A Warm Welcome

Denise Woodin
Rye Y Director of Community Impact & Social Responsibility

Recently, Groupon voucher in hand, I tried out a different salon for a much-needed haircut.  After a minute, someone came to the front desk, took my name, and led me to the back.  Although she offered me a cup of coffee (much appreciated), she didn’t offer her name or engage in any further conversation.  It wasn’t that she was unfriendly; it was just that something warm, something welcoming, was missing.  It was as if her mind was elsewhere, perhaps dwelling on a fight with her boyfriend, or family problems. It happens.

Now, I don’t expect a brass band announcing my arrival just to get a haircut.  But it did make me think about how all our staff, especially the Member Services group at the front desk, greets every member and visitor who walk through the Y’s doors.  Their voices are enthusiastic and warm. Their interest in people is genuine.  At the very least, they smile and say hello.  Often, they’ll greet members by name and ask about their families or recent life events.

Bill and Lauren

The Rye Y attracts staff who want everyone—from babies to senior citizens, the health seekers and the athletes, and everyone in between—to know that they are welcome here.  It makes a difference to our members, who feel embraced by a community.  And, as a staff member, it makes a difference to me, to be part of a place that values human relationships above all.

So come on in, say hello to Barb or Bill or Paul or Cindy or Teresa or any of our other front desk staff.  Just don’t ask them for a wash and a trim!

Water Safety Tips

Vickie Kourtelis
Rye YMCA Aquatics Director

May is National Water Safety Month. The Y Aquatics Department is dedicated to making sure that all children learn to swim and learn water safety skills that prevent any injury or drowning in the water. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, “Every day, about ten people die from unintentional drowning. Of these, two are children aged 14 or younger. Drowning is the sixth leading cause of unintentional injury death for people of all ages, and the second leading cause of death for children ages 1-14 years.”

 With the summer season right around the corner we would like to share some helpful tips to make sure that you and your families enjoy the summer and practice safe summer fun! No matter what age or swim ability, children need continuous supervision around the water. Young children especially can drown in less than two inches of water so it is very important that caregivers keep a close eye on them while they are swimming! The smallest distraction is all it takes for a child to become part of a horrible statistic, all too many times we hear stories beginning with, “I was only gone for a minute…“or, “I received a quick phone call and a few seconds later…” Please take water safety seriously this summer and feel free to contact us with any questions you may have or any additional support we may be able to provide you with, email us at Vickie@ryeymca.org or call (914)967-6363 ext. 108. Below are some tips that may help you and your families this summer.

 CAREGIVERS
 -Let kids know that they should contact an adult or a lifeguard if there is an emergency. If you are traveling to a pool or beach, point out the lifeguard to your child before you begin swimming.  

 - Communication between adults supervising the pool area is key! If you are going to be walking away from the water for a quick second communicate that with other adults so that somebody is supervising the children in the water.

 -Review pool rules with your children and make sure they know what to do in case of an emergency. Teach them to remain calm and YELL for HELP if they find themselves struggling in the water or in case they see somebody else struggling. Go over emergency procedures with the children (while in the car driving to the water, eating a snack, applying sunscreen, right before entering the water, etc.)

 -Children should NEVER serve as the lifeguard. If they see somebody needs assistance their job should be to FIND help, not jump in and help the person themselves. Distressed swimmers and active drowning victims can become uncontrollable and violent in the water which can lead to drowning or injuring the person helping them.

-Never assume that a child is safe in the pool, even if they are a great swimmer. All kids should be supervised in the water as at any given time something can happen and they may need assistance. Even an experienced swimmer can suffer or worse, drown in the water.

 -Practice makes perfect!!! Set aside 10 minutes every other day to do a mini lesson or just a couple of times during the week. Children like to PLAY in outdoor pools, not practice their freestyle, backstroke, etc. If you stay committed to the learning process throughout the summer then they will improve a great deal.

-If at a pool with a diving board make sure to stress to the kids that they can’t jump until the person that jumped before them is at the wall and that there is nobody in their way.

-Practice swimming without goggles for a little bit each day so that they are comfortable swimming without them if there should be an incident when they fall in the water.

-Be at arm’s reach of your child in the water to provide a helping hand as soon as they may need one. Provide your child a life saving floatation device if they are a non swimmer.

-Teach children never to swim alone.

 -Learn CPR in case of an emergency, CPR saves lives and the faster you respond to a situation using CPR if needed the more likely a chance of recovery. Only trained CPR professionals should practice this skill. Classes are taught here at the Y!

 -Enroll your child in swim lessons. The Y’s summer session will begin on June 23 and registration starts June 13. (Click here for swim schedule)  Swim class is a great way to reinforce pool rules and have children practice their skills in a learning encouraging setting.

 HAVE A POOL AT HOME?
-Never allow your child to swim unsupervised.

