OHS Cardio Room Becomes A Reality For Students
From left to right: Ginny Foster, Cyndy Gray (Oskaloosa Schools) Scott VanVeldhuizen, Todd Carriker (Oskaloosa Indian Boosters), Madonna Bowie (George Daily Trust and MCCF)
Oskaloosa, Iowa – Once school starts back up again in August, an underutilized room just off the main gym at Oskaloosa High School will be home to an all new fitness option for students.
Eleven different pieces of exercise equipment are on their way to the new facility that will host 3 TV’s and a sound system, and will be much like any other workout room you would find at a YMCA or similar facility.
Oskaloosa Physical Ed teachers Ginny Foster and Cyndy Gray have been planning and raising funds to make it all a reality.
Three treadmills, three elliptical bikes, three upright bikes and one recumbent, rowing machine and other equipment will fill the space. Beyond the cardio equipment, there will also be medicine balls, fitness bars, dumbbells, and jump ropes.
Fitness, health and activity are all the requirements of physical education, and the new room will fit into that by being the activity portion of the program. Fitness will be the weight room, and health will be taught in Ginny Fosters room.
Three local groups have come together to help make the project happen. The George Daily Trust provided $10,000 to help the project along, with the Mahaska County Community Foundation and the Oskaloosa Indian Booster Club each donating $5,000 towards the project.
Madonna Bowie who was on hand to represent both the George Daily Trust as well as MCCF said, “I think it’s a really good opportunity for the kids that aren’t involved in regular athletic activities to learn how to be more aerobically fit.”
Discussion during an initial tour of the room had turned towards students learning and also becoming more comfortable with this type of training environment. “Get more people involved at an early age” said Scott VanVeldhuizen, President of the Oskaloosa Indian Boosters. The hope is that, by becoming more familiar with this type of equipment, it will better prepare them for the similar types of exercise environments they will encounter later in life.
