We Are Y Wednesdays
Each Wednesday, we’ll be featuring someone who is part of our Y community, whether a staff member, volunteer, donor or YMCA member. Together, they make the Y a special place where everyone has the opportunity to be healthy, confident, connected and secure. We hope you enjoy meeting them all!
“I was at the Y as a member for at least 15 years before becoming a teacher. I learned to swim there as an adult, and my kids also learned to swim there.”
“A doctor had suggested working out in the water to help ease the symptoms of my MS.”
“I started coming here as a member five years ago. In 2015, before I moved to Scotch Plains, I knew I needed to be healthier. I had hypertension and was overweight and I had to do something about it.”
“When I was in college, I majored in sports management and I was looking for an internship. I participated in a lot of sports growing up like football, basketball and track which led to my interest in sports management. I knew that the Y offered a lot of sports programs and applied for an internship.”
“My twin sons were 15 months old and I thought I might like a little part-time job for a couple of hours a week. I worked in Child Watch, back then it was called Babysitting, for about 2 weeks and then was moved to the Front Desk.”
“When I was little, I used to go to the Fanwood-Scotch Plains Y for Preschool and to take swim lessons.”
“I started working here in January and this is the first Y I’ve worked for. I used to belong to the Y in Union about 15 years ago and I always felt at home.”
Meet Alex, our marketing and communications intern who is learning about our Y over her winter break
“During the Fall semester, I was looking for internships related to my major. My university connected me to the YMCA with an internship in marketing/communications.”
“I started taking gymnastics classes at the Grand Street building when I was very young and was invited to join the Gymnastics Team by the time I was 9 years old. I competed for the Fanwood-Scotch Plains YMCA Gymnastics Team for nine years, representing the team at Nationals several times.”
“I joined about 18 years ago when my oldest was a baby. I was looking for a gym that offered babysitting so I could exercise. Over the years, the Y has provided my family with classes to meet our needs at every stage.”
“Two years ago, I was 43 years old and 398 pounds, that was my heaviest. I decided to undergo weight loss surgery, a lot because of my 8-year-old daughter Avery. I started thinking, how many 70-year-olds do you know who weigh 400 pounds? I didn’t know any.”
“After I retired, I came to the Y to work out. Someone suggested to me that I try the pool. I saw the older women in it and wanted to try. At first, I didn’t think it was possible because of my age.”
“I started coming here in August 2013 just to work out, not to mingle. Fortunately, a year later, I started mingling and going into the café.”
“I have been working here since 2014 and started at the old Grand Street location. I was looking for a new job after my old daycare closed, and the family I was nannying for told me that the Y was hiring.”
“I started here in September 2017 in the Aquatics Department. I was under a tremendous amount of stress in my life the year before and started taking water exercise classes to help alleviate some of my stress.”
Sophia recalls: “Our Y story started a long time ago. Ari was born with Down Syndrome and I had a hard time even finding people to babysit for him. We had taken mommy and me swim lessons and when he got a little older, I wanted to continue with the swim lessons. Anywhere I went, the first response was always, ‘we don’t have a special program here.’
“I came here as a lifeguard and swim instructor and now I’m the Aquatics Coordinator. My job is coordinating the Red Cross trainings for Lifeguarding and CPR for our staff, developing plans for pool safety, inservice trainings and helping to manage the pool chemicals.”
“I moved to the area in May 2017 and became a member of the Y. About a year later, I started working here as a substitute fitness instructor.”
Never an “exerciser,” Darlene was pleasantly surprised by how good working out made her feel. “I never exercised, ever. I didn’t like to sweat. In the early 2000s when my kids were young, one day out of total curiosity, I decided to see if I could run a mile. I did it and then started running regularly.”
“I have been working here since late August, but I’ve been a member for years. I first joined to get in shape. Our twins then joined the Swim Team and have been on it since they were 6 – they are now 15.”
“This is my fourth month working here. I grew up in Scotch Plains and grew up going to the Y when I was younger. I took gymnastics and swim lessons and my brother played basketball. The Y, to me, was always like the center of the community.”