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(Tampa, Florida – September 28, 2026) — Hillsborough County Public Schools, The Bullard Family Foundation, TampaWell activated by Tampa General Hospital (TGH), and National Fitness Campaign (NFC) announced a partnership to bring an outdoor Fitness Court Studio® and digital wellness programming to Sligh Middle Magnet School. The Fitness Court®, located at 2011 E. Sligh Ave, Tampa, FL 33610, opened Friday, September 25, 2026, at 8:00am with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
This Fitness Court Studio was developed by Sligh Middle Magnet School, The Bullard Family Foundation, TampaWell activated by Tampa General Hospital, and NFC to expand free access to high-quality workouts and create equitable access to exercise for communities across the region. The Fitness Court Studio is the world’s best outdoor gym that lets users leverage their own body weight to get a complete workout using seven exercise stations.
The Fitness Court Studio workouts are adaptable for all fitness levels, allowing participants to move at their own pace. Users also may download the free Fitness Court App which acts as a coach-in-your-pocket and enhances the outdoor gym into a digitally supported wellness experience. Hillsborough County Public Schools is one of the first Campaign Partners helping to build a network of Fitness Courts across the region, and Sligh Middle Magnet School is among the first middle schools in the nation to join the Campaign, with the help of TampaWell activated by Tampa General Hospital.
"Sligh is home for me,” said Thaddeus Bullard aka WWE Legend Titus O’Neil and founder and president of the Bullard Family Foundation. “I saw myself in these students from the day I walked onto this campus, and everything the Bullard Family Foundation does here is about making sure they have access to the opportunities and resources that shape who they become. This Fitness Court gives our students, their families and the entire East Tampa community a free place to move, get stronger and take care of themselves, right in their own neighborhood. Thank you to Tampa General and National Fitness Campaign for believing in this community the way I do."
"At Hillsborough County Public Schools, we know that healthy students are better prepared to learn, grow, and succeed. We are proud to bring this state-of-the-art Fitness Court to Sligh Middle Magnet School, giving our students and community a fun, innovative, and accessible way to stay active while promoting lifelong healthy habits," said Hillsborough County Public Schools Superintendent Van Ayres.
“As a medical and sports science magnet, our students learn what it means to care for the human body. Now they'll have a place right on campus to practice what they're learning about health and movement, and so will their families and neighbors,” said Sligh Middle Magnet School Principal Angela Brown. “This Fitness Court is an extension of who we are as a school, and we're grateful to The Bullard Family Foundation, Tampa General Hospital and National Fitness Campaign for investing in Cougar Nation.”
“National Fitness Campaign and their Fitness Courts align with TampaWell’s mission to activate communities through an ecosystem that empowers mobility, mindfulness and care,” said Rachel Hoyer, assistant director of community wellness at Tampa General. “We are proud to be the exclusive partner of this initiative in the bay area and look forward to reaching our goal of 170 Fitness Courts in our region by 2030.”
“We are excited to have Sligh Middle Magnet School join us in the journey to improve health and wellness as we work to make a powerful and long lasting impact on health outcomes and happiness by building healthy communities across America,’’ said Mitch Menaged, founder of National Fitness Campaign. “The addition of the outdoor Fitness Court, along with digital wellness programming, demonstrates a tremendous commitment to the health and wellbeing within the Tampa community.”
For more information on Tampa General Hospital’s support of NFC, please visit https://www.nationalfitnesscampaign.com/florida.
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About Hillsborough County Public Schools
Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) is the seventh-largest school district in the nation and the third largest in Florida, serving more than 200,000 students across a diverse portfolio of traditional public schools, magnet programs, career and technical education pathways, and choice options. Guided by a commitment to academic excellence, innovation, and student success, HCPS prepares learners for college, career, and life through high-quality instruction, strong community partnerships, and a focus on meeting the needs of every student. The district is proud to have earned an A district grade from the State of Florida and remains committed to providing every student with the opportunities, support and pathways needed to succeed. Learn more at hillsboroughschools.org.
