Locals Open New Gym in Madoc Named Iron Hive Fitness
- alyxewing019
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
| Small Town News | A Division of Small Town Productions |
The Iron Hive Fitness Club opened their doors to the community on January 10, 2026 in the heart of Madoc. Nicole Craftchick and Cole Craftchick, two Madoc locals, turned their passion for exercise, design, and craftsmanship into a business dream.
The gym has already hit 90 per cent capacity while offering fitness classes on Tuesday mornings from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., and on Wednesday evenings from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. with Nicole Craftchick.
When classes are not running, members have access to the open gym from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. The gym also offers other amenities, including a Refuel Bar, an Infrared Room, and a Workout of the Week board. The Refuel Bar offers guests protein powders, protein-based snacks, energy drink sticks, and hydration sticks.
Outside of the gym, Nicole Craftchick works as an Architect, while Cole Craftchick works as a Carpenter. Together, they are raising two young children. They sold their family home in the summer and moved in with Nicole Craftchick’s parents.
After selling their family home, their home gym was moved outdoors. Over time, their small outdoor workouts grew as friends and family members began to join them. As winter got closer, one question stood out to all of them. What were they going to do?
“This popped up on the market in October, and of course we were looking at the market. We were like ‘oh my goodness. It's perfect!” Nicole Craftchick exclaimed. Nicole and Cole Craftchick worked together to come up with a design with a specific goal in mind. To maximize the space without it feeling overcrowded.
Nicole Craftchick runs the Iron Foundation, the Swarm Circuit, and the Hive Flow classes on Tuesday mornings, and runs the Swarm Circuit and the Buzz Kill classes on Wednesday evenings. A full schedule and class bookings can be found on their website.
Iron Hive Fitness Club also offers one-on-one fitness coaching consults and sessions with Sydney Danford, BSc, DC. Danford is a Madoc local who has earned an undergraduate degree in Kinesiology from Queen’s University before earning her Doctor of Chiropractic degree from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College.
“I grew up in Madoc, where being active and involved in sports sparked my interest in exercise and how the body moves. That passion led me to study Kinesiology at Queen's University, and eventually to become a chiropractor, now owning a practice in Tweed.” Danford runs the Tweed Chiro and Wellness when she isn’t at the gym.
Danford offers her services at the Iron Hive Fitness Club on Tuesday evenings from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., and on Wednesday mornings from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the gym. While Danford is registered with the College of Chiropractors of Ontario, these sessions are non-chiropractic in nature and are not used as chiropractic assessments, diagnosis or treatments.
“At the gym, my one-on-one sessions focus on strength, movement, and building confidence in the weight room; they’re offered independently from my role as a chiropractor. I simply bring my background in movement and injury prevention to help people train safely and feel their best,” Danford states.
“People may think it’s small, but that’s the point. It’s community-based, it’s so that people can support each other, get to know each other. It has that small-town vibe,” Nicole Craftchick states. With the community in their minds, they hope to engage more with the community in the future with events and activities, and help promote healthy living.
The Iron Hive Fitness Club is located in the heart of Madoc, right downtown and ready to play a big role within the community, while giving back to the place the Craftchick family and Danford have called home for many years.
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