Member Stories
YMCA programs change lives! Here are some true stories of the Y’s impact.
Dawneka Patterson
Meet Dawneka - A busy working mom who joined the YMCA last July and quickly became a member of the community.
As the mother of a busy 16 month old and an employee at Willamette Valley Grill, Dawneka knows first-hand how hard it is to fit a wellness routine into a busy life. Motivated by the desire to keep up with her son as he grows, Dawneka tried the Y at the suggestion of a friend. Right away, she found the Y to be the supportive place she needed to make changes and keep the momentum going. “The classes hooked me so fast!” she said. “I never thought of myself as athletic or anything, but I just love the classes”. In fact, she loves the so much that she now volunteers to teach a Body Flex class twice each week.
Like many others who have experienced “starts and stops” in the pursuit of wellness before, Dawneka credits the YMCA community for helping her maintain a regular wellness routine. She claims the people, the classes, the instructors and many friends she finds at the Y have expanded her awareness of wellness in many areas besides exercise. “I’m much more aware of what I eat now”, she says.
When asked if she feels she’s making progress toward her goals, Dawneka has many successes to report. “I’m happier, I sleep better, my whole outlook on life is different”, she says. “I’ve lost 40 pounds and I feel so great. I’ll be able to do m ore with my son as he gets older. I won’t be a mom on the sidelines.”
Jonathan Clark
Time with family is precious and in short supply for many these days. Both parents' and kids'
schedules can be so crammed with activities and obligations, often little time or energy is left
over for just being together and having fun.
This issue of YMCA Connection tells a short story of a father and son who have found a special way to fit some fun time together into their busy daily routine.
Most weekday mornings before school, Jonathan Clark brings his first grade son Benjamin to the Y for 10 to 20 minutes of basketball, racquetball, tossing the football, or any number of other forms of sports play, depending on their mood. It's an easy morning stop for the pair. The Y is on the way to school, plus stopping at the Y can be a great motivator for getting out the door and off to school on hectic mornings.
When asked how this all began, and what inspired him to get Ben's day started with exercise and father-son time, Jonathan said: "We started doing this when I opened my law practice in Salem a year or so ago. I used to commute to Portland every morning, but now that I don't make the drive I have extra time in the mornings". Jonathan also noted that he saw this as a way to establish a pattern of regular daily exercise in Ben's life. "He'll just grow up with this as part of his daily routine", said Jonathan. "Plus, we start the day by having fun together".
Jonathan started coming to the YMCA when he was a youngster, and like so many generational members, also spent time with his family here while growing up. The Salem Y is a part of Jonathan's family history, and now it's a part of Ben's too.
Eric Young
Eric Grant Young is a familiar face to many at the YMCA. A regular exerciser every week-day, Eric is
very committed to his workout and has seen great results. Eric first came to the Y almost five years
ago looking for a place to help him grow psychologically. While doctors presume it was a brain injury
that limited Eric’s physical movements and speech, neurologists have been unable to find any evidence
of damage. Undeterred by this mystery, Eric takes charge of his recovery plan. Through social
interaction, physical exertion and determination, Eric has seen great improvement in his movement and
thinking, and has lost nearly 50 pounds!
Eric’s regular workout includes riding a stationary bike in the Moore room, and social interaction in the lobby afterward. When he’s not visiting with staff or other members, Eric spends his time in the lobby meditating—an exercise that has helped him conquer paranoia.
Not one to quit after these successes, Eric has two goals he would like to achieve: 1) Return to school and earn a Doctorate in Chemistry, and 2) Develop a software concept called “packaging”, which is an advanced program that can re-write itself. A possible application for this software would be in solving complicated scientific problems, such as physics, biology and chemistry problems. This might sound like a stretch for many intellects, but not for Eric. He has a Masters Degree in Physics from Michigan State University.
Members are encouraged to stop and visit with Eric. Your interactions will help him in his daily exercises, and you’ll likely gain something too—a new friend!
Dianne Gray
I’ve gone to the Y for years, attending the noontime aerobics class since my work place is just a block
away. In 2004, I had a reoccurrence of breast cancer, necessitating a mastectomy with a TRAM flap
reconstruction, followed by several sessions of chemotherapy. While I had always been active, this was a
huge setback. I worked myself back into being able to walk several miles a day to slowly recover from surgery,
I was anxious to get back to the Y.
I joined the Y again in July 2005 and it was difficult to realize how my body had changed from surgery. I didn’t think I would ever be able to do anything again and agonized about it often! I kept at it for several weeks and slowly began to increase my activity. I thank God every day for what happened next. Tina Earhart began to teach and share her expertise and training during the noon-time classes. I came to realize that if I wanted to be serious, all the tools were in place. I had gained a lot of weight from the chemo experience and decided in February 2007 to change my eating habits by joining Weight Watchers to go along with the cross-training Tina was providing us. Trying to stay one step ahead of cancer and being 55 years old, I feel so great and am down to a size 6. I’ve never been that size in my life and it’s not about being skinny. I would say for the first time in my life I feel fit and toned. It’s about a whole journey which includes spiritual, emotional and physical well-being. I couldn’t have met my goals without all three of those elements or without the YMCA and the great instructors it has. The road to wellness and being fit is available to anyone wanting to take advantage of it.....I’ve worked hard, I’m proud, I feel great and I’m so blessed with being able to take advantage of the Y’s facilities and instructors.
A Family of Friends
The YMCA Aquatics Tuesday/Thursday Aqua Fitness class has four couples who recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversaries! Bernard and Meryl Van Wormer, Stu & Judi Smith, Kenny and Edna Hewitt, and Don & Millie Estrin. When asked about what the Y has meant to them, Judi replied, "It is fitness, fun and fantastic friends! We joined the Y in the 50’s when we first moved to Salem, and did so because of the fitness aspect. We’ve stayed all these years because it has been fun and we’ve made so many friends while exercising at the Y."
