Stories of Impact - Chambersburg Memorial YMCA

CHAMBERSBURG YMCA
IMPACTING LIVES
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
To discuss your personal goals and to schedule a tour of the facilities,
please contact the YMCA’s Fitness and Wellness Director, Barb Houpt, at 717-446-0533 or at [email protected]
or our Membership Director, Carla Haller, at 717-263-8508 or at [email protected].
Chuck’s Y Story...
Chuck has been a member of the YMCA since 2001 when his doctor
recommended he start swimming to rehabilitate a bruised rotator
cuff. Chuck started swimming in the Walker Natatorium and soon
became hooked, as it reminded him of his youth when his father
taught him and his brother how to swim. His rotator cuff soon healed
however his love for swimming did not fade.
Chuck joined the Y
to rehab an injured
rotator cuff...
He continued his aquatic activity because it was a great way to stay active and he also enjoyed the
camaraderie he had with the other swimmers. Although he enjoys seeing the friends he has made
over the years, he also takes pleasure in meeting new members.
As Chuck swam he started to keep track of his laps and over time the laps accumulated. He began
to notice that as his number of laps grew the distance he
had swum quickly grew as well. In April 2014, Chuck achieved
Thirteen years later he
a milestone that few outside of competitive swimming ever
continues swimming at the
achieve. Throughout his time of swimming in the YMCA pool,
YMCA to maintain a healthy
he swam a total of 99,000 laps, which equals a distance of 3,000 miles! Although this feat is
lifestyle and enjoy the
impressive, perhaps the more impressive part is that he is still going strong at the age of
company of Y friends.
88.
WHAT WILL YOUR STORY BE?
Click the Y Logo above to visit the YMCA’s website.
Sign up to receive the newsletter for more information.
CHAMBERSBURG YMCA
IMPACTING LIVES
To discuss your personal goals and to schedule a tour of the facilities,
please contact the YMCA’s Fitness and Wellness Director, Barb Houpt, at 717-446-0533 or at [email protected]
or our Membership Director, Carla Haller, at 717-263-8508 or at [email protected].
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Peggy’s Y Story...
Peggy’s weight had climbed to 270 pounds and her health
was declining. It came to the point that she felt she needed Peggy’s weight had climbed to
to enter the Bariatric Program and go through surgery to lose 270 pounds and her health was
the weight. However, the doctors told her that she needed to declining. It came to the point
lose at least 15 pounds to become a candidate for the surgery. that she felt she needed to enter
To Peggy, this feat seemed insurmountable. She began seeing the Bariatric Program...
a nutrition specialist and participating in a water therapy
program at a local rehabilitation facility. This seemed to work for a while; however, the therapy sessions
were discontinued and Peggy became discouraged. She spoke to her doctor and he felt she needed to
continue water therapy. The obvious choice for Peggy was to join the Chambersburg YMCA.
Peggy began using the pool and the Chambersburg YMCA’s fitness center about four or five times a week
and began to see a huge difference. Peggy was not the only one to notice a difference; her doctor saw
considerable improvement in her weight, health, muscle strength and flexibility. This improvement in
her overall health, along with the friendliness and availability of the Y’s staff, motivated her to continue
and within five months, she had lost 50 pounds. Peggy enjoys working out in the Fitness Center while Tom would rather swim in the Y’s pool. According to
Peggy, “that is the great thing about the Y…they have something for everyone.”
Peggy is now thrilled to say that she no longer needs bariatric surgery because she has lost a total of 90 pounds
and is now at the goal weight that the doctors initially set for her to reach with the surgery. Peggy says, “When
I want to eat that chocolate candy or pizza, all I have to do is think of how badly I felt before I lost the weight.”
Peggy’s drastic lifestyle change has not only made her healthier but her husband is also exercising at the Y and
eating right, which has greatly improved his health.
Peggy is now thrilled to say that
she no longer needs bariatric
surgery because she has lost a
total of 90 pounds...
WHAT WILL YOUR STORY BE?
Click the Y Logo above to visit the YMCA’s website.
Sign up to receive the newsletter for more information.
ACHIEVERS IN THE
WORKFORCE
One of the goals of the Achievers
program is to help our youth
grow and prosper within our
community. Since the Achievers
began, we have seen youth
come through the program and
transition from high school to
college, and finally into the work
force. One such Achiever is
Devonte Montgomery. Devonte
has recently become one of the newest members of the Y Team, and
has begun working at the Welcome Center and Program Center desk.
