of options, fitness training, racquet sports, aquatics, family-friendly play spaces, and even a neighborhoodstyle recreation area designed for families with kids ages 6-12 in mind. Yet the size and amenities are only part of the story. What truly defines the RAC is its culture of care, innovation, and community. LOBBYING FOR HEALTH For General Manager Brent Frueh, the RAC’s impact goes far beyond its walls. Advocacy for the health and fitness industry has become one of the club’s most important roles, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. “We’re one of the larger individual health clubs in the country,” Frueh says.“We’ve been a member of the Health and Fitness Association since the club opened, and when COVID hit our industry, we realized quickly that we weren’t well represented in Washington. We weren’t considered an essential business; we were lumped in with bars and restaurants. But what we do for people’s health and well-being is far more important than that.” That experience spurred the RAC to strengthen its investment in the Health and Fitness Association, funneling membership dues toward lobbying efforts designed to elevate the industry’s voice. Assistant General Manager Sarah Stille has taken that advocacy to Capitol Hill. “I was fortunate to attend the HFA fly-in earlier this year with my REX Roundtable group, the Iron Maidens,” she recalls. “We met with various members of congress to advocate for the PHIT Act. It was important to make our presence known and show how preventive care through fitness keeps communities healthier.” Peer groups like REX Roundtables provide both accountability and influence. The RAC’s leadership participates at every level, Stille in her all-women’s group, Frueh in a general managers’ group, and the club’s owner in an owners’ roundtable. “It’s a big investment,” Frueh notes, “but it gives us a louder, more unified voice across the industry.” Fitness Director Dr. Steve Boring emphasizes how urgent that voice has become.“It was shocking that industries like alcohol were deemed essential, but health and wellness were not. That taught us that if we don’t tell our story, no one else will.” A FAMILY-FOCUSED FITNESS DESTINATION Advocacy may shape the RAC’s national presence, but at home in Rochester, its mission is about community and family. Serving nearly 16,000 members in a city of 130,000, the club has become a cornerstone for wellness and recreation. “We’re a multipurpose club,” Frueh says. “Beyond 75 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 09 ROCHESTER ATHLETIC CLUB
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