Have a Heart Foundation Supports

A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, Col Reese Turner has worked as a fitness trainer with Proformance Health & Well-Being, CycleBar, and F45. Outside his work in the fitness industry, Col Reese Turner has volunteered with several nonprofit organizations, including the Have A Heart Foundation.

Founded on the principle that high-quality healthcare should not be a luxury, the Have A Heart Foundation funds cardiovascular care for individuals through the Have A Heart Clinic. The clinic receives patients from all over Kentucky and southern Indiana, providing compassionate, affordable care for those with heart disease and other heart conditions.

Because many of the clinic’s patients are uninsured, the clinic utilizes a “pay it forward” method, accepting insurance from the patients who have it and using those funds to treat patients who qualify for free service. With just six full-time members, the clinic relies primarily on the generosity of volunteers to provide preventive services and treatment options for patients. For example, the clinic has performed more than 300 free community cardiovascular screenings since 2018.

US Army Reaches 2020 Recruiting

Col. Reese Turner joined Louisville, Kentucky’s Proformance Health and Well-Being as director of operations in 2018. A member of the Military Officer Association of America (MOAA), retired Col. Reese Turner has closely followed US military recruiting efforts during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In October, the United States Army announced that it had reached recruiting and retention goals for the 2020 fiscal year despite myriad challenges created by the global coronavirus pandemic. A Congress-mandated target of 485,383 active duty soldiers was maintained through the end of September, with eyes already turned toward 2021 goals, which will be between 1,000 and 1,500 soldiers greater than 2020.

Furthermore, the Army will continue to work towards increased diversity among ranks, including a greater presence of female and minority soldiers. For 2020, 53 percent of the 62,150 recruits that entered basic training were white, while 82 percent were male. Army personnel chief Lt. Gen. Gary Brito said these figures represented slight improvements, but that there was still more work to be done. 

Marshawn Lynch Distributes Turkeys for Thanksgiving in Hawaii

The recipient of a master's degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College, Col. Reese Turner spent more than two decades in various leadership roles with the U.S. Army. He presently serves as a fitness coach at F45 and indoor cycling instructor at CycleBar. An avid football fan, Col. Reese Turner counts Marshawn Lynch as one of his favorite all-time players.

A five-time Pro Bowl running back, Lynch last played for the Seattle Seahawks in 2019. Rather than preparing for a game ahead of Thanksgiving in 2020, the 34-year-old native of Oakland, California, was in Hawaii, where he donated 200 turkeys to individuals in need near Aloha Stadium in Honolulu. Lynch, who now resides in Hawaii, facilitated the donation through partnerships with his Fam 1st Family Foundation between Young's Fish Market, Barefoot League Hawaii, and Tamura Super Market.

This isn't the first time Lynch, affectionately known as “Beast Mode,” has pursued philanthropic ventures. This past April, he drove through a park in Oakland and distributed free face masks. Early in his NFL career, he was recognized in this area as the Oakland Raiders' nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year. Among other activities, he hosts an annual youth football camp and invited youth to watch the Raiders play in London. His Fam 1st Family Foundation also hosts several education-focused programs for youth.

Confederate Generals’ Names on US Army Posts - an Ongoing Controversy

 Retired Army Col. Reese Turner serves as a coach at physical fitness centers in the area of Louisville, Kentucky. A graduate of West Point, he earned masters’ degrees from the University of Phoenix in Las Vegas, Nevada, and the United States Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. In his more than 30 years in the Army, Col. Reese Turner served in numerous posts across the country. 

Of the countless installations operated by the United States military, 10 are named for Confederate generals who led troops against the forces of the United States. In the summer of 2020, calls arose for the nation to rename the bases, pointing out the unseemliness of naming American military installations in honor of generals who fought against the US. These posts, all built in the former states of the Confederacy, where land was cheap and the climate permitted nearly year-round training, were established in the periods before World Wars I and II to train the large numbers of troops the wars would need. In the ongoing efforts of reconciliation with the southern states, the Army consulted with local authorities on naming the new posts after former Confederate generals.

