BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Since 1975, Bellingham Athletic Club (BAC) has helped Whatcom County residents stay healthy through regular exercise and community involvement.

Celebrating 50 years of business in Bellingham, the athletic club has evolved through the years with expansions and ownership changes. Since 1997, Cathy Buckley has owned and operated the athletic club.

When BAC first opened its doors in 1975, the facility was merely designed as a racquetball club with a restaurant above. As time went on, the facility changed into an athletic club with spaces to workout, swim and socialize.

Buckley grew up in and around pools, lakes or saltwater. An aquatic lifestyle is what she pursued, but when she moved to Bellingham from King County, finding a pool to swim in was harder than it is today.

With limited pool accessibility, Buckley found herself working at BAC running the aquatic program. She then moved up to manager and general manager of the club as an opportunity arose for her to buy the club all together.

Aside from finding a career in aquatics in Bellingham, Buckley and her husband liked what Bellingham and Whatcom County as a whole had to offer.

“There was something about Bellingham,” Buckley said. “The community, the size, the work ethic. Georgia Pacific was here; it was a solid blue-collar town with logging and fishing. Those things are key to my whole family.”

In 1997, Buckley purchased Bellingham Athletic Club from a local corporation called ‘Trillium.’ Since then, the original facility on Meridian Street has remained open. Three years prior to Buckley’s purchase of BAC, a downtown location was added. That location closed in 2022.

BAC has nearly 4,000 members, some of whom Buckley has seen grow into parents or grandparents.

“We have members that have been here since the beginning,” Buckley said. “So we have kids and grandkids and even great grandkids of original members here.”

As a legacy business in Bellingham, Buckley shared that operating the club has had its hardships. At its height, the club had around 100 employees between the two locations.

“It’s hard to be successful and maintain what you do and be able to employ it,” Buckley said. “So, that’s a big responsibility. As a club owner, sometimes people don’t understand how much is on your shoulders.”

Through all the years, Buckley has found that this athletic club is more than just a space for folks to arrive and workout. She sees how members use the facilities as a space to connect with other people, build community and maintain healthy lifestyles.

For more information about Bellingham Athletic Club, head to their website at bellinghamathleticclub.com.