GREATER JOLIET AREA YMCA

The C.W. Avery Family YMCA has been celebrating its 15th Anniversary on Wallin Drive in 2021! To commemorate this milestone, we have shared the Y story of one of our fantastic members each month. We close this exciting year by shining the spotlight on Danny Vrachan. Danny has been a member since 2006 and we are so excited to have him share his favorite Y memories from the last 15 years! 

Q: Why did you join the Y?

I’ve been a member of a YMCA for over 25 years, and this Y is really close to my home now. When Avery opened in 2006, I was a temporary member first before I started coming all the time once I retired in 2009. This facility is well taken care of and I like it. Everybody is friendly.

Q: What activities have you enjoyed most at the Y?

When I started at the Y, it was mostly the cycling classes and the cardio classes. This place always has modern equipment and that’s what I like. The instructors are good and are always into what they do. The one who has impressed me the most is Kevin Hir. He’s the guy that always makes sure you get a real workout. And here, there is always a variety of things to do. I’m also a swimmer and I took up swimming because it’s good exercise and you can do it even when you’re older. It gives me options and takes a little bit of the weight bearing off my knees and shoulders. 

Q: How has the Y impacted your life?

I have a lot of new friendships. Sometimes they call me ‘The Mayor’ because I’ve been here so long. I feel like I know just about everybody and they know me. For me, it’s all about being around like minded people with a common goal, and here that goal is self-improvement. People who go to car shops talk about cars, here you talk about working out and what it takes to better yourself.

Q: What has the Y experience meant to you?

The camaraderie is important. I enjoy having people in my life I can communicate with on a daily basis. I didn’t picture myself sitting in a donut shop drinking coffee. This gets me out of the house every morning and I always feel like I’ve achieved something. I like to set little goals every day.

Q: What should someone who is interested in joining know about the Y?

I tell people that you can always give it a try. Even if it’s something like a trial membership, you will like it. When you get in here you meet new people and you come out of your shell. That’s what happened to me.

We would like to thank Danny and all of our members for their incredible support over the last 15 years! To take a look back at all of the amazing members we profiled this year, please click here. 

The C.W. Avery Family YMCA is celebrating its 15th Anniversary on Wallin Drive in 2021! To commemorate this milestone, we are sharing the Y story of one of our fantastic members each month. Today, we are shining the spotlight on Rachel Carlson. Rachel joined the Y in 2006 and we are so excited to have her share some of her favorite memories from the last 15 years. 

Q: What inspired you to join the Y?

Rachel: I remember feeling so excited that a new gym was opening so close to home. I have always been active in sports and fitness and I wanted a gym close to home. I did have a membership through work at a fitness center 20 miles away, which was not always convenient, and the current local gyms were not a good fit (I had done a few trial classes/workouts and none were quite right.) So when the YMCA opened in Plainfield, I quickly checked it out, loved it, and became one of the first members.

Q: What activities are you most involved in/enjoy the most at the Y?

Over the past 2 years my involvement in the Y has changed a bit, and within the last year and a half, I trained for and completed my first full Ironman triathlon. Training for and accomplishing that personal goal along with COVID restrictions changed my usual workout routine. I did a lot more outdoor swimming/cycling/running, and less group exercise classes. My previous usual activities were a mix of group strength classes, group cycling classes, yoga, TRX, master’s swim, personal training, and individual cardio/strength interval work in the fitness center. In my opinion, the pool at the Avery Y is the best pool in the area for swimmers! My child has participated in many of the youth programs and after school care and he has enjoyed them all. Obviously, I enjoy the variety of classes/programs offered at the Y.

Q: What are some of your favorite Y memories?

My favorite Y memories involve the friends I have made over the past 15 years. Too numerous to count! As an adult, it is not easy to make new friends. The community at the Y is so special, and I made new friends easily within the welcoming walls of the Avery Y.

Q: How has the Y impacted your life?

The Y has greatly impacted my life. It is the place where I continue to strive toward my personal fitness goals. It is the place where I have forged many friendships. It is the place where I could trust that my young child was well cared for while I participated in sanity-saving self care – usually involving a group exercise class and chatting with friends. It is the place where my son learned to swim. It is one of my happy places.

Q: What would you say to someone who has never been to the Y and is interested in joining the Y?

Come check it out! It’s a great place- so welcoming, with a variety of activities. You’re sure to find something that you’ll love.

We would like to thank Rachel and her family for their incredible support of the Y over the last 15 years! We look forward to making a positive impact on members of our community throughout 2021 and beyond!

(Photo credit: Julie Miller Photography)

The C.W. Avery Family YMCA is celebrating its 15th Anniversary on Wallin Drive in 2021! To commemorate this milestone, we are sharing the Y story of one of our fantastic members each month. Today we shine the spotlight on Rico Palmisano. Rico has been a Y member for over a decade and we are so excited to have him share some of his favorite memories.

Q: What inspired you to join the Y?

First and foremost, the Y was new to me. I enjoyed working out, but what drew me to the Y was that it seemed more like a community. I thought that would be good for my family, in addition to myself. There’s more to the Y than just working out. 

Q: What activities have you enjoyed the most at the Y?

I enjoy the yoga classes that we have at the Y and I do a lot of working out in the fitness center itself. I’m not really a swimmer, but I did take swim lessons at the Y years ago. I’m really thankful for the people who supported me.

Q: How has the Y impacted your life?

There have been long-lasting friendships created. Once you get a group of friends together, whether it’s working out together or volunteering together, it turns into a friendship outside the Y as well. We call ourselves the ‘Coffee Clutch’. Some of them have moved away and we’ve still stayed in contact. That’s been really important to me.

Q: What are some of your favorite Y memories?

I remember the time we volunteered and they asked, “can you give us a day to spread mulch around the Y?” There we were with 90 yards of mulch, our shovels, and our wheel barrels, and we ended up having a lot of fun! It was hard work but it was a good time. We’ve also worked with the Christmas toy drive and the Thanksgiving food distribution. It’s a great feeling to support your community. 

Q: What would you say to someone who is interested in joining the Y?

It really boils down to the people. Everyone at the Y is so friendly. The moment you walk in the door, the staff is there to greet you and they respect you. They’re great people and it’s a friendly atmosphere that I like to tell others about.

We would like to thank Rico for his incredible support of the Y! We look forward to making a positive impact in the lives of our members and our community throughout 2021 and beyond!

The C.W. Avery Family YMCA is celebrating its 15th Anniversary on Wallin Drive in 2021! To commemorate this milestone, we are sharing the Y story of one of our fantastic members each month. Today we shine the spotlight on Jean Black. Jean has been a Y member since 2006 and we are excited to share her Y story with you:

Q: What inspired you to join the Y?

Jean: I was having a lot of knee problems at the time and I was seeing a physical therapist. It was suggested that I could postpone major surgeries for a while by doing exercise. I knew that the Y was just about finished and so when it opened to register new members I went over right away to sign up.

Q: What programs have you enjoyed participating in at the Y?

Jean: I’m not really into exercise machines, but I gravitated toward the swimming pool. I started doing just laps and eventually learned they had water aerobics. I had