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How to Make Every Day a Holistic Health Day

Wednesday, May 22, 2013 by:Family Y
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Acupuncturist Judith Woolf gives a demonstration of this ancient healing art at the Y's Holistic Health Day.

Acupuncturist Judith Woolf gives a demonstration of this ancient healing art at the Y’s Holistic Health Day.

Many thanks to those who helped make the Family Y’s first-ever Holistic Health Day a success!

Held on Saturday, May 18, the 4-hour event attracted dozens of Y members and others interested in learning more about the Y’s “holistic” fitness classes and activities that aim to keep the “whole you” functioning properly, healthily, and happily.

To continue our goal to help Y members follow an approach to life that focuses on complete body health, our Wellness Center offers an array of holistic fitness classes throughout the year. Summer Session classes start the week of June 24; see below for descriptions of some of our holistic offerings.

But why wait? The Family Y is offering an Intro to Tai Chi group fitness class on the first three Saturdays in June, from 10:30 to 11:30 am.

Originally developed for self-defense, tai chi has evolved into a graceful form of exercise that’s now used for stress reduction and a variety of other health conditions. Often described as meditation in motion, tai chi promotes serenity through gentle, flowing movements. Tai chi, is a non-competitive, self-paced system of gentle physical exercise and stretching. Each posture flows into the next without pause, ensuring that your body is in constant motion.

To register for the classes, to be held June 1, 8 and 15, please click here. The cost to Y members is $30.For more information, please contact Shelley Moll, Health & Wellness Director, 203-226-8981 x198 or smoll@westporty.org.

To view the Family Y’s ongoing schedule of group-fitness classes, please click here; below are brief descriptions of some of our ongoing holistic classes:

Poetry in slow motion: A Tai Chi class in session.

Poetry in slow motion: A Tai Chi class in session.

Ashtanga Yoga – A classic style of yoga that links breath and movement.  Strengthen your body and calm your mind.

Balance and Stretch – Awaken your muscle memory, and prevent falls that may lead to injury  or immobility.

Gentle Yoga – Explore your posture, breathing, and learn how to help yourself relax.

Hatha Yoga – Through physical poses and deep breathing you’ll learn body awareness, strength, and flexibility.

Kripalu Gentle Yoga – Using longer poses and moving       meditation, you will learn emotional and spiritual growth.

Kundalini Yoga – Works the entire nervous and glandular systems with a strengthening aspect for physical health.

MELT and Stretch – Erase pain and tension in your hands, feet and lower back brought on by stress, overuse and age

Pilates – Strengthen your major muscle groups, improve your body alignment, and increase your flexibility.

Qigong – A self healing technique that generates a healthy flow of qi throughout the body.  No experience necessary.

Restorative Yoga – Use props to minimize exertion to move from a tense state to relaxation

Vinyasa Yoga – A faster paced class. Poses are linked in a series of movements that are tied to your breath.
And that’s just the start of it! The Family Y offers over 70 fitness and wellness classes for all levels and abilities. From Step to Zumba, Yoga to Pilates, Spinning and Body Conditioning there is a class for everyone. Our other specialty classes, including Feldenkrais, TRX and Kettlebell, are also very popular. All of the Y’s group-fitness classes are led by trained certified instructors to help you stay motivated and have fun. For more information, please visit www.westporty.org.

Latest Construction Photos of the New Y at Mahackeno

Thursday, May 16, 2013 by:Family Y
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Much has changed at the Westport Weston Family Y’s 32-acre Mahackeno campus just north of downtown since Feb. 5, when our Y’s volunteer leaders, staff and construction partners were joined by dozens of Y members and supporters to celebrate the official groundbreaking ceremony for the 54,000 sq. ft. facility that, come late 2014, will serve as the Family Y’s new home.

A chilling breeze through bare trees has been replaced by the warm winds of spring that ripple through the light green of new leaves. Two-story high piles of topsoil, wood chips, and dirt and gravel have grown, shrunk, moved around as heavy-duty machines do the work of sorting and sifting and screening and crushing their way through some 7,300 cubic yards of material.

A view of the southeast corner of the new Y; to the far left and rear is where the Wellness Center will be situated.

A view of the southeast corner of the new Y; to the far left and rear is where the Wellness Center will be situated.

The sloping hillside within which our new Y will be located has been dug out, sculpted and shaped. Thick walls of concrete are rising from the ground, released from their scaffolded forms. A sky-high crane lifts the forms and sets them down again, as workers fashion their bracework of rebar to be encased by yet more wet cement poured from the heavy spindles of the cement trucks.