They were presented with names such as Robert E. Lee, A.P. Hill, John Brown Gordon, and Braxton Bragg. Some of these men were noteworthy for their military prowess, many were slaveholders, and some were instrumental in the post-war establishment of the KKK and Jim Crow in the south. The 2020 renewal of calls to rename these bases came during a time of civil unrest marked by the removal or toppling of statues erected of Confederate generals. For several reasons, the focus of protests shifted without a resolution on the renaming of the Army posts, leaving it as an important issue that needs to be decided upon later.

Kentuckians Return to Gyms

Retired Army Col. Reese Turner learned leadership at West Point, the Army War College, and in more than 30 years as a commissioned officer. Since his retirement, Col. Reese Turner has spearheaded an IT training operation for people transitioning out of the military and those with disadvantaged backgrounds. Today, he directs the operations of Proformance Health & Well-Being in Louisville, Kentucky.

The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic in the United States caused most states to shut down commercial enterprises for as long as possible. When they learned more about the disease and how to limit its spread, states began permitting establishments to reopen cautiously with limitations to minimize the transmission of the virus.

Minimizing the risk of transmission, especially in fitness centers, is a challenge. When fitness centers reopened in Kentucky on June 1, 2020, after more than two months, they could operate at only a third of their normal capacity, and they had a long list of state mandates.

Despite the risk, the restrictions, and the mandates, people returned to fitness centers and gyms. Participants and facility staff members are health-conscious and generally observant of social distancing and personal protective equipment requirements. 

Transitional Living Services with Boys and Girls Haven

A veteran of the United States Army and a fitness enthusiast, Col Reese Turner is the director of operations and a trainer/coach at ProFormance Health and Well-Being, and a spin instructor at CycleBar Middletown Station. Committed to giving back to the community, Col Reese Turner serves on the boards of non-profit organizations such as the Metro United Way, Special Olympics Kentucky and the Boys and Girls Haven of Louisville.

In 1948, Father James Mahoney established the Boys and Girls Haven to care for abandoned and abused children in the Louisville area. Since then, the home has expanded to serve 1,000 individuals each year in five core programs, including in-home foster care, residential foster care, and transitional housing. The organization’s transitional living services support youth aged 18 to 21 who have aged out of the foster care system but lack the resources for independent living.

The program’s structured, dorm-style housing is fully staffed and supervised, providing young adults with resources such as coaching and job readiness training to help them successfully transition to adulthood. The program also connects individuals with mental health services and financial education.

CycleBars Reopening with Safety Measures in Place

West Point alumnus Col (R) Reese Turner has served his country for over 30 years and deployed to different countries in the war against terror. He continues to serve his community as a board member of four nonprofit organizations. Col (R) Reese Turner promotes a healthy lifestyle as a spin instructor at the CycleBar studios in Middletown Station in Kentucky.

As CycleBar reopens its cycling studios across the country, the company is adhering to all local and state regulations relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. CycleBar is strictly following CDC guidelines and reconfiguring its operations to provide a safe environment for its clients. The studios are reducing their class sizes to ensure riders are socially distanced at least six feet apart during classes and while in the facility.

Clients must also affirm that they are in good health upon booking a class and sign a waiver affirming that they will adhere to the new studio policies. Through the Ride CycleBar Mobile App, clients check-in using their phone prior to entering the studio instead of going to the front desk kiosk to cut down on the amount of interaction among the riders.. Upon entering the studio and riders getting on their bikes, the instructor gives all commands verbally and demonstrates with no hands-on adjustments. After every class, the bikes and equipment is meticulously cleaned with approved products to sanitize all equipment before the next class of riders enter into the studio.

The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically altered the lives of people, with the reopening of exercise facilities, people have a sense of returned normalcy. They can regain their physical health, and exercise is also a proven antidote against depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues.