12/07/2025
Where do I begin?
When we opened Top Spot inside the OrthoIllinois Fieldhouse in May 2022, it wasn’t just a business decision. It was born from some of the most painful and transformative moments of our lives. After our son, , was born and we learned he had suffered major strokes, everything inside me shifted.
My husband and I had always dreamed of creating something with purpose and belonging—a place where my transition students could someday work, and where siblings with and without special needs could grow together and feel valued. Top Spot became that vision.
We planned for a private gym, but when the opportunity came to invest in the fieldhouse, everything changed. Top Spot was paused, and when we finally began, we had no real space of our own. We rolled mats on and off the turf daily, hoping families would come.
And you did. You showed up. You trusted us. You believed in something small, humble, and built with heart.
Eventually, we turned an old storage space into a tiny gym built with sweat, late nights, and hope. Inside those walls, we created something special. It became the first place in years where I felt like myself again—my safe and happy place, second only to being with Mila and Vinny.
Watching your athletes grow in confidence, skill, bravery, and self-worth has been one of the greatest honors of my life. Yes, there were tears and bruises, but there was even more laughter, friendship, and joy. Those memories are forever a part of me.
None of it would have been possible without our coaches. They weren’t just staff—they were family. They believed in me, our mission, and loved your athletes, Mila, and Vinny so deeply. I will never be able to thank them enough.
Thank you for trusting us with your athletes, their training, and their dreams. Thank you for loving my kids and me through some of the hardest seasons of our lives.
Because of all this love, sharing this next part is incredibly difficult: we were recently notified that we must vacate our gym space by December 31st. We will continue holding classes and camps throughout this month as we transition.
Please know I will continue cheering for your athletes wherever they go. Once you’re part of Top Spot, you’re part of my heart forever.
I don’t know exactly what the future holds, but being part of your families’ lives has been one of the greatest honors of my life. I am humbled, grateful, and forever changed.
With all my love,
Alana