Three months into the building project directed by Turner Construction, work on our new Y proceeds, its pace quickening as the work list expands. Progress continues every work day; safely, ahead of schedule, and (we’re happy to report) currently under budget.

Some key dates ahead: The masonry that will enclose the exterior walls will be added starting around June 7. A week or so later, around June 16, the steel girders that will form our new, two-level Y will begin to be erected by two very large cranes.

From an overlook along Allen Raymond Lane on the north side of the building site, visitors on our weekly guided tours are now able to truly “imagine the possibilities” — See that crane over there? It’s in the shallow end of our 10-lane lap pool…  See those workers? They’re setting rebar under where Y members and guests will enter the main lobby… See that low wall jutting outward toward the brook, then along it, then back again, like a giant-size bay window? The bare dirt that bay window now encloses will, come late next year, be the carpeted floor of our beautiful new Wellness Center, with its picturesque views of the brook…

Click through the photo gallery above to see more photos, taken Monday, May 13, and read the captions for more details. To see renderings of the interior spaces, please click here for a pdf of images.

Or see for yourself by signing up for a tour, held each Wednesday at 12:15 pm. Groups are limited to 10 people; contact Susie Haydon at shaydon@westporty.org or 203-226-8981, ext. 106. To find out more about Building What Matters, our campaign to fully fund and construct a modern and sustainable new Family Y, please click here.

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To view a brief video about our campaign for a new Y, including an animated, virtual tour of what the inside will look like, please click on the image below.

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The Whole Truth About Holistic Health Day at the Y, May 18

Friday, May 10, 2013 by:Family Y
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yoga matMidge’s Membership Blog:

“Holistic,” you say? Isn’t that another word for half-baked?

Well, let me give you the whole story about “holistic” and tell you why the Family Y is where you should be on Saturday, May 18, from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm.

Whether you realize it or not, we all (yes, that is ALL of us) prescribe to holistic health.  It is the concept that all aspects of our needs, including psychological, physical and social, be taken into account and seen as a whole.

Do any of you NOT want to be seen as a whole person?  So, to keep that “whole you” functioning properly, healthily, and happily … spend a couple of hours at the Y’s first-ever Holistic Health Day next Saturday and address some of these really important parts of you!

Here’s a rundown of the special activities planned for the day. For complete details, just click here.

ACUPUNCTURE:  If you’re saying “ick, needles!” — I get it.  But speak to my ultra-conservative, 87-year-old father-in-law who used to believe anything but western medicine was voodoo.  He is a changed man because of these tiny needles (which, by the way, do not hurt). After suffering with arthritic joint pain in his hands for years, he tried acupuncture and it did the trick.

From 10:30 am – 2:30 pm – Experience an acupuncture treatment with Judith Woolfe, licensed and certified specialist.  Tell her where it hurts or let her discover the areas of discomfort.  Headaches, backaches, allergies, joint pain, etc. will be relieved.

TAI CHI:  Don’t let the fact that Tai Chi is one of the martial arts scare you.  You will not be breaking bricks or throwing kicks into the air.  What you will be doing is slow-motion, low-impact “meditation in motion.”

10:30 – 11:30 – am – Join instructor Peter DiGrazia in learning how to breathe through the diaphragm and getting some of the benefits of yoga without the extended stretching and bending.

QIGONG:  Now, who doesn’t want more “intrinsic life energy?” I’m serious.  Qigong is widely practiced in China, and the belief is that in cultivating and balancing your “qi,” which affects the mind, body and spirit, you will maintain health and longevity.  Join in this class and learn fluid movement, rhythmic breathing, increased awareness and hopefully a feeling of calm.

11:30 – 12:30 pm – Let Michelle Quigley take you through the self-healing techniques of Qigong and find your very own “qi.”

CHINESE INTERNAL HEALING EXERCISE:  You might ask yourself, how does one follow acupuncture, tai chi and qigong? I have an answer for you … explore these exercises, which purport to heal, reduce stress and expel toxins from the body.

12:30 – 1:30 pm – Randy Kirik will lead you through this healing method.  He has maintained a private practice for the past ten years in traditional Chinese herbal medicine.

MEDITATION:  At this juncture, having experienced at least one of the aforementioned disciplines, exercises or philosophies, you are ready to meditate.

