Inspiring Libertyville Woman Helps Others Put Fitness First

The new year is upon us, and as February begins, how many of us have let our New Year’s Resolutions fall by the way side? Fitness is a common theme when it comes to our annual pledges of change in a new year, but with the prospect of freezing temperatures and crowded and impersonal gyms, no wonder it’s so hard to stick to.

That’s where Nancy Hildebrandt comes in.

After establishing herself in the business world, Nancy found her health taking a back seat to her career. Holding various management positions within the health care sector, and traveling a lot, she struggled to keep up with the kind of fitness she had appreciated throughout her twenties. That all changed, however, when her mother was diagnosed with two different types of cancer. Nancy stopped traveling so that she could be home and help her parents navigate this difficult time. An active woman before her diagnosis, Nancy’s mother was able to improve her circumstances during treatment. During this time, her mother continued to get to the gym when she could not only for the health benefits but to maintain the social support system that the gym provided for her.

This experience was really life changing for Nancy, who decided that she wanted to be able to make health a priority again and have a more direct impact on the health of others – and thus Pinnacle Fitness was born. But Nancy didn’t want to just open any other gym, and she certainly hasn’t.

A lot of these big box gyms, they’re almost anonymous. You walk in there and you see this equipment and you don’t know how to use it and it’s very intimidating

Opening its doors in 2009, Pinnacle is a one-of-a-kind gym with a very important mission. “A lot of these big box gyms, they’re almost anonymous. You walk in there and you see this equipment and you don’t know how to use it and it’s very intimidating… Unfortunately, a lot of them are set up more as a sales model than as a ”let’s get our clients fit model,” Hildebrandt says. Pinnacle caters specifically to older adults and to women, and seeks to create a safe space for clients to reach their potential.

With its 1350 sq. feet and small group classes of 3-4 people, Nancy wants to make sure her clients know that they are making an investment in their health, and that they are part of a community. The smaller groups guarantee a more individualized approach and allows each client’s goals and limitations to be taken into account. She says that going to the gym can be a vulnerable experience, she wants Pinnacle to be a place where people can come and feel safe and meet their goals in a supportive environment.

You never think it’s going to be you. It might be 1 in 5 women but you always think, it’s going to be one of those 4 over there.

When Nancy was diagnosed with breast cancer a few years ago, that mission came full circle. She still worked as much as she was able during her treatment and her experiences reinforced her beliefs in prioritizing health, fitness, and community. Her employees and clients all rallied around her and supported her through her treatments. The experience taught her how important it is to accept help when it is offered, and to ask for it when you need it, “I was building a community for them but didn’t even realized it would be a community for me on my journey.”

To date, Nancy is in remission and still working at Pinnacle and running groups every day. So for those of you out there who are struggling to keep up with your resolutions to get fit, why not take Nancy’s advice, and make an investment in your health, “Making an investment in your health is probably the best thing you can do with your money.”