves. “ “
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