A Community Hub for Wellness, Movement, and Opportunity

Thielen Foundation is proud to support V3 Sports, in bringing a first-class fitness, nutrition and wellness facility to a community that is so worthy. Our mission at our foundation is to provide programs and resources to help youth to reach their full potential and V3 Sports is a perfect fit for kids and families in North Minneapolis. Our hope is that kids thrive with personal growth and confidence in the pools and weight room at V3 Sports and that positive impact spills over into successful futures.

You can’t really expect a kid to navigate their world without some trusted adults who can help them figure out how they can make the most of it. It’s really about a community standing behind these kids, not just ho hold their hands, but to get them off to a good start that will lead them to great places.

My fear never really allowed me to learn. Now that I have daughters, I’ve had to overcome this fear with them. We found out through V3 Sports that she (my 12 year old daughter) can actually swim. I thought she didn’t know how to because of my own fear. But now, she has a mean stroke and I have a smooth glide.

Anytime anyone invests in our community, invests in young people, that’s something that’s going to impact everybody and impact everybody in a very good way. For young people, it’s having the opportunity to be more active, to gain more confidence from being involved in activities and realizing the things they can do. V3 Sports is helping open doors for them. 

I’m the oldest of four siblings. When I was younger, after a soccer tournament, I almost drowned in the pool with all my friends. Luckily, my mom was there to save me and pull me out. The next week, I started swimming lessons.

It is going to be a place where young and old, and everyone in between, can build up their muscles and participate in athletics year-round. It will also be a place where we, as a community, can conquer this long-held fear of water and lack of access within our underrepresented communities of color.

The efforts and what V3 Sports is doing is astounding, it’s taking me back to my childhood. Although this is my professional job, I almost drowned at 5. I had humble, humble beginnings.

Knowing how to swim is a basic life skill. Having a swimming pool and having teachers who can provide lessons so youth can be safe is extremely important. Access is everything and it needs to happen.