Greater Joliet Area YMCA

GREATER JOLIET AREA YMCA

C.W. Avery, Central City, Galowich, Morris, Smith

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Skills for Life: Smith Family YMCA Executive Director Donnie Chestnutt Learns to Swim

As Executive Director of the Smith Family YMCA, Donnie Chestnutt is proud of the results of Y programs like Safety Around Water (formerly known as SOAR). She says seeing kids from Fairmont School District learn to swim at the Y is one of the most rewarding aspects of the job.  

But when it came to her own swimming abilities, she thought finding the time to learn the important life skill might be out of reach. That was until this fall, when the topic of her hesitancy around water got to close friend and volunteer swim lesson instructor Larry Johson. 

“Somebody spilled the beans to him and one day he said ‘What’s this I’m hearing? You can’t swim?’. I said ‘Uh, no. I can walk, and sometimes I can run.’ He goes ‘you get in here and I’ll teach you to swim. I’m not taking no for an answer.’ All of the sudden the staff was cheering me on,” Chestnutt said. 

Johnson, a volunteer in Y’s Safety Around Water program, said he learned to swim at a YMCA and helping teach lessons, whether to children or adults, is a fulfilling way to give back. 

“In college, I wanted to work for a YMCA but ended up teaching. I retired a little over a year ago and I knew that I wanted to volunteer, and specifically volunteer for the Y,” he said. “I think that even helping one person means I could be saving someone from drowning. It’s extremely rewarding to see them succeed.”

Together, they put a plan into place to help Donnie face the challenge of learning to swim. Donnie said she was able to overcome her reservations about the process by thinking back to the students in the Safety Around Water program. 

“When I look at the Safety Around Water program, the kids come in on Monday and you see a vast difference in them on Friday. It makes you think ‘maybe I can learn.’ It’s scary, but at the same time it’s inspiring,” she said.

She described being acutely aware of ebbs and flows of improvement every day in the water.  

“You know when you’re doing well and when it is not a good day you can feel it too. One day I was trying to steal breaths and I wasn’t getting enough air. When I would bring my head up I tended to stop kicking and Larry always tells me to keep kicking,” Chestnutt said. 

Over the course of a few weeks Johnson said he noticed a significant change in her abilities. 

“Donnie really has worked hard. I was very impressed. Of all the adults I’ve worked with she was probably the most committed,” he said. “She went from being at least nervous, if not afraid, to being fairly confident around water. She’s willing not only to jump in the deep end, but swim the length of the pool.” 

And for Chestnutt, the message is to spread further awareness that it is never too late to learn.

“I just get giddy thinking of it. I know I’m not alone. There are a lot of people like me out there. Hopefully this will encourage others,” she said.

If you would like to learn more about taking swim lessons at the Y, you can find more information here.  And for more details on our Safety Around Water Program, including how you can help support the program through a charitable gift, click here.

All Together Better: Member Appreciation Week


BRING YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO THE Y
November 23-November 30

In appreciation of our fantastic members, the YMCA encourages you to invite your friends and family to join you at the Y for free during Thanksgiving week. This is the perfect opportunity for you to share the Y experience with the special people in your life.

Guests ages 18 and over must present a valid photo I.D., and sign in at the Membership Desk. Up to 6 guests are invited to join you per visit. Thanksgiving week guests will not count against members’ annual guest pass totals.

Please note: In celebration of the Thanksgiving holiday, all branches of the Greater Joliet Area YMCA will be closed on Thursday, November 28.

Believe in Yourself: Tips to Stay Healthy Throughout the Holidays

The holidays are the time of year most people lose sight of their everyday fitness routines. And, that’s easy to understand. At the Y, we know staying active can be difficult when the potlucks are plentiful, your schedule is busy, and the temperatures are dropping by the day. Yet, staying committed to your fitness routine during the holiday season is key to achieving your fitness goals.

If you are searching for some extra support this holiday season, here are some great tips to help keep you focused:

Eat Mindfully

Don’t skip meals during your holiday festivities to prepare for ‘the big one.’

While attending your holiday celebrations, try taking half of what you think you will eat and try skipping the hors d’oerurves if possible; most often your eyes are bigger than your stomach. And, be sure to eat your veggies and proteins first.

Also, make sure to take your time eating during meals. By eating slowly and engaging in conversation, your brain will be able to process how hungry you actually are.

Stay Active

If you can’t make it to the gym as much during the holiday season, don’t worry. Try taking 10-30 minutes a day to be active; even if it’s at home. There are many great ways to exercise without equipment, including a brisk walk with the family, a morning run, or a quick at-home interval workout. Just be sure to commit to at least ten minutes of physical activity each day.