About the Bullard Family Foundation
The Bullard Family Foundation was started in 2018 by Thaddeus Bullard aka WWE Legend Titus O’Neil. Its mission is to provide families and children everywhere with moments, programs and resources to help build character and improve outcomes in communities. The Foundation is headquartered in Tampa, FL. Visit bullardfamilyfoundation.org and follow along on Facebook and Instagram.
ABOUT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL
Tampa General Hospital, Florida’s premier academic health system, is a 1,530-bed not-for-profit network of hospital and outpatient services spanning Florida. As the only center for Level l trauma and comprehensive burn care center serving 23 counties, Tampa General delivers world-class care. The system’s hospitals include Tampa General Hospital, Tampa General Rehabilitation Hospital, Tampa General Behavioral Health Hospital, all in Tampa; Tampa General Brooksville, Tampa General Spring Hill and Tampa General Crystal River. Tampa General is the highest-ranked hospital in Tampa Bay in U.S. News & World Report's 2026-2027 Best Hospitals for 11 consecutive years, with five medical specialties ranking among the top 50, two additional medical specialties ranked among the top 100 best hospital programs and two specialties ranked in the top 10% in the United States. As the first hospital in Florida to open a clinical command center for real-time situational awareness, the academic health system has elevated its digital care coordination center to the next level by leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and its analytics platform across inpatient and outpatient care to ensure patients receive leading-edge care as quickly and safely as possible. Tampa General’s commitment to growing and developing its team members is recognized by four prestigious Forbes magazine rankings — in the 2026 America's Best Large Employers ranked as the Tampa Bay region's #1 employer in the healthcare category for the sixth year in a row, the 2026 America's Best Employers for Company Culture, in the top 100 for the 2026 America's Best Employers for New Grads and the 2026 America's Best Employers for Women.
Tampa General is the area’s safety-net hospital, caring for anyone regardless of ability to pay; in fiscal year 2024, Tampa General provided a net community benefit of approximately $289.1 million in the form of healthcare for underinsured patients, community education and financial support to community health organizations in Tampa Bay. It is recognized as one of the leading adult solid organ transplant centers in the nation and is the primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. With five medical helicopters, Tampa General transports critically injured or ill patients from surrounding counties to receive the advanced care their conditions require. Tampa General has a nationally accredited comprehensive stroke center and its 32-bed Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit is the largest on the West Coast of Florida. It is home to the Muma Children’s Hospital at TGH, the Jennifer Leigh Muma 82-bed neonatal intensive care unit and a nationally accredited rehabilitation center. Tampa General’s footprint includes TGH North, which consists of three hospitals and several outpatient locations in Citrus and Hernando counties; Tampa General Medical Group Primary Care offices; TGH Family Care Center Kennedy; TGH outpatient centers; TGH Virtual Health; and TGH Imaging outpatient radiology centers throughout Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Palm Beach counties. Tampa Bay area residents receive world-class care from the TGH Urgent Care, powered by the Fast Track network of clinics. To see a medical care professional live anytime, anywhere on a smartphone, tablet or computer, visit Virtual Health | Tampa General Hospital (tgh.org). For more information, go to www.tgh.org.
About National Fitness Campaign
Founded in San Francisco in 1979, National Fitness Campaign (NFC) is a wellness consulting firm that provides programs and services to cities, schools and sponsors. Our mission is to build healthy communities nationwide. The campaign delivers an integrated wellness initiative, centered around the Fitness Court®– the world's best outdoor gym. National Fitness Campaign is preparing to welcome its 750th healthy community in 2026, as it continues to grow the country’s largest public-private partnership in support of wellness with the goal of building a Fitness Court® within 10-minutes of every American. Learn more about National Fitness Campaign at nationalfitnesscampaign.com and follow along on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.
