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With launches in Henry County and Murray County this summer, Georgia's Fitness Court network has grown to 17 locations across more than 15 partner communities.
There is a particular kind of civic confidence that comes when a community does something twice. When Henry County opened its first Fitness Court at JP Moseley Park in Stockbridge in July 2024, County Manager Cheri Hobson-Matthews was already looking ahead. "I am so elated to see that we are being so inclusive as a County by thinking outside the box," she said at the time. "This is certainly going to be one of many more to come."
A little over two years later, Henry County kept that promise. The ribbon was cut on a second Fitness Court at Village United Park in Ellenwood, extending free outdoor fitness to another corner of the county and another community of residents who had been waiting for exactly this.
In the same summer, Murray County opened its first Fitness Court at Veterans Memorial Park in Chatsworth, backed by a partnership with AdventHealth Murray that brought healthcare leadership and county government together around a shared investment in community health. Two counties, two different contexts, two different partnerships, and one shared conviction: that free-to-use, accessible outdoor fitness belongs in Georgia's parks.
Together, these two launches bring Georgia to 17 open Fitness Courts across more than 15 partner communities, a network that now includes Atlanta, Augusta, Brunswick, and Canton, and continues to grow.
Henry County — a promise kept at Village United Park
When Henry County first invested in a Fitness Court at JP Moseley Park, District IV Commissioner Michael Price described it as "another great amenity for our residents" and thanked the county staff who made it possible. What was notable at that first launch was not just the ribbon cutting but the intention behind it. The county was not building a standalone amenity. It was beginning a network.
Village United Park in Ellenwood is the next chapter in that network. District II Commissioner Neat Robinson joined Parks and Recreation Director Jonathon Penn and a crowd of community members for the launch, with residents among the first to try out the seven-station outdoor gym. The park at 1935 Panola Road now offers the same free, bodyweight-based workout experience available at JP Moseley, supported by the free Fitness Court app, and open to all ages and fitness levels.
What Henry County has demonstrated over two years and two sites is that a Fitness Court launch is not a destination. It is a starting point. The county made a commitment to its residents in 2024 and honored it in 2026. That kind of follow-through is what turns individual park improvements into a genuine public health infrastructure.
Murray County — Veterans Memorial Park and a new kind of community investment
Murray County's first Fitness Court at Veterans Memorial Park in Chatsworth came together through a partnership between the county, NFC, and AdventHealth Murray, whose presence reflects something worth naming: when a healthcare system invests in outdoor fitness infrastructure, it is making a statement about where health actually begins. Not in a clinic, but in a park. Not in a waiting room, but on a walking path on a Tuesday morning.
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Noah Bishop, Murray County's Sole Commissioner, put the investment in terms that speak directly to what this campaign is built around:
"This Fitness Court represents exactly the kind of investment we want to make in Murray County: one that gives every resident, regardless of age or income, a place to improve their health right in their own community. I want to thank the National Fitness Campaign and AdventHealth for partnering with us to make this possible, and I'm proud of the work our team put in to bring this project to life."
Michael Ciurea, VP and Administrator at AdventHealth Murray, spoke to the healthcare system's motivation for being at the table:
"Creating opportunities for people to be active is one of the best investments we can make in our community's health. This new outdoor gym provides a welcoming space where people of all ages can connect with their neighbors and make movement a part of their daily lives."
Veterans Memorial Park is a fitting home for this investment. A park named for service, now housing a resource that serves the community those veterans helped build. The Fitness Court is open to residents ages 14 and up, free to use, and supported by guided digital programming through the Fitness Court app.
What Georgia's growth looks like from the outside
Seventeen Fitness Courts across fifteen-plus partner communities is not a collection of individual projects. It is a statewide infrastructure story. Georgia's network spans communities that look very different from one another: urban centers and rural counties, healthcare-backed partnerships and county-led investments, first-time partners and counties that have come back for a second site.
With two more Fitness Courts in development across the state, Georgia's network is not finished yet. Henry County proved that a county willing to invest once will invest again. Murray County proved that a healthcare partner and a county government can build something meaningful together. The question for Georgia's civic leaders now is not whether a Fitness Court belongs in their community. It is when.
If you are a community leader, parks director, or civic partner in Georgia interested in joining the campaign, we would welcome the conversation.
