The University of Illinois Chicago has adopted the mission to be a health-promoting campus, and RecWell is helping lead the charge with out-of-the-box thinking, adaptability and community reach.
On average, the city of Chicago welcomes 50-plus million visitors a year, according to Chicago.gov. They come for all sorts of reasons, from museums like the Art Institute of Chicago to icons like Willis Tower and Cloud Gate — also known as The Bean.
However, you can’t forget the nearly 3 million people who live there, making Chicago the third largest city in the U.S. They work and live in its 100 neighborhoods, visit its 600 parks and 26 miles of open lakefront, and dine at its more than 7,300 restaurants.
Amidst all this hustle and bustle, just a few miles from the iconic structures named above and within the famous Chicago Loop, sits the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC).
The university was formed in 1982. It has 16 colleges, 94 bachelor’s programs, 102 master’s programs and a medical center — the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System. It also offers three unique facilities as part of UIC Recreation and Wellbeing (RecWell): the Student Recreation Facility (SRF), the Sport & Fitness Center (SFC) and the Outdoor Field Complex.
Lynne Thompson, the senior director of UIC RecWell, has been at UIC since 2012 and has seen a lot of change over her time there. This has included the RecWell rebranding in 2024 as well as UIC deciding on its vision of becoming a health promoting campus.
“It’s not just about these entities or this department; it’s about us as a university,” explained Thompson. “What’s the approach we take to reduce barriers to education and provide a holistic experience that promotes health for our students?”
As such, Thompson leads in that vision from the top, always tying in UIC’s vision to the mission of RecWell. “We’re not just a gym — we’re a catalyst for student success, a hub for community, and a leader in advancing well-being through education, innovation and inclusion,” she said.
Exercise is Medicine 2.0
The intentionality has led to some standout RecWell programs. For starters, RecWell is a proud participant in the Exercise is Medicine On Campus initiative. As such, the department offers a referral-based program that includes free fitness assessments, personalized exercise prescriptions and ongoing support from certified professionals.
However, Thompson shared they’re working on an additional program. This will send out a health risk stratification to university employees, and they can opt for a free fitness assessment or to just receive educational materials upon completion. “Our office will follow up with all who select the fitness assessment,” she said. “The consultation will include the results of their test and an exercise prescription to assist them in meeting the recommended physical activity levels.”
Not only will this give students experience in doing fitness assessments and having coaching conversations, but it will also show faculty the university is taking an even larger interest in their well-being. “And we get to be part of that,” said Thompson.
Learn to Swim’s Community Reach
Ira Wrestler, the assistant director of Aquatics and Safety, and Monina Aquino, the Aquatics coordinator, have been heading up the UIC Learn to Swim program for three years. Since its relaunch in 2022 after the COVID-19 pandemic, the program has over 1,000 participants come through on an annual basis.
“RecWell’s Learn to Swim program is a powerful example of how we serve not just students, but the broader Chicago community,” said Thompson. “Despite being located in a dense urban environment, we’ve built a program that reaches hundreds of families annually through both group and private lessons.”
The program itself is broken up into five-week segments, where those enrolled are taught water safety and swimming. In the 2025 fiscal year alone, the program generated nearly $294,000 in revenue, reflecting the demand and trust of the community.
But success like that doesn’t just happen without preparation and work. As such, Wrestler and Aquino shared their top tips in creating such an effective program:
If you build it, they will come — and in the meantime, make sure you’re staying on top of emails, voicemails and walk-ins because they’re all potential program participants.
Be onsite during all program times and get to know your participants. This is where you can hear positive feedback or concerns.
Make sure instructors are confident in speaking with partners and participants to give feedback, encouragement and next steps.
Create a mission and make sure your instructors understand the meaning and purpose behind it.
The membership software/registration platform should be user-friendly and easy to find so your participants can learn about the program and register with minimal searching or complications.
Urban Outdoor Adventures
Creating a health promoting campus can take some creativity, especially when it comes to outdoor adventures in the middle of the third largest city in the U.S.
Adam Easterling, the Climbing Wall and Outdoor Adventure coordinator, noted he has two specific challenges when it comes to doing his job at UIC: storage space for equipment and limited access to nature.
However, Easterling has found the answer to both challenges right under his nose. “It’s forced me to find local partners who already have the equipment and use it in the city,” he said.
For instance, a partnership with a local outfitter provides an opportunity for students to kayak on the river under the Chicago skyline. Another one led to one of the most successful trips to date — skydiving with a local skydiving ranch. “Find people who are already doing what you want to do,” said Easterling. “The outdoor community is a welcoming and supportive one. They often don’t gatekeep the nuggets of nature they find.”
Thompson noted Easterling’s creativity and thinking outside of the box has been incredible, whether it’s trying to do a camp out at the end of Rec Fest, offering crafting classes, etc. “While we may not have mountains or forests just outside our doors, we’ve built a program that brings students — many of whom are international or first-time adventurers — into the outdoors,” said Thompson. “For students who’ve never pitched a tent or paddled a river, these trips are more than recreation — they’re life-changing experiences.”
Making the Most of Setbacks
As RecWell has adapted its programming to fit the new overall campus vision, Thompson shared they’ve also had their adaptability tested with their facilities.
Recently, RecWell discovered the concrete beneath the fitness flooring in the nearly 20-year-old SRF was deteriorating due to some faults during the original build — as in parts that were removed down to the metal deck and completely replaced, and 900 square feet of crack repair. Extensive repairs and a full flooring replacement began. “We partnered with Ecore, whose expertise helped us select a surface that not only protects the new concrete but also meets the evolving needs of our users,” said Thompson.
In addition, they used the setback as a chance to redesign the space, upgrade strength equipment, add turf with sleds and tire flips, and more. Thompson noted it was a huge undertaking but they never would’ve been able to transition the floor into what the students were wanting otherwise.
That positive mindset has allowed Thompson and the RecWell team to go from lemons to lemonade in multiple scenarios. Whether it’s converting what would become a single tennis court to two pickleball courts, moving the Life Fitness 360 synergy piece across campus to the new functional training room in the SRF or adding Human Touch products to create a wellness zone, UIC’s RecWell department is up for the challenge.
However, a large part of that attitude comes from Thompson leading with psychological safety. She wants to foster an environment where people feel comfortable being themselves, speaking up and taking risks. “If you’re someone that’s struggled with self-esteem, feeling imposter syndrome or having difficult conversations, if those things are hard for you, I encourage you to embrace the concept of psychological safety, because it’s changed my world when it comes to those types of things,” she shared.
So, the UIC RecWell team is focused on the journey, not the destination. Thompson said they’re constantly learning and evolving. The goal is to be a model of inclusive, intentional leadership in recreation and a key contributor to the campus’ mission.
As for trying new things today, tomorrow and far into the future? Thompson is all for it, even if the new things fail, because that’s not what it’s about at UIC. “As long as we learn something in the process and we continue to change and get better, that’s the kind of team I want,” she shared.
