Two men born and raised in southern Marin County are working to connect the community through fitness.
“We give the youth of all of Marin access to each other,” said Paul Austin, CEO and founder of Play Marin. Two sides of the highway, one Marin County. That is how Paul Austin views the community he was born and raised in.
His non-profit, Play Marin, has been offering youth sports and activities to local kids since 2012. The non-profit grew from just one basketball team with nine kids to serving about 400 kids annually.
“That’s through summer camps, basketball, girls’ volleyball, track and field and we do outdoor activities too,” added Austin. It is those indoor activities that Austin is hoping to upgrade for the kids in the near future.
Currently, Play Marin functions out of the Marin City recreation center. “I love it to death, but the building’s been there for over 70 years we haven’t had a new recreation facility,” said Austin.
It is a stark contrast to a new wellness gym that sits just across the highway. “We’re an amazing fitness wellness and social club,” said Warren Gendel, Club Evexia owner.