Darci Hoffman

When is a gym more than just machinery? For Darci Hoffman and Garnett Fitness a gym should generate feelings of support, community, and encouragement - like a family.  

This month we spoke with Darci about her lifelong dream and how Adel helped that dream come true.

Darci Hoffman has always wanted to own her very own gym. Even in her earliest ideas of her dream facility; Garnett Fitness, taken from Darci's maiden name, was to be its' moniker.  

She has been passionate about helping others lose weight, get in shape, and realize their wellness goals since her time as a high school track participant.

In fact, it was at an ADM track meet where Darci first fell in love with the community. Marching off the bus, her first impression of town was the then new track and field at the ADM high school. The quality of the track and its' maintenance displayed to Darci a sense of community pride that stuck with her. After graduating from Wayne State in Nebraska for Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, she returned to Iowa, and 7 years ago became an official Adel towns person.

"I said to my husband, 'I think this is where we should live some day', and it's been a good choice! Adel is a great community and I love it."

For a time, Darci worked as a Personal Trainer. She and her husband Erik then started their family and Darci became a full time mother. Once their daughters Haley and Lucy grew a little older, she knew it was time to make Garnett Fitness a reality.

Why Adel? Darci admits that while she wanted to be close to home, she simply didn't want to leave Adel. "I knew people in the community and I wanted to have the gym in town for the people that I know and don't know."

Garnett Fitness provides 3 workout classes and one-on-one sessions. This schedule helps Darci maintain her work and family lives, while staying flexible to client needs and schedules.

Circuit Training at Garnett Fitness

Currently, Garnett Fitness offers Circuit Training classes, taught by Darci, 7 times a week. During Circuit Training Darci focuses on using clients own weight as resistance, while encouraging everyone to work at their own pace. Classes are available in the early morning, afternoon, and evenings.

Dance Fitness, which involves a fun, total body workout in an almost party-like setting, is taught by instructor Cassie Eckstein 3 times a week, mornings and weekends.

On Monday nights Yoga Instructor Angie walks attendants through a series of freestyle movements aimed to "Ignite the Fire Within" while releasing stress, expressing creativity, and challenging ones self.

For those nervous about attending a class for fear of looking out of place, feeling overweight, or being judged, Darci has these words of encouragement:

"No one shows up in the perfect little outfit, looking just so. Everyone is here to do the workout, to sweat. Everyone has a starting point. It doesn't matter what size or weight you are. Be proud of attending class because you're here to make yourself healthy, to feel better about yourself. You should be proud of that."

One-on-One training sessions with Darci begin with an assessment of need and goals. If a client needs help with balance, strengthening an injury, or has an ideal weight in mind, Darci customizes a wellness program to accomplish that task. At Garnett Fitness you are not paying a trainer to work out beside you. Darci focuses her attention on the client to make sure the exercises are being done properly to be both effective and safe. This also gives Darci the ability to talk with her clients, learn more about them, and connect. With more than 60 clients ranging from ages 24-66 in the Adel area, this is a winning game plan.

"After having my 3rd child, I really wanted to get myself back into shape. However, I was picky because (like most people) I have a crazy schedule with kid activities and work. I wanted to be able to find somewhere local with a person to motivate me. I also get bored very easy, so I needed variety. I was so lucky to find all of this with Darci at Garnett Fitness. I started with her in October of 2011. I have lost 30 pounds, gone down 3 pant sizes, and became happy with my body again. Thanks Darci!" Meredith, courtesy of www.garnettfitness.com 

For Garnett Fitness, this is just the beginning. Darci continues to have big dreams for the gym that she can't wait to realize. In April Darci began a monthly support group to discuss healthy eating habits and recipes, available and free to Circuit Training, Dance Fitness, and Yoga class attendants. Watch for additional announcements as she begins to offer classes specifically for children, as well as kid-focused Question & Answer sessions regarding health and wellness!

Congratulations to Darci for making Garnett Fitness a reality- all that from a dream, a passion, and a track meet.