-Have 911 posted by the phone so kids remember who to call in case of an emergency!

-Having a pool party? Make sure to assign parents to pool duty, have parents in the water with non swimmers, or hire a lifeguard to come and keep a close watch on the kids.

-Stay away from distracting tasks while supervising your child while they swim. Jump in with them and cool off, play games, or teach them some skills.

-Fence off your pool area and make sure that gates are self closing and self latching, out of children’s reach.

-Remove any toys or objects in the pool at the end of your swim activities as children can fall in by trying to grab them.

-Empty all water out of inflatable pools.

-If your child is having a play date make sure to find out whether they will be doing any water activities. If so, be sure to find out what kind of supervision there will be in the water no matter what swim ability your child or their friends may have.

-Be sure to swim test children visiting your pool before you allow them to swim. Swim tests should be done with an adult in the water at arm’s reach to provide assistance if needed.

-Make sure to separate the deeper end with a divider in the water so that all kids and adults no if there is a change in depth.

 HEADING TO THE BEACH?
 -Make sure to wear sunscreen. Wear hats, drink plenty of water, and don’t forget to reapply sunscreen regularly!

-Keep cool when you can.

-Practice the buddy system. Nobody is allowed by the water without their buddy.

-Point out the lifeguard so the child knows who to approach in case of an emergency.

-Do not allow children to swim in large waves.

-Teach kids that if they are caught in a rip current or undertow they should swim parallel to the shore or tread water and yell for HELP.

These are just a few tips to help create a safe environment for you and your families this summer. Again, we urge you to remain focused on water safety this summer. Keeping an eye on your children or making sure they are properly supervised is key to providing a safe and fun environment for all. ENJOY, STAY COOL, AND BE SAFE!

As easy as riding a bike...

Vickie Kourtelis
Rye YMCA Aquatics Director

“It’s as easy as riding a bike." Funny! For so many years I thought, “if that's the case, I'm doomed!”

After a few failed attempts at mastering a two wheel bike on my own, I had sworn off the activity. At 7 years old, I was left with a broken arm after being jolted off my bike by my brother, who had "accidentally" knocked into my back tire. Soon after, I attempted to ride again and crashed into a tree, busting my lip and chin open and cracking my two front teeth. I have the scars to prove it! I would never get on that thing again! Clearly it just wasn't my sport! So you can see why I thought getting on a bike again would be the scariest thing.

Then, almost a year ago, I was visiting family in Virginia and they encouraged me to give cycling another try.  I went from a small bike that belonged to my 9 year old cousin, to a bigger bike within hours. My entire family questioned my abilities, but with my father holding the back of the bike and the handle bars I slowly mastered the peddling. You can imagine how ridiculous that must have looked, a 24-year old woman getting assistance from her dad on a bicycle. I was nervous, but finally he let go and I realized it wasn't so bad...until I had to stop. Nervously I'd throw my feet down before realizing all I had to do was slowly brake using the brakes on the handle bars. That weekend, after a few hours of practice, I rode a few miles up the road with my 13 year-old cousin. A non biker to a few miles— outrageous!

Returning home to New York, my first stop was at my local bike store. New bike, check...helmet, check…fanny pack to hold my belongings, check! All set for my first NY bike ride. On my first ride I got a flat...called Triple A (a.k.a my dad) and had the tire repaired. On my second ride, not far from my house, I was faced with what I call “huge” hill with a 4 -way stop sign at the bottom. Unable to stop, and nervous with a consuming fear of crashing into a moving vehicle, I threw myself off the bike midway down the hill into a tree. I stood up, looked around, laughed, collected my water bottle and bike from the middle of the street and walked down the hill. I went to the park to clean off my bloody knees and elbow, climbed back on the bike and rode home.

I'm petrified every time I get on that bike, but I will get back on every time. It's a strange thing learning something as an adult. Fear takes over but you have to just let go and go for it! So it's pretty funny that I just learned, right? Well, here's a challenge...find that thing you’ve always wanted to do, make yourself a little uncomfortable, let go and go for it!

Our 9+1 Adventure

All Roads lead to the 2013 NYC Marathon
Laura Tiedge,
Rye Y Senior Director of Healthy Living

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. – Chinese Proverb

I met Alex a little more than 9 months ago when I interviewed her to be a part of our LIVESTRONG at the YMCA pilot program. At the time, she was an 18-month ovarian cancer survivor with steadfast Irish determination to get back in shape. Little did I know that I had just found a terrific new friend.

Alex approached the LIVESTRONG program with a great deal of commitment and a positive attitude. About six weeks into the 12-week program she said she wanted to set a goal to do a triathlon. It was too late to join the Rye Y Tribe, our beginner women’s triathlon team, but there was enough time to get ready for The Westchester Triathlon’s mini-sprint called the Meek and Mighty. Alex registered, started preparing for the race, and sure enough she finished! I was there that day, along with her husband Michael! She was beaming with pride – Alex had found her inner athlete.

