Geared Up Issue 2 2015 | Page 8

member news Meet Jack Henson: Planet Fitness’s Biggest Fan J ack Henson is the son of PFKC Inc. franchisee Greg Henson, who owns six clubs in the Kansas City metropolitan area. Jack is 15 years old and starts ninth grade this fall. Like many boys his age, he enjoys playing with his golden retriever, swimming, biking and family vacations. However, he may also be the nation’s biggest Planet Fitness fan. In fact, Jack is so devoted to the brand that he PF’s biggest fan, Jack Henson, hugs his dog Ninja in his Planet Fitness-branded bedroom. only wears Planet Fitness apparel, rides a Planet Fitness bike and even has his entire bedroom decked out in Planet Fitness decor! “Jack is a special guy; he was adopted from Russia when he was 5 years old. We adopted him with his sister Gillian and he is our youngest child. I think he feels a certain ownership because his brother, Seth and I are both owners in a Planet Fitness franchise. He wears Planet Fitness gear every day and at school he is known as the Planet Jack shows off his special Planet Fitness Fitness kid. So, backbike. to-school shopping for Jack is really simple. All I have to do is go online to the Planet Fitness website and there is everything I need. It’s really simple!”laughed Henson. Jack’s love for all things Planet Fitness all started three years ago when Greg Henson began opening clubs alongside his brother and Jack’s uncle, Brad Henson. PFKC grew as a family business when the eldest Henson son, Seth, became the vice president of operations. Jack’s older sister, Abby, also joined the PF team as a marketing/purchasing coordinator. Jack is so proud of his family’s business and the Planet Fitness brand that he quite literally wears his pride on his sleeve. G PFKC Sponsors Local Memorial Races and Triathlons 2015 Issue 2 | GearedUp P 6 FKC Inc. sponsored the fourth annual Matt Mason Memorial Cowboy-UP! Triathlon Aug. 2, 2015, in Smithville Lake, Missouri. Matt Mason was a local of Kansas City who, after serving in the military for 12 years, lost his life Aug. 6, 2011, while on a mission in Afghanistan with his SEAL Team. The triathlon is held to commemorate his memory and all proceeds benefit several charities which include, but are not limited to, two scholarships in Mason’s name for Maple Woods Community College and Northwest Missouri State University. PFKC Inc. franchisee, Brad Henson, was contacted by one of his friends in the military who thought Planet Fitness would be a perfect fit as a sponsor for the triathlon.“And it was a good fit!” enthused Henson.“It is such a worthy cause. Not only does it support the scholarships in his name, it gives us tremendous exposure in the community.” The triathlon hosts a large number of participants from all over the region, spanning several states — many of whom are military personnel — coming to honor the SEAL by participating in the triathlon. This year’s event hosted 350 participants alone, not including the spectators and volunteers that were a part of the large production. Several PFKC employees served as volunteers for the event and a few even participated in the triathlon themselves, which consisted of a 500-meter swim in Smithville Lake, an 11-mile bike ride and a 3.1-mile run.“The advanced athletes, which are mainly military, finished in the hour range. Our manager, Sam Hagan, finished at one hour and 30 minutes, which is very respectable for his first triathlon. One of his employees, Troy Justice, finished behind Sam,”boasted Henson.“We were proud of PFKC’s