We're passionate about one thing...Your success

Our mission is to elevate your satisfaction in life by improving your physical health, helping you move better and feel better.

Don't wait to live your best life, get started today.

Meet the Team

Tim Ives, Owner/Coach/Personal Trainer

BA in Exercise Science
NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
ACE-certified Personal Trainer
USA Track & Field Level 2 Coach
Experience training hundreds of clients
Dowling Catholic Cross Country and Track & Field
Co-founder of distance running club, Runablaze Iowa
Basketball and collegiate track & field background
Completed 9 marathons with a personal best of 2:39

Tim Ives began coaching cross country and track at Dowling Catholic High School in 2007. Since then, his boys' teams have won 9 state championships and finished on the podium (top 3 teams) every year but one since 2010. Coach Ives added to his duties the role of Head Girls Cross Country Coach in 2023.

Among Dowling Catholic’s most accomplished runners include Jackson Heidesch (3:59 Mile PR), Ryan Schweizer (1:50 800m & 4:05 Mile PRs), Owen Wolfe (1:49 800m PR), Katie Flood (14x high school state champion & NCAA champion), and Karissa Schweizer (NCAA champion & 2x US Olympian).

Sara Schwendinger, Fitness & Running Coach

"Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming." - John Wooden

Sara's passion and enthusiasm for coaching center around her desire to help others realize their potential and become their strongest, healthiest selves. Sara has coached high school athletes since 2016 and served 9 seasons as a boys track and field and cross country coach at Des Moines Roosevelt, serving seven seasons as Head Boys Cross Country Coach and five seasons as Head Boys Track and Field Coach. She is currently an assistant boys and girls cross country coach at Pella High School. She has worked with a wide range of ability levels, including first-time runners, experienced state meet qualifiers, and state track and field champions.

A life-long fitness enthusiast herself, Sara has been a runner for over 30 years and continues to compete as a master's athlete on the roads and on the track. Some of Sara's proudest running achievements include qualifying for and completing the 2017 Boston Marathon, winning the 2019 Drake Relays Championship in the Women's Masters 800, and winning the 2019 Kansas Relays Championship in both the Women's Masters 800 and Mile. She was a proud member of the 2021 USATF Outdoor National Masters Championship Team, So Cal Track Club, and continues to compete for them.

Sara has served as a past board member of the Capital Striders Running Club and currently holds her coaching authorization from the state of Iowa.

USATF Level 1 Coach
USATF Cross Country Specialist

Mandy Ives, Nutrition Coach

Mandy recently returned to active coaching at The Body Project after a hiatus focused on raising her four children, coaching middle school and high school athletics, and growing her knowledge in the areas of health and nutrition. Mandy has always had a passion for educating and coaching and loves studying the role food and nutrition play in our everyday lives. She believes healthy living involves more than just a one-size-fits-all food and exercise program. It cannot be taken for granted that each person is unique and has different needs and goals. From men to women, teenagers to adults, those seeking to lose weight or merely looking to feel better overall, Mandy's approach to nutrition coaching is individualized to meet each and every client's specific needs. Mandy is excited to help our clients reach their health goals!