1:30 – 2:30 pm – Lower your levels of stress and anxiety, relax, improve your focus and concentration with Y yoga instructor Matan Cohen-Citron.

In between all this healthy balancing and energy gathering…don’t forget to drop by ROBIN’S HEALING KITCHEN (11:30 – 1:30 pm) and DAVID’S TEA (11 – 2 PM)  for  some great sustenance to keep you going.  Robin Polin will help you discover some wonderful tasting food that is as healthy as it is yummy.  Proper nutrition is the basis of optimum health and well -being.  Sample some of David’s hot or cold teas; an amazing array of flavors.

I hope you take advantage of this really special day.  I guarantee that you will feel like a “whole” new person when you leave the Y after Holistic Health Day. To learn more, you can also touch base with Shelley Moll, our Health & Wellness Director, by calling 203-226-8981 or emailing smoll@westporty.org.

 

Join the Y’s Race for the Cure Team on Saturday, May 11 at Sherwood Island State Park

Tuesday, May 7, 2013 by:Family Y
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Sherwood Island State Park, just off Exit 18 on I-95, via the Sherwood Island State Connector Road.

Sherwood Island State Park, just off Exit 18 on I-95, via the Sherwood Island State Connector Road.

The first annual Fairfield County Race for the Cure will take place Saturday morning, May 11, at Sherwood Island State Park. Events at the Race for the Cure in Westport include a 5K Race, 5K and 1.5K Walks, a Kids’ Short Run and Kids’ K and a Survivor Breakfast.

Conducted by the Connecticut Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the family event raises awareness and funds for breast cancer research and local breast cancer programs.

The Westport Weston Family Y is one of many local sponsors. In addition to fielding a Family Y Race for the Cure team, the Y has been conducting weekly training classes to help walkers and runners gear up for the event.

Led by Y Fitness Instructor Perry Moody, the group’s final class takes place on Thursday morning, 9:30 – 10:30 am. Participants meet in the Stauffer Pool Lobby before heading outdoors, weather permitting, for a spirited workout session that combines walking and jogging along with advice from Moody on improving your technique for both. Join Perry and our Y’s Race for the Cure participants for a final tune-up before taking part in Saturday’s activities at Sherwood Island!

“It’s a great way not only to support a great cause, but also to get into shape for the outdoor months ahead,” said Shelley Moll, Health and Wellness Director for the Family Y.

To join the Family Y Race for the Cure team, form a team, or register as an individual, please visit www.komenct.org.

Here’s the schedule for Saturday at Sherwood Island State Park:

Saturday, May 11

7:00 AM Registration opens
8:15 AM Opening Ceremony at Main Stage
8:30 AM 5K Race
9:20 AM 5K Awards Ceremony at Main Stage
10:00 AM Kids K & Short Run
10:15 AM 4K Walk & 2K Walk

Survivor Events, Saturday, May 11

8:00 AM Survivor Breakfast Opens
9:30 AM Survivor Parade, starting at the Survivor Tent
9:45 AM Survivor Ceremony on the Main Stage
9:50 AM Survivor Photo

Komen header_westport

Connecticut has the second highest incidence of breast cancer in the nation, and several Fairfield County towns are among those with the highest rates of breast cancer incidence, mortality and late stage diagnosis.

Statewide, over 3,000 Connecticut women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year alone. That is why the work of Komen Connecticut and events like the Race for the Cure are so vital, and already making a difference in the lives of women in Fairfield County and the rest of the state.

Until cures are found for breast cancer, early detection is the key to survival. For each of the past three years, Komen Connecticut has funded over $1 million in community grants to local organizations providing lifesaving services for women in need across our state.

These grants currently support breast cancer programs in Fairfield County, including: Norwalk Hospital, Bridgeport Hospital, Stamford Hospital, St. Vincent’s Hospital and CancerCare, among others.

Seventy five percent of Komen Connecticut’s net revenue supports local breast health programs across Connecticut and the remaining twenty five percent is invested in research to find the causes and cures for the disease. Not a penny of the money raised in Connecticut goes to support Komen National administration.

Although the organization invests in Connecticut breast cancer programs, much of its fundraising has historically taken place in the Hartford area.

“The Westport Race for the Cure is an exciting next step for our organization,” said Anne Morris, Executive Director of Komen Connecticut. “We are proud of the statewide impact of our community grants, and are thrilled to have a greater presence in Fairfield County. We need the support of all our local communities to help us continue investing in cutting-edge research and local breast cancer programs for Connecticut women and their families.”

