Rye Y Story Project: 2012

Below are the stories of several of our participants.

IrvingR I’ve been coming to the Rye Y for 18 years. I had a stroke in March 1993. My life was changed. It was a brain attack.
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ChrisH Twenty three years ago when I was looking for a place to live, I drove by the Rye Y. I knew right away I had to live nearby. Read more
Louise The minute I walked into the Y I was so impressed by the welcoming environment. I’ve always been intimidated by the competitive environment in gyms. Read more. BettyG I’ve been a member for 20 years. My kids are now adults, but they grew up in the YMCA. It’s a way of life for us. Whenever I’ve relocated, the first question for me is, “OK, where is the YMCA?” Read more
BillD My wife and I joined the Rye YMCA about 25 years ago. We had never been members of any other gyms or YMCA’s, due to our busy schedules. Read more. DanielleL I live in Harrison and I’ve been a member of the Rye Y for about 1 ½ years. I first came to the Y because of the pools. I wanted to get back into swimming. Read more.
DinahH I’ve been a member for about 20 years, on and off. (I left for few years when I was living in London.) I first joined when we moved to Rye from New York City and my oldest daughter was about one. Read more. JayS My wife has been a long-time swimmer at the Y but I procrastinated about coming here. I finally started working out when my doctor recommended that I get into some semblance of shape. Read more.
RickV I decided to check out the Y because my wife, Joy, teaches classes at the Wainwright house. I love it here. Read more. PaulaP The Y helped me through the most difficult period in my life. In 2006, I had a health crisis. Read more
JenniferH When I was a senior in high school, I had back surgery for scoliosis… Post surgery, for years to come, I stayed very active but with limited flexibility. Read more. lorryaneC Lorrayne: I joined the Y 31 years ago. I love everything about coming here. Swimming is great because it doesn’t bother my knees. Read more.
DavidA I have lived in Rye since 1963 and my earliest memories of the YMCA were learning to swim. Back then we would actually meet Rye Y lifeguards at the beach and that’s where we had our swim lessons Read more. DottieL I’m the Vice President for the Rye Association for the Handicapped. My husband was a stroke survivor and had no place to exercise. Read more.
Jill
Yes, my power is out at home [Hurricane Sandy], but I would have come here anyway! It keeps me both healthy and sane. I’ve done everything here! Read more. MaryI I first moved to Rye with 2 babies in tow. I lived in the Arcade building on Purchase Street and the Rye YMCA was a hop skip and a jump from me. Read more.
CobyE My wife and I joined the Rye YMCA about 25 years ago. We had never been members of any other gyms or YMCA’s, due to our busy schedules. Read more Chris H- My wife Megan and I came to the Rye Y about ten years ago… Megan, who is a really good swimmer, was looking for a Master Swim class. Read more.
  Ellen I first came to the Rye Y twenty-three years ago, when my sons were two and four years old. I was looking for programs for them. Read more.

If you would like to share your Y story, please contact Denise Woodin or Lisa Tidball at 914-967-6363 anytime. On our website, full names are displayed as images only for our members’ privacy (not searchable).