About us

30 years in the planning
10 years in design and fundraising
One year of construction
A LIFETIME OF FUN!

While considered during the Whitewater Unified School District (WUSD) building projects of the 1960s, a community pool was tabled for several decades due to cost concerns. Subsequent service organization surveys supported the concept of a municipal pool, but funding opportunities and sources were limited and the proposals barely "made a wave."

In 1992, SWIM (Setting Whitewater In Motion) was formed and a board of directors was formed, that included many long-time members such as Mike Ciardo, Julie Wolfe, Kris Coan, Sharon McCullough and Mary Stearns. The logo for the group, and ultimately the Whitewater Aquatic Center, was designed by Mary Nevicosi, a local artist.

After much discussion, the families of Don Chruschiel, Dr. Vic Soboliewski, Steve Grube and others crowded the Starin Park Community Building to "test the water" for support of the proposed facility. As the project progressed, it was decided that an ideal location for the facility would be adjacent to the new Whitewater High School, that was being built on a 70-acre parcel of land at the south end of Elizabeth Street. The project received a major boost when the City of Whitewater Common Council approved the use of $2,000,000 in non-taxable funds, and a large donation from the family of a downtown businessman was received.

On December 6, 2000, shovels dug through frosty earth as community members broke ground for the aquatic center at the Whitewater High School construction site. Scherrer Construction of Burlington and Water Technology of Beaver Dam worked with SWIM, WUSD, the City of Whitewater and focus groups to create a state-of-the-art indoor facility, including an eight-lane instructional pool, zero depth entry leisure pool, water slide, play activities and current channel.

The facility, dubbed the Whitewater Aquatic Center, opened to the public in December 2001 with an opening celebration that brought together hundreds of donors, volunteers, patrons and community members. Articles, stories and photos of the facility were splashed over area media outlets, and the Whitewater Aquatic Center became a reality!

In an effort to promote its mission of providing "healing in its broadest sense," Mercy Health System, headquartered in Janesville, Wisconsin, entered an agreement with the City of Whitewater and Whitewater School District to assume management of the facility. Shortly thereafter, Mercy announced it would add a fitness center to the facility.

In spring 2004, a 6,000 sq. ft. comprehensive fitness center was opened to the public, and the facility officially became known as the Mercy Fitness & Whitewater Aquatic Center. The fitness center offers personal training, aerobics and other exercise classes, and houses state-of-the-art weight and fitness equipment, including the Freemotion line of strength training equipment.

Birthday parties, water aerobics, fitness classes, water slide, the people, the food ... Mercy Fitness & Whitewater Aquatic Center has a lot to offer, and the prices won't soak you. Come join the FUN!

Call (262) 473-4900 for more information.