BRVA Member Spotlight: Casey Szink, MADabolic Broad Ripple
“It takes a village.”
Spend a few minutes talking with Casey Szink and you’ll hear that phrase more than once.
As general manager of MADabolic Broad Ripple, Casey could spend all day talking about strength training. Instead, he keeps coming back to something else entirely: community.
“We all want the same thing,” he says. “We all want to let everybody know the narrative of Broad Ripple — that this is a fun, safe place to be with lots of different activities…. It is a village, and it takes a village, and we’re all working together as a village.”
That mindset is part of what drew Casey — and MADabolic — to Broad Ripple in the first place.
The strength-focused gym opened in April 2025, introducing a training approach that’s different from many traditional fitness studios. But building a successful business, Casey says, has never been just about what happens inside the gym.
Because he also lives in Broad Ripple, his workday often begins with a walk to the studio. Along the way, he sees exactly what makes the neighborhood special: people walking, neighbors greeting one another, and businesses working together instead of competing.
“You can get anywhere you need to go on foot within five or ten minutes,” he says. “Everyone works so well together.”
That spirit of collaboration has become part of MADabolic’s culture. Friday morning coffee at Thieves has grown into a regular gathering. Member socials are hosted at neighborhood businesses like Cholita and 317 BBQ. Earlier pop-up workouts found homes at Union Jack and other local spots.
“I don’t want to just take,” Casey explains. “This is supposed to be good for both of us. The more we can do that, the more our community grows here in the gym, and the greater the community can grow outside of the gym.”
That sense of belonging has had unexpected results. Several MADabolic members have even chosen to move to Broad Ripple so they can be closer to the community they’ve found there.
When Casey first joined the Broad Ripple Village Association, he admits he didn’t fully understand what membership supported.
“I knew the BRVA existed because I lived here,” he says. “It just seemed like the right thing to do to support the village – join the Village Association.”
Over time, that changed.
“Now, having been more involved and seeing everything that happens behind the scenes, I actually understand where the dollars go and why the dollars matter.”
For Casey, membership isn’t simply about supporting an organization. It’s about investing in the future of the neighborhood — beautification projects, events, safer and more walkable public spaces, activation of the river and canal, and the collaborations that make Broad Ripple feel alive.
He’d love to see even more festivals, more neighborhood partnerships, and more opportunities for people to experience everything Broad Ripple has to offer.
“It’s already wonderful as it is,” he says. “But we can make it even better.”
His invitation to others is simple.
“It’s the easiest thing, the lightest lift that you can do is become a member,” Casey says. “It just makes sense.”
Whether you’re a resident, a business owner, or simply someone who loves spending time in Broad Ripple, becoming a BRVA member is one of the simplest ways to invest in the neighborhood we all share. Join Casey — and hundreds of your neighbors — in helping Broad Ripple continue to thrive.