“The Race for the Cure presents us with an opportunity to celebrate survivorship, honor those who have lost their battles, and impact local residents by raising funds to support education, screening and treatment programs right here in our state,” said Morris. “This event is the perfect platform to empower Fairfield County residents to join the local fight against breast cancer.”

For more information and to get involved, visit KomenCT.org, email race@komenct.org or call 860-321-7806.

In conjunction with Norwalk Hospital’s Whittingham Cancer Center and the Smilow Family Breast Health Center, the Y also offers the Cancer Survivor Fitness Program. The 12-week program includes cardiovascular and muscle strength exercises as well as relaxation techniques designed to reduce cancer-therapy side effects. For more information, contact Shelley Moll at 203-226-8981, ext. 198; smoll@westporty.org.

Summer Fun All Set to Begin at the Y

Saturday, May 4, 2013 by:Family Y
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Pages from Summer_2013_Program_Brochure-3Midge’s Membership Blog:

As far as I’m concerned, SUMMER IS HERE!  And the best way to get your jump start is to sign up for our summer session of classes.  Registration begins Monday, May 6, at 8:00 am.  Classes fill up fast so please try to register as soon as possible.

The Y has a great summer class selection in addition to various camps.

AQUATIC CLASSES – Your kids can be sea worthy in no time at all, and it is especially important, with all the pools and beaches opening that our children can swim and be safe.  The Y’s emphasis on safety in instruction is paramount.

We are offering an option of classes taken once a week for eight weeks or four times a week for two weeks.  If you prefer private or semi-private instruction, this is also available for all ages. Pediatric aquatic therapy and special needs instruction is also available.

HAFADAY – Sessions fill quickly for this amazing summer program, which gives children the vital chance to build swim skills, regardless of previous experience, and have a lot of summer fun. Designed for children ages 4 to 8 and held each weekday from 8:45 am to 12:30 pm, Hafaday is primarily a swim program, with both a lesson and a free swim period each day. It’s the best way to learn to swim. Arts and crafts, music and gym time, including yoga, karate, and games round out each morning of fun.

We have 9 weekly sessions, beginning Monday, June 17 and continuing on through the week of August 12. Students in swim lessons are grouped by age and ability. The cost for Y Members is $270 per week; $295 for non-members. Click here to sign up.

BASKETBALL – We have various weekly basketball camps for different age groups as well as Basketball/Hockey camp for the younger kids.  For the older kids, there’s the Elite Basketball Academy Weekend Clinics in June.

Weekly Sports & Recreation Summer Classes will be offered in the following disciplines:  Intermediate Fencing; Guitar; Little Lacrosse; Youth Indoor Tennis; Parent/Child Indoor Soccer; Youth Floor Hockey; Dribbling with Dad; and more. Just check our online brochure for details, then register at www.westporty.org.

DANCE CAMPS – For the twirling Divas there are quite a few choices for a variety of ages, from Princess Dance Camp for the tiniest ballerinas to the older pre-teen group of Hip Hoppers and Tappers.

GYMNASTICS – The gymnasts will not be lazy this summer.  There’s a multitude of opportunity to tumble, practice and play at all levels of gymnastics, from competitive to pre-competitive to just plain fun.

EARTHPLACE-MAHACKENO – Last but certainly not least, is our beloved summer day camp. The exciting new wrinkle this year is that our Mahackeno campers get to explore a whole new world of nature and fun this summer thanks to our partners at Earthplace, the Nature Discovery Center.

Have we left anything out of our summer planner? No doubt — so please come and visit us at the Y’s Member Services Desk just inside the Church Lane Entrance in downtown Westport to talk more about our summer camps, classes and programs.

 

The joys of summer camp!

The joys of summer camp!

Holistic Health Day at the Y, Saturday, May 18

Wednesday, May 1, 2013 by:Family Y
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yoga matPlease join us for the Westport Weston Family Y’s first-ever Holistic Health Day!

“Holistic” health is an approach to life that focuses on complete body health and the relationship between your environment and your health. It emphasizes the connection of the spirit, mind and body.

Find out for yourself by taking part in the following classes and special activities taking place in our Bedford and Bresslin Rooms on Saturday, May 18, from 10:30 to 2 pm. These classes and activities are offered for free to all, Y Members and non-members alike.