Garnett Fitness

104 S. 7th. St.

Adel, Iowa 50003

Phone: (515) 250-8505

Website: www.GarnettFitness.com 

Email: GarnettFitness@yahoo.com 

Facebook: Garnett-Fitness 

Adel Quilting & Dallas County Fair Contest 

Potential Hotel Project in Adel - Meeting 

BASE®

• $5,000 was put into John's Bereavement Fund at the Mercy Foundation-the SOLE fund that helps give keepsakes and coping education in the Mercy Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and Pediatric Emergency Room.
• 3 Defibrillators (AEDs) were donated to the Panorama School District-including 2 for the school buildings and 1 to travel with the athletic events.
• 1 Defibrillator (AED) was donated to the Adel-De Soto-Minburn School District to travel with the athletic events.
• 1 Defibrillator (AED) was donated to the Nodaway Valley School District to travel with the athletic events.
• Adopted a family who suffered the loss of an infant during 2012 to help cope with their first Christmas with a "Cheer Box".
• Replacement pads and batteries given to the Adel-De Soto-Minburn School District for prior AEDs donated that were expired.

This year BASE® will once again sell Butter Braids with all proceeds benefiting the John D. Gomke Charity. 

Something new that BASE® is planning, in hopes of generating more funds and awareness in the Dallas County area for the charity, is the addition of a Schwan's fundraiser. If you are interested in supporting the Gomke Charity and are interested in participating in the Butter Braid or Schwan's Fundraiser, then take note of the upcoming events: 

• May 1-May 15 - Any gift cards purchased through www.schwans.com or by calling 1-888-SCHWANS during this time frame will help support the local charity. Be sure to use the campaign id: 43069.
• May 17 - A Schwan Truck Event will be held from 2-6 p.m. in the Iowa Realty parking lot at the corner of Hwy 6 & Hwy 169 in Adel. Stop by the truck and purchase products from a large variety of food items on the spot - drop in's welcome!
• May 1-31 - BASE® will be selling Butter Braids and Cookie Dough for $12 each. Butter Braids come in a variety of flavors: cinnamon, apple, blueberry, cherry, almond crème, raspberry and strawberry cream cheese. Cookie dough flavors include: chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin and peanut butter. If you are interested please call BASE® at (515) 993-5050 and ask for Joe Havenhill.

BASE® hopes you will join them in supporting this great organization, and help the Gomke Charity to do even more in 2013. To learn more about the charity visit www.johndgomkecharity.org. If you have questions about how you can support the charity through BASE®'s fundraising efforts, please email info@BASEonline.com with the subject line Gomke.  

At the Adel Public Library we are looking towards summer, and anticipating all of our fun summer activities and programs.  

Information about the Adel Public Library and all of our clubs, events, and programs is always available on our website at www.adelpl.org, or you can follow us on Facebook and Twitter.   

We are busy collecting donations for our Friends of the Library monthly Garage Sales which run during the last weekend of the month from May through October.  

Donations can be dropped off at the library during regular hours.  

Our first Garage Sale of the summer is Friday May 31st from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and Saturday June 1st 10:00 am to Noon.

In addition to planning our garage sales, we are also preparing for the annual Friends of the Library Book Sale which always happens during Adel's Sweet Corn Festival in August.  

We are eagerly sorting and organizing books, and will happily take any book donations.

All proceeds from the Garage Sales and Book Sale are used by the Friends of the Adel Public Library for special projects and programs at the library.

Our Dig into Reading Summer Reading Program starts in June and the library is excited to host Jester Puppets for their Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Summer Reading Program at our Kick off in June.  

Ms. Laura and Ms. Paula are busily planning all kinds of exciting events and activities for all four age groups; babies, school agers, teenagers, and adults.  

Sign-ups for all four programs begins at the end of May.

The library will have an Early Out Movie for all school-aged children on Wednesday, May 8th and we'll be watching "Madagascar III" on our big screen.

The last monthly meeting of the Teen Advisory Board during this school year is on Tuesday, May 14th at 4:00 p.m. The TAB takes the summer off and will not meet again until this fall.