09/12/2026
To Our Freestate Fitness Family,
There are some things in life that are difficult to put into words, and saying goodbye to this chapter is one of them.
After many incredible years of owning and being a part of this gym, we have made the difficult decision to close our chapter as owners. We believe everything has a season. While we are excited for what the future holds, there is also a deep sadness that comes with leaving something that has meant so much to us and to our family.
This gym has been a part of the Tonganoxie community for more than 25 years, and we are incredibly grateful that we were given the opportunity to be a small part of that story. We never truly felt like it was “ours” just that we were stewards of something so unique to a small town.
For us, this place became so much more than a gym. Our kids grew up here. We spent countless hours here. We celebrated victories, worked through challenges, learned lessons, and built relationships that we will carry with us for the rest of our lives.
Most of you have witnessed it all… the remodels, covid, economy, more remodels, set backs and victories. To the loyal members who continued to show up, support us, encourage us, and believe in what we were building - please know how much that meant to us.
We will forever be grateful to the people who trusted us with their health and fitness journeys. It was never lost on us that you were trusting us with something incredibly personal. We got to witness people become stronger, healthier, more confident, and sometimes completely transform their lives. Being a part of those journeys was one of the greatest privileges of owning this gym.
Some of the people we met through this gym became friends. Some became like family. There are countless conversations, laughs, workouts, celebrations, struggles, and memories that we will never forget. The relationships we built here are something we will treasure long after the doors close on this chapter.
As difficult as it is to leave, we are also incredibly proud of what we have built together. We are proud that we were able to grow the gym and bring it to a place where someone like the new owners, can see its potential and truly take it to the next level. We believe this community deserves that.
We are so excited and encouraged by the new owner, who has both the ability and the support needed to make Freestate Fitness even better. We believe they have the vision, dedication, and resources to build on what has been created and continue serving this community in meaningful ways. They respect the journey FSF has had, yet look forward to investing to make it even better. Knowing the gym is in capable hands and has the opportunity to grow and thrive brings us a great deal of peace and excitement.
While this transition is bittersweet, we are also genuinely excited for this next chapter in our family’s lives. Owning the gym has opened up new opportunities for us that we are ready to explore. We look forward to the new experiences, and memories ahead, while always carrying the memories and relationships from these several years with us.
This isn’t goodbye to the community—we will still be your neighbors, your friends, and a part of Tonganoxie. But it is goodbye to a chapter that has shaped our family in ways we never could have imagined when we started this journey.
Thank you for allowing our family to be a part of your lives.
We will forever look back on this time with an enormous amount of gratitude. We are leaving with full hearts, even as there is a little sadness in letting go.
Be on the lookout for an announcement from the new owners, once the transfer is complete.
Thank you, Tonganoxie, for allowing us to be part of your story. It has been an honor, a privilege, and one of the greatest chapters of our lives.
With love and sincere gratitude,
The Kouns Family ❤️
