‘A Stronger Cord’ for wellness and more

Former newsman pitches fitness and community to business leaders

“Coach” Mark McIntosh makes a point to the Greater Englewood Chamber of Commerce: “We’re out to unite communities through wellness.” The former television newscaster founded A Stronger Cord four years ago as a way to combine fitness with community service. Photo by Peter Jones

Mark McIntosh remembers the genesis of A Stronger Cord, the fitness and community-building “non-organization” he created four years ago.

This sort of mix of exercise and social responsibility is what tends to happen when you book your morning workout right before your volunteer stint at Denver Rescue Mission.

“So, when I showed up at 7:30 on Thursday morning, I’d be telling these guys about the importance of fitness to their recovery,” McIntosh said of his mission visits.

A recovering meth addict had evidently heard enough.

“He said, ‘When in the [expletive] are we going to start working out?’” McIntosh recalled. “And that was the birth of A Stronger Cord.”

The author, motivational speaker and former television newsman is hoping business owners will be the next to demand action over talk. Last week, he made his pitch at the Guild co-working space to members of the Greater Englewood Chamber of Commerce.

“We get in a little better shape, we get to know each other a little better, and then we go out in the community and perform good works,” he said of his group’s mission. “What A Stronger Cord is all about is coming together and becoming more fit, more connected and more giving, becoming healthier. We’re out to unite communities through wellness.”

Here is how the multi-pronged program works: Every Wednesday at 6 p.m., a loose nonsectarian coalition of everyone and anyone meets in the gym of All Souls Catholic Church, 4950 S. Logan St. in Englewood [largely because the church was the first to step forward with donated meeting space].

A half-hour of all-level, multi-disciplinary exercise [yoga, Pilates, Zumba and more] is followed by social time and a scheduled presentation that can range from inspirational to educational to simply entertaining.

“We come together and we work out, and then we hang out,” McIntosh said.

But that’s just the warmup.

“On the weekends, we say, ‘Let’s go help these people,’” the group leader said. “We believe in the truth that it’s better if we never grow weary of doing good for others. Guess what? We’re going to reap the harvest.”

The group’s weekly Saturday community service is aimed at two underserved groups—single mothers living with their children in public housing and the often-lonely elderly that exist in assisted-living centers.

McIntosh says the impulse for a group such as A Stronger Cord—focused on equal parts fitness, friendship-building and community service—is a natural reaction to the tumultuous world around us.

“We live in challenging times in our country’s history,” he said. “… Whether it’s shootings at churches and whatever else, the craziness of our times. … At almost 60, I’m not really proud of the country we’re turning over [to the next generation]. We truly have to figure out how we can come together in a community.”

McIntosh says everyone—literally—is welcome, as well their children and grandparents

“We don’t care if you’re white, black or brown. You live in a mission. You live in a mansion. You live on Main Street. It doesn’t matter,” he said. “We don’t care if you’re a Christian or Jew, Muslim, atheist—we don’t care. … Let’s all get some exercise. We know that’s good for us.”

In addition to the Englewood meetup, two other A Stronger Cord groups, all led by McIntosh, meet downtown and in the north metro area. McIntosh is also working to create a third group in Aurora Public Schools.

The group founder told chamber members that A Stronger Cord would make for a robust teambuilding outlet—and not just in the chamber as a whole.

“It can be wonderful for your businesses, for your clients,” he said.

For more information, visit seekvictory.com.