“Not sure quite how to word it, but want you to know how glad I am to have the community of the Y” – Annie Parcels
Meet Annie Parcels Kurek – I started back at the YMCA this September following a total knee replacement.
I keep coming for many reasons:
How most everyone here is so welcoming, I love the inclusiveness apparent in the people here, both clients and staff I appreciate all this Y does for our community, especially your work providing food.
The Y has fantastic people helping me reach my fitness goals. The Y offers First Aid refresher classes which I take advantage of to keep credentials current. The Y is such a great way to start my day and get my body moving in the pool. Many of you may feel lap swimming is such a solo event, but it seems like I meet new people every week.
I’m very impressed how encouraging everyone is in helping me reach my goals, from the first welcome at the desk, to the smile from the lifeguard when he or she records my miles, to a friendly chat and laugh with Michell.
I’ve had personal fitness training from Heidi who introduced me to Pilates and the spinning room. Heidi helped me back from a different surgery within this past year. So nice to have so many people encouraging me and assisting me with equipment and form. I have a strong bias for using the Y.
When I became a single parent my kids were quite young. The Y was a life saver, providing before and after school latchkey and summer camp experiences. Both my children were on the Y swim team. The Y was a safe healthful place for my kids to be while I was at work and provided great recreational experiences for all of us. Granted this was in another community but I see all that this Y does HERE to help people of all ages, and I am reminded of the gifts of friendship and health found at the Y.
I was born on the Canada border, raised in the central UP. My Great grandparents, grandparents, and parents were all from this area and I’ve come to make this area home. While I live on the bay, I work on an ocean going research vessel out of Hawaii, so I’m out to sea about half the year. I work in the galley. It’s an arduous job, but I do it to support the science community.
My fitness goal is to be as active and fit as I can be. I’m looking forward to the Y continuing to help me meet my goals, thankful of the hugely supportive positive spirit found here.
One thing I really appreciate about swimming in the morning: my father is in hospice and taking the time first thing in the morning to drive along the bay at sunrise on my way to the Y is a great way to get myself set for the day ahead. And the welcome of a good workout is so needed for me at this time.
