The towering pylon sign of the BEST WESTERN PLUS Brandywine Inn & Suites, a AAA 3-Diamond hotel in the heart of Monticello (pop 5378), IN, focuses on the hotel and dominates the smaller signage at the bottom, but the name of the club is right there in big bold white letters against a blue background, and Sculptures Sports & Fitness Club is the perfect complement for travelers looking to unwind from their journey or local residents who want to stay in shape.
The 37,000 square foot club has been open for more than a decade – the year 2000 to be exact – and is easily the best thing in fitness for miles around, serving almost 1800 active members of all ages (hotel guests enjoy complimentary privileges). Located just around the corner from the front entrance of the hotel at 304 South 6th Street and adjoining the Brandywine Reception & Meeting Center, Sculptures is part of an impressive multiplex of lodging, fitness, and meeting space.
The workout room is brightly-lit with and open ceiling and is well-equipped with top-of-the-line Cybex selectorized machines and free weights on a colorfully-patterned carpet that gives the whole room some real pizzazz. The walls in the fitness area are accented with shades of green and capped with indirect lighting for a nice touch.
In contrast, the separate cardio room has more subdued lighting so that members can focus on the TV screens in relative anonymity and forget about everything else around them while they stride on their ellipticals or jog on their treadmills.
The club also boasts two tanning rooms to avoid that pasty-white look from those long Indiana winters, and the group exercise studio offers classes in Turbo Kick, Dance Fitness, Advanced Cardio, Body Smith, Step Aerobics, Hustle, Zumba, and PiYo Strength to keep members moving and grooving all year long. They have classes for the Silver Sneakers crowd too.
Members who prefer to get wet for their group exercise can participate in the daily weekday water aerobics classes in the heated indoor pool or swim a few laps during he lunch hour. They even offer children’s swim classes.
Courts? The club boasts two racquetball/wallyball courts, an indoor tennis court and a regulation "Hoosier" basketball court with active leagues and plenty of room to host birthday parties and other events.
This club has a lot to offer.
Manager Lara Rodgers grew up in nearby Monon (pop 1,777), IN, where she graduated from North White High School. She earned a certificate in Surgical Technology in 1992 from Ivy Tech Community College and graduated from Indiana Business College – now Harrison College - in 2007 with an Associates Degree in Office Administration. After trying her hand at various positions related to her training and education - as a Surgery Technician in the in the Operating Room and Obstetrics Department at the local hospital, as a Secretary for a Physical Therapy Department, as a Daycare Provider, and as a Patient Account Manager for a local physician – she finally found her calling in the fitness industry.
“I’ve had multiple career changes,” she says, “but I’ve lost a very large amount of weight on my own, and now health and fitness is my passion. I was not an athlete in high school, but I’ve since become certified as an instructor in Turbo Kick, PiYo Strength, and Hustle, and I love seeing people work so hard to reach their health and fitness goals and being a part of their success.”
Great facilities and a passionate fitness professional make a pretty good combination in the heart of America or anywhere else.
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