3 minute read
MANAGER’S COLUMN
May always holds a special place in my heart. It’s a month of blooming flowers, longer days, and a renewed sense of connection. It also brings Memorial Day, which carries different meaning for each of us. For my family, it’s often a mix of laughter, food, and stories shared around the table. I usually take a quiet moment to pause and remember the friends who are no longer with us. It’s my personal tribute, and my obligation, to honor their legacy in how I live and lead. But I’ve also come to see that honoring Memorial Day doesn’t require uniformity. For many, the greatest tribute is to simply live fully, surrounded by the people we most care about.
That same idea, living fully with intention, is at the heart of our Lifelong Athlete initiative at MAC. This spring, we honored Chuck McGinnis as the first-ever recipient of the Hank Marcus Lifelong Athlete Award. Chuck’s story isn’t just about consistency. He is a decorated athlete, a champion many times over, who has continued to model what it looks like to live with vitality. And Hank, whose name anchors this new tradition, is still here, still walking our halls, still building lifelong athletes one conversation at a time.
The conversations aren’t top-down, they are collaborative. How do we welcome new members in a way that supports health from day one? How do we convene meaningfully, and build programs with purpose? Are our current traditions reinforcing health and connection, or could they evolve?
The goal isn’t to replace what’s working — it’s to strengthen it. MAC is, at its core, a place where habits are built. But habits don’t shift easily. They require empathy, reflection, and time. The club itself is a network of smaller communities. A sudden change, however well-meaning, can disrupt years of thoughtful growth. That’s why our work isn’t always about chasing the next new thing — it’s about fine-tuning what we already do well.
One example is the new Performance Lab, which can help members track important health indicators like grip strength, VO2 max, and more. In addition to the data, it’s a tool for us to support personalized progress and long-term vitality. We also have our Lifelong Athlete Health Assessment coming out this summer. The quick, 10-15 question survey will give us a more holistic picture of how our community is doing across the five pillars of lifelong health: movement, mindset, nutrition, recovery, and community.
These are just two of the ways we’re helping members navigate the full arc of their lifelong health journey. More importantly, they’re signals that MAC continues to evolve, and lead with intention. We aren’t just a gym; we’re a community integrated into our members’ lives. And we want to better understand where you’ve been, where you are now, and how we can continue to support you going forward.
So, this May, as we reflect and reconnect, I invite you to take that step with us. Complete the assessments. Join the conversations. You’ll see more in future issues of this magazine and across our social channels. Let’s shape the future of MAC together — one step, one story, and one shared habit at a time.