So it came as no surprise when Alex signed up for the Tribe and her first sprint distance triathlon. However, she was struggling to get back to an exercise routine and asked if she could join me on my runs. Alex was new to running, but was an avid long distance walker, having twice trained for and completed the 2-day Avon Walk for Breast cancer. We set about becoming runners using the Jeff Galloway run-walk method, which would ease us into injury-free running. This was particularly important to me, as I had suffered a stress fracture in 2010 while training for a half-marathon. I never wanted to repeat 8 weeks on crutches and moving around the Y on my scooter again!

Before we knew it, Alex and I were run-walking three days a week. On one of our walks I mentioned that I was planning to run nine races and volunteer at another through New York Road Runners (NYRR) in order to get an auto-entry into the 2013 NYC Marathon. I could see the wheels turning in her head and by the end of that run, she had decided to join me in the 9+1 adventure.

At that point, our training took on new meaning – we had races to choose and register for. There was no slacking now that we were committed to this lofty goal! That said, each of our runs are a gift, filled with Alex’s affirmations mixed in with her signature phrase/complaint, “Oh, THANK GOD” when the Gymboss (our run-walk interval timer) indicates that we can finally walk for a minute!

Our running routes usually bring us to Rye Town beach and the calming waters of the Long Island Sound. Along the way, and on every run, I will hear Alex say each of these phrases at some point -- Isn’t it just great being out here -- What a gift this day is – It’s good to be alive. She reminds me with each of these affirmations that I need to remain in the moment, clear my mind of stress and worries, and not sweat the small stuff. I need this from Alex as much, if not more, than she needs me to help her stay on track – we need each other!

Until April, we had been successful with one of our main goals – staying injury-free. And then Alex began complaining about rib pain. Thinking this was a flare-up from a previous broken rib, she ran through the discomfort. But it was getting too painful and I insisted she go to the doctor. No orthopedic issues, but it turns out she had a mild case of shingles! So, Alex had to take some time off and I was left to run alone.
span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">While she was recuperating I stuck to our routine, but it wasn’t the same. I had experienced the joy of running with a friend, which made my solo runs more work than fun. Aches and pains set in, and a week before our race I felt the familiar discomfort of shin splints. Alex was ready to come back to running, and while I joined her, I was sure to apply R.I.C.E. – rest, ice, compression and elevation – after our runs to insure I’d be ready for our first race on May 12^th.

Fast forward to race day. We arrive in Central Park on a stunningly beautiful NYC spring day. Cool air, warm sun, blue skies and no humidity. We do a short walk to warm-up and then find our way to the back of the line where the slower runners and walkers await their approach to the starting line. As we walk toward the start, I turn on the Gymboss. NOTHING happens. After I reassure Alex that I did really change the battery, she whips off one of the pins used to attach her race number to her shirt and finds the reset button. We are back in business. Have to love the practical Irish woman! As we near the starting line, we hear the announcer say “Time to get your jog on people”, and we’re off.

It’s not long before we hit our first hill. Central Park is known for having hilly courses, but after 13 years of living—and running—in Pittsburgh, the Central Park hills seem mild. Alex, on the other hand, hates when I make her do them on our training runs. I like to remind her that she’ll thank me later.

At two miles, we have definitely found our groove. As we cruise through Central Park we fall into casual conversation and musings about life. My shin is sore but nothing terrible, and I’m beginning to feel good about the race. Alex seems to be doing well too, with just a little lingering discomfort around her ribs. Then, just as we pass the 4 mile mark, Alex begins to slow down a bit. She asks if we could extend our walk time, so we do. As we walked I asked her what she ate this morning, “Oh, a banana and coffee. Figured this was a short race so I don’t need much”. Yep, she was bonking – her blood sugar was falling and her energy flagging. Oh well, rookie mistake – it won’t happen again.

We breeze past the 5-mile mark running. Alex mentions she is thirsty, even after hitting two previous water stations. I ask if she had any water before the race. “No, just coffee’’. She is dehydrated, adding to the slower pace. Rookie mistake #2! Now I am feeling bad. I had failed to prepare her as the coach. We had gone over running technique, training periodization, stretching and running shoes, but I had neglected to review Race Preparation 101 – nutrition and hydration. FAIL! Still, no time for admonitions; we have a race to finish.

The last 1.2 miles fly by. 800 meters out, our pace picks up as we hear music playing. We cross the finish line to the cheers of the finishers and all of the terrific race volunteers. We did it – race #1 in the books, and just eight more to go! Time to stretch, revel in our accomplishment and find the closest Starbucks! You go girl!
To be continued…