Tai Chi: 10:30 -11:30 am Bresslin Room
“Meditation in motion.” Tai Chi is a low-impact, slow motion martial art that has value in treating, and even preventing, many health problems.

Qigong: 11:30 am -12:30 pm Bresslin Room
An ancient, Taoist self-healing technique that generates a healthy flow of qi between people and nature.

Chinese Internal Healing Exercise: 12:30 -1:30 pm Bresslin Room
Reduce stress, learn to breathe properly and expel toxins. Relax the nervous system and energize major organ systems.

Meditation 1:30 –2:30 pm Bresslin Room
Learn to lower levels of stress and anxiety while improving your focus and concentration.

Acupuncture: 10:30 am – 2:30 am Bedford Lobby
Experience an acupuncture treatment that can heal a variety of medical issues. Headaches, backaches, allergies asthma and many more.

Robin’s Healing Kitchen: 11:30 am -1:30 pm Bedford Lobby
Food is the most powerful intervention we have in chronic disease. Learn to make better choices at your next meal.

David’s Tea 11:00 am – 2:00 pm Bedford Lobby
Sample some of David’s delicious healthy hot and cold teas.

For more information about Holistic Health Day, please contact Shelley Moll, Health & Wellness Director, 203-226-8981 x198 or smoll@westporty.org. To view the Family Y’s ongoing schedule of group-fitness classes, please click here.

Fitness ‘Boot Camp’ for Families and More at Healthy Kids Day, Saturday, 9-12

Wednesday, April 24, 2013 by:Family Y
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Adventure Gym in the Y's Gymnastic Center is a popular activity on Healthy Kids Day.

Adventure Gym in the Y’s Gymnastic Center is a popular activity on Healthy Kids Day.

Midge’s Membership Blog:

Although my children are now older “kids” (ages 17 and 21 ), they still think like younger kids when it comes to eating healthy – basically “healthy foods” are synonymous with yucky foods; good nutrition is boring.  cheeseburgers and french fries are yummy, broccoli and veggie snacks are not.  The same is true with so-called “healthy activities” that pale in comparison with more daring and perhaps unsafe activities.  Ask any eight-year-old boy if he’d rather learn to swim a butterfly stroke or skateboard down a huge hill and you’ll probably get the answer that would require a safety net.

We are hoping to change this perception on Healthy Kids Day at the Y – Saturday, April 27, from 9 am – 12 noon. Our annual free community event encourages kids in Westport, Weston and surrounding areas to get moving and learning, and families living healthier. Healthy Kids Day, the Y’s national initiative to improve families’ health and well-being, takes place at 1,900 Ys and kick-starts healthier behaviors now and throughout the summer, a critical out-of-school time for children’s health.

Many U.S. children do not get the daily recommended hours of physical activity and reading, and daily amounts of healthy foods. According to the latest findings of the YMCA’s Family Health Snapshot – a survey of parents that gauges their children’s activity levels during the school year – only 19 percent of children get 60 minutes of physical activity, only 17 percent read books for fun, and only 12 percent eat at least eight fruits and vegetables daily.

HKD Flyer for classes 2013We will have a number of activities for children to participate in, from Adventure Gym for toddlers in our Gymnastics Center to a terrific Family Boot Camp class for older children.  While your six-year-old is having her face painted, your three-year-old can get a tour of a Westport fire truck or EMS ambulance van.  We will have everything from water safety class to learning how to plant seeds and garden in conjunction with Earthplace, our summer-camp partner.  Play ring toss and basketball; learn all about what to expect with your child’s first dental exam; explore different ways to be energy efficient with New England Smart Energy and enjoy healthy, non-boring snacks from Whole Foods. (Click on the flyer at right for the complete list of activities and the times they take place.)

Parents, while your children are having a good time, you can talk to NY Life Child about making sure your precious cargo is ID’d in their database.

We will also have streaming photos and pamphlets about our new Y facility that is being built now at our Mahackeno campus, and we will be happy to answer any questions you have about Building What Matters, our campaign to fully finance our modern new home.  This would be a great time to talk to us about including a photo of your family in our photo mosaic that will be on permanent display in the new Y.

Looking forward to seeing you at the Y on Saturday morning! For a glimpse at what’s in store, take a look at the photo gallery below from last year’s Healthy Kids Day…

Family Y Swim Programs Offer Mix of Fun, Physical Activity and Safety

Tuesday, April 23, 2013 by:Family Y
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A young swimmer has fun taking the plunge at the Y's Splash! Week learn-to-swim program.