For additional exercise ideas to try during your next visit to the Y or at home during the holidays, head over to the Y’s Pinterest page.

Be Easy on Yourself

If you happen to overindulge during holiday meals or miss a workout—it’s okay! Tomorrow is another day. The key is making realistic, healthy decisions and committing to them. By planning your days around healthy choices, you are more likely to achieve your fitness goals.

And, most importantly, be sure to stay positive. Enjoy your time with loved ones and friends this holiday season.

To learn more about staying healthy during the holidays, check out this great article, courtesy of Best Health Magazine.

If you have questions about achieving your health and wellness goals during the holiday season, be sure to speak with a member of our wellness team during your next visit.

Kristen Derengowski

Tips to Stay Healthy Throughout the Holidays was written by Health, Wellness and Dance Director Kristen Derengowski.  Derengowski has been a dedicated YMCA staff member for more than 10 years and has more than 17 years of fitness training experience.

Building a Healthy Future: Rori Griffin’s Story


At the Y, we are dedicated to helping individuals reach their fitness goals. And for Rori Griffin, a senior at Morris High School, working out at the Y has helped her lose over 70 pounds. 

Rori said she has been a Y member for over a year but didn’t fully commit to a healthier lifestyle until this past summer when she honed in on what she wanted to do for a career.

“I’ve always wanted to be in the military or in law enforcement. In both of those fields you have to be physically fit. I was willing to make the change for myself,” Griffin said. “At first I felt I couldn’t do it but decided that I might as well try. When I tried, I got into the gym and realized how much I love it.”

Beyond the weight loss, Rori believes her overall fitness levels have improved significantly. 

“It’s not just about losing weight, it’s about learning to breathe better or stretch properly. I’ve never been a good runner and I’ve been able to challenge myself on the treadmill,” she said.

Like many who experience positive changes at the Y, Rori said the cultural environment is what sets it apart from other facilities. 

“Not many people look at the Y like it’s an average workout center. They look at it as a place where they can be in a community,” she said. “It’s family friendly and I love that feeling. Everybody here is so helpful and caring, even the people you might not know personally.“

The end result has been relishing every opportunity to stop by the Y. 

“It’s like my escape. I can turn a bad day into a good day. It boosts my mood. When I get a good workout in that’s when I feel I’m at my highest point,” she said.

Rori is undecided about her college choice but she is focused on attending a school where she can join the Reserve Officer Training Corps. 

“The next few months are going to be busy, being a senior can be stressful, but I plan to find time for myself to go to the gym and use a Y facility close to wherever I go to school,” she said. “You can never really prepare for basic training but you can try. This is going to help me.”

She feels maintaining a relationship with the Y is important because it is a community willing to help anyone succeed.    

“There have been times where I wanted to stop working out because I thought I wasn’t seeing results,” she said. “But other people saw them in me and that kept me motivated. When you walk into the Y you feel like you belong. And everybody belongs here.”

If you are interested in becoming a member, stop by your local Y or register online.

Meet Healthy Living and Senior Activities Coordinator Cindy Moss

The Y promotes a lifetime of healthy living and in recent years, the Y has introduced many new programs aimed at improving the health and well-being of older adults. The Y’s and Diabetes Self-Management program is geared toward helping individuals improve their day-to-day health, while our Fab 50 Program gives seniors an opportunity to participate in exciting activities while staying engaged in the community. 

At the helm of these important programs at the C.W. Avery Family YMCA is Cindy Moss, Healthy Living and Senior Activities Coordinator. Moss has been connected to the Y for over a decade and continues to enjoy her time working with our members. You can get to know more about her from the Q&A below:

Q: Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Moss: I’ve been working for the Y for 13 years. I started out in aquatics teaching swim lessons and things progressed from there. I started teaching the medically based classes and ultimately became the Healthy Living and Senior Activities Coordinator. I love it. I work with seniors and it’s one of my favorite things to do. I love the camaraderie of the Fab 50 program.

Q: What are the most rewarding things about your job?

Moss: I love what our programs bring out in people. It’s incredible when you can see someone who is struggling with their health reach out and make the effort to change. When you see their positive outcomes it makes everything we do worth it.

Q: How do you view your role in the program?

Moss: I definitely see myself as a facilitator. I’m the helping hand to guide someone and be there as a supportive friend when people need one. Especially with seniors, they might not have a lot of outside support. When they are here, they are like family. They rally around each other.

Q: What are some of the moments during your time with the Y that stand out?

Moss: We had an individual graduate from our Take Charge of Your Diabetes program and she said if it wasn’t for the program she would still be taking medications, feeling sick and be unable to do as much as she has. She’s now taking more fitness classes and can actually go on vacations. 