When asked about the Achievers program, Devonte happily offered the
following comments: “I was a member of the Achievers program during
the 2013-14 school year. I joined the program because I wanted a
better outlook on life and more advice on some of the problems that
first year college students go through. I stayed in the program because
Brother Worthy gave great advice and is someone who is passionate
and really cares about the future of young adults.
Since I've been out of the Achievers program, it has helped me reach
my goals in college and my career. I learned it's not about what
you know; so much as it's about who you know. Developing good
relationships with professors, teachers, and peers leads to becoming
a better student and having better social skills…which ultimately leads
to success.” This is just one example of how the Achievers program is
helping youth reach their potential within the greater Chambersburg
Area.
GIVING THANKS
WHILE GIVING BACK
On Tuesday, November 18th
the Chambersburg YMCA
held their annual Sam’s
Program
Thanksgiving
Dinner. The Sam’s Program
participants were invited
to the Central Presbyterian
Church to enjoy a Thanksgiving Dinner with their
families. Over 100 people enjoyed fellowship
and a Thanksgiving Dinner donated, prepared
and served by volunteers.
The YMCA would like to extend a sincere
thank you to all volunteers including Aerotek
employees, YMCA Board and Staff, and the
CASHS Steel Band. The YMCA would also like
to thank the following restaurants for donating
food items for the dinner: Cracker Barrel and
Hoss’s. Without your generosity and dedicated
service, the Sam’s Program and the Thanksgiving
Dinner would not be possible.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
FROM DOGGY PADDLE
TO SWIM TEAM
This is Amir Tasker. He has been an active swim team member for almost
seven months. He progressed from a non-swimmer to an aquatic athlete in
less than 2 years. Amir is only 6 years old.
Amir began attending the YMCA’s ARK Child Development Center in
September 2012, right before his fourth birthday. At the ARK, Amir enjoyed
swim lessons twice a week, year round. He began by learning to blow
bubbles and to put his face in the water along with his ABCs and 123s.
After attending the ARK for a year and a half, Amir progressed to writing
his name, sequencing patterns, and swimming the full length of the pool
without any assistance. In April of this year, while still a preschooler, Coach
Anthony Addlesberger recruited Amir to join the YMCA Chargers Swim Team. Coach Anthony, who was also
Amir’s swim lesson instructor, knew just how far Amir had come:
“It’s amazing how much progress a child can make taking swim lessons twice a week for over a year. Amir has a
lot of talent, and ARK swim lessons enabled him to grow in skill very quickly.”
When the YMCA opened the ARK Child Development Center in 2012, the plan was to create an environment
focused on early education and the development of young children. A side benefit, it seems, is to help young
athletes reach their potential. ARK families, whose YMCA family membership is included with tuition, are excited
to see the progress. “My preschooler is now a better swimmer than my 7 year old,” noted one ARK parent.
As for Amir, he is now attending kindergarten and plans to continue swimming with the Chargers. On Saturday,
November 22nd he will have the opportunity to compete in the York Tournament of Champions. Good luck, Amir!
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
TRINA’S TRANSFORMATION
My name is Petrina Rakintzis and I have been a member of the Chambersburg YMCA
since 2012. The YMCA has impacted my life in such a great way! For many years
I have struggled with my weight. I tried many diets and exercising at home but
nothing seemed to work for me. Three years ago I was at a place in my life where
I looked at myself and was so unhappy with my appearance and my health was
not the best. My two kids were motivation PETRINA WAS UNHAPPY WITH
for me to improve my energy and to have a
HER APPEARANCE AND HEALTH
healthier lifestyle.
I joined the YMCA and soon started Zumba and Body Sculpt
classes. When I started to see a great improvement, I started
taking various other classes such as R.I.P.P.E.D and TRX. These classes, combined
with healthy eating habits, helped me lose 100 pounds in 2 years. I am happy to
say that I have maintained a healthy weight for about a year now. I am still working
towards toning and learning new and fun ways to enjoy exercising. I owe many
thanks to my instructor and YMCA Fitness
AFTER SOME ASSISTANCE AND
THREE YEARS AT THE Y, SHE HAS Center Director, Linda Ehrhart, because she
LOST 100 POUNDS AND GAINED has inspired me and helped me with all the
classes she teaches.
SELF CONFIDENCE.
If you are truly ready to change your life and commit to losing weight for whatever
reasons you may have, it can be done with determination and devotion. I never
thought in a million years I would be this happy with how I look and how I feel
overall!

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