Hailee Bland Walsh is an entrepreneur, fitness professional, and the founder and owner of City Gym, an independent, woman-owned, LGBTQ-led fitness community in Kansas City’s Waldo neighborhood.

A former Division I collegiate and professional soccer player, Hailee’s career in fitness began nearly twenty five years ago, as a personal trainer, when she discovered how powerful the relationship between a coach and a client could be. She saw firsthand that training could do more than build strength and improve physical performance—it could build confidence, resilience, and a sense of what people are capable of beyond the gym. Fifteen years ago, Hailee turned that belief into City Gym.

What began as a vision for a different kind of fitness facility has grown into a thriving, independent business and a community that has helped thousands of people become stronger, healthier, and more confident. Hailee built City Gym around a simple idea: a gym should be more than a place to work out; it should be a place to belong.
As an entrepreneur, Hailee is passionate about building businesses with strong cultures, developing people, and creating experiences that make a lasting impact. She believes the best businesses are built by investing in people—and that a company’s culture is just as important as its products or services.

Hailee’s approach to fitness is rooted in strength, longevity, performance, and consistency, but she believes the greatest measure of a gym’s impact is what happens outside its walls. When people feel stronger and more confident in the gym, that confidence carries into their families, careers, relationships, and communities. That philosophy is at the heart of City Gym—and has guided Hailee for more than a decade as she continues to build a business designed to make people stronger in every sense of the word.

Katie has served as General Manager of City Gym since 2016. She oversees the day-to-day operations of the facility and provides supervision and support to the management team. Katie also oversees the vibrant group-exercise program we have here at City Gym. In addition to her internal responsibilities, she is charged with pursuing and vetting external growth opportunities that involve partnerships and off-site programming. 

Katie has been involved in fitness/sports in some capacity for her entire life. She graduated from Benedictine College with a degree in Sports Management in 1994, then began a 20 year career with Johnson County Park and Recreation. For the majority of her time with that organization, she served as the Executive Director of Kansas City Corporate Challenge. In this role she managed the coordination of sporting events for over 200 area businesses and their 30,000 program participants.

Katie was a member long before working here at the gym— she joined City Gym the weekend we opened our doors in 2011. In Katie’s free time she hangs out with her very cool husband Brian and their two children, Charlie and Marykate. They are always doing something fun such as attending sporting events, concerts, enjoying the outdoors or spending time with family and friends. A few fun facts about Katie — she and her son share a birthday and she lives in a home that has been in her family for over 60 years!

Terry LaCrosse is the Membership Services Manager at City Gym, where he focuses on creating a space that feels welcoming, steady, and genuinely supportive. He believes City Gym is more than a gym; it’s a community. He oversees the day-to-day experience of membership services with a simple goal: every person who walks through the door feels seen, valued, and at ease.

He holds a B.S. in Computer Information Systems and Business Management and brings more than three decades of experience in healthcare operations, client support, and servant leadership. His work has always centered on people: solving problems, building trust, and helping others navigate what can feel complicated.

Outside the gym, Terry loves to cook Cajun cuisine and spend time with his husband, James. He writes, paints, gardens, and stays involved with youth organizations across Kansas City.