We also have a program where the seniors interact with our Pint-Size Pupils. Our Fab 50 group will come in and read to the kids, and then the kids will sing and do performances for the seniors. One of our members, Leon, is 95 years old and loves coming in every day.

Q: What do you like to do outside of the Y?

Moss: I love to spend time with my husband and daughter. I enjoy FaceTiming with my son, he’s in the Marine Corps. I also love my dog. My husband and I enjoy going on walks with her. 

If you have any questions about the healthy living or senior programs offered at the Y, you can contact Cindy at (815) 267-8600, ext. 214 or [email protected] 

All Together Better: Masters Swim Team Thriving

Bringing people together, building relationships through teamwork, and promoting an active lifestyle are key tenets of all Y programs. These same three principles are helping to guide one of the C.W. Avery Family YMCA’s newest adult programs- its Masters Swim Club. 

Every Tuesday and Thursday morning, head coach Ann Emmrich can be found patrolling the pool deck at 5 a.m. encouraging members to work hard and get better, regardless of their background or skill level. 

“We’ll start with people who think swimming is their weakest thing, but we also have former college swimmers who are elite. They’re all very dedicated,” Emmrich said.  

Emmrich, a former lifeguard and recreation supervisor, said swimming has been a passion of hers since she was a young girl at the Allegheny Y in her native Pittsburgh. But her relationship with the current team didn’t come together until last fall when member Cathy Crawford saw Emmrich playing of all things, basketball. 

“I came out of the locker room one morning and Ann was sitting there,” Crawford said. “She had been competing with her basketball team and she said ‘Do you swim?’ I said ‘Of course, do you want to be our coach?’ We got it together and the rest is history.”

Emmrich said her competitive nature kicked in and she began recruiting new team members. What had been a small handful of swimmers quickly became over two dozen, reigniting a passion for swimming in people like Tasha Marsaglia. 

Masters Swim Club Coach Ann Emmrich watches on as team members swim practice laps

“I swam competitively in high school. To be able to get back to very similar times to where I was has been awesome. The little goals I try to set are fun,” Marsaglia said. 

Doug Moss, a former college swimmer and freestyle state champion for the team, said he was asked to join after Emmrich saw him swimming laps while his kids took swim lessons. 

“I do like winning, but for me, it’s about exercise and the camaraderie. I’ve gotten a lot of new friendships. We hang out after swim practices and meets on the weekends, and we do other workouts,” Moss said. 

Individuals like Mike Powers, one of the program’s 11 gold medal winners at the senior Olympics last month, have been able to gain competitive experience for the first time. 

“I took lessons at the Y as a kid and learned the proper strokes, but I’ve never been on a swim team in my life. That did not deter Ann. She kept after me and I finally joined. I’m really glad I did,” Powers said. 

Husband and wife duo Jeff and Maxine Palmer joined the team to help train for ironman triathlons. Now they have a stable of teammates that push them to get better. 

“For a while we were sort of the token couple of the group, but there are now a few other couples that have come in and we’ve made friendships. Camaraderie is a great thing to keep you going in exercise. Without that, it can get old sometimes. When you can do it together with other people it makes it more enjoyable,” Jeff said.

There are also team members proving why swimming can provide a boost for a lifetime of athletic activity. Diane Aros, 67, and Larry Hill, 74, have become team regulars and said that their experience has kept them sharp both mentally and physically. 

“I’ve been swimming all my life, but usually just for my own pleasure,” Aros said. “I saw this group all the time and Ann invited me in. At first I was intimidated but she has made me feel very comfortable. I’m swimming double the amount that I used to and when I’m done I feel like a million bucks. It’s just amazing.”  

“Ann has done such a terrific job putting all these people together. The benefit is of course the exercise, but also getting to meet people,” Hill said.  “When we went to the senior olympics a couple weeks ago there was a 94 year old guy there. I guess I have something to look forward to. And at my age, to look forward to the next birthday is a real benefit.”

And, as the team uses the winter to prepare for next April’s state meet, Emmrich is still on the recruiting trail. 

“The most swimmers we’ve ever taken to a state meet is 29. I want to double that at the next state meet,” she said. “If anybody walks through the door and I see they swim, I’m on them to join.”

The Masters Swim Club is open to Y members, ages 18 and over. Practices are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5 a.m.-6 a.m. and 6:30 a.m.-7:30 a.m., Sundays from 7 a.m.-8 a.m., Thursdays from 8:15 p.m.-9:15 p.m. and Fridays from 7 p.m.-8 p.m. Swim Club members who choose to compete in meets can do so in one of 12 different age groups. For more information, please contact the C.W. Avery YMCA at (815) 267-8600.

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