A young swimmer has fun taking the plunge at the Y’s Splash! Week learn-to-swim program.

As swim season approaches, the Westport Weston Family Y encourages local children and parents to explore the many benefits of swimming, while also keeping safety top of mind. In the Y’s swim programs, participants can enjoy water sports, enhance or learn new techniques, meet new friends and develop confidence, while also learning safety skills that can save lives.

“Swimming is a fun and enjoyable activity for children and adults alike, and it’s an easy way to stay physically active and improve strength, flexibility and stamina,” said Nicole Turechek, Aquatics Director. “The Family Y is committed to providing as many opportunities as possible for everyone to swim and learn water safety practices – a vital life skill in a community like ours, blessed with so many beaches, inland streams and lakes and backyard pools.”

“We’re also fortunate to have the support of community partners like the Stew Leonard III Children’s Charities, which sponsors Splash! Week, our newest learn-to-swim program,” Turechek adds. “With their help, we were able to offer children daily half-hour lessons during the April School Vacation at a cost of only $20 for the entire week.” (See below for a  photo gallery of fun images from Splash! Week.)

Stewie the Duck, the Leonard Charities’ ever-popular mascot, will be back at the Y during the Y’s Hafaday Summer Swim Lesson Program. Now in its 36th season, Hafaday provides children ages 4 to 8 weekly sessions throughout the summer. Held from 8:45 am to 12:30 pm each day, Hafaday has both a lesson and free swim, with arts & crafts, music and gym time rounding out each morning of fun. Enrollment is under way at www.westporty.org; parents are encouraged to sign up their children soon, as most sessions fill to capacity.

Registration for the Y’s Summer Session begins Monday, May 6, with new classes starting on June 24. There are a variety of programs to choose, including parent-child swim classes, pre-school and youth swim lessons, as well as semi- and private swim lessons, at any age, with or without a parent.

Kim and Stew Leonard read from their Stewie the Duck book, a kids' favorite.

Kim and Stew Leonard read from their Stewie the Duck book, a kids’ favorite.

The Family Y also offers a wide range of Aqua Fitness classes, from Ruth Sherman’s treasured Senior Aqua Fitness classes in the warm-water Brophy Pool to Patty Kondub’s energetic sessions in the Stauffer Shallows. Those looking for even more of a challenge can try our Deep Water Workouts, held Friday evenings from 6:30-7:30 pm.

May is National Water Safety Month, an opportune time for the Family Y to recommend that all adults and children in their care practice the following safety tips when in and around the water:

  • Only swim when and where there is a lifeguard on duty; never swim alone.
  • Adults should constantly and actively watch their children.
  • Inexperienced or non-swimmers should wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket.
  • Parents or guardians of young children should be within an arm’s reach.
  • Children and adults should not engage in breath holding activities.

In addition to learning lifesaving water safety skills, children can increase their physical activity by swimming. Only 19 percent of U.S. children get 60 minutes of physical activity a day, according to the latest findings of the YMCA’s Family Health Snapshot – a survey that gauges children’s activity levels during the school year

Swimming motivates children to strive for self-improvement, teaches goal orientation, and cultivates a positive mental attitude and high self-esteem. It also teaches life lessons of sport and sportsmanship, so that children can learn how to work well with teammates and coaches and how to deal with winning and losing.

A young Water Rat at the annual Blue-Red meet this winter, a fun event featuring kids and parents.

A young Water Rat at the annual Blue-Red meet this winter, a fun event featuring kids and parents.

The Family Y is also home to the Water Rat Swim Team, a nationally competitive group of 200-plus young swimmers, as well as the Y Masters, an equally accomplished team of adult swimmers who participate in organized workouts throughout the week and compete in national meets.

There is a place for everyone at the Y – anyone at any skill level can take swimming lessons. It is never too late to learn how to swim and to enjoy the water. The Y offers two levels of adult instructional swim classes, for beginners and intermediate swimmers, and private lessons.

As a leading nonprofit committed to youth development, healthy living and social responsibility, the Y has been a leader in providing swim lessons and water safety for more than 120 years. Since its founding in 1923, our local Y has taught more than 33,000 local children how to swim! And to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to participate in our Y’s swim programs, financial assistance is available to those in need to help cover the costs.

To learn more about the Westport Weston Family Y’s swim programs, please contact Nicole Turechek at 203-226-8981, ext. 128, or nturechek@westporty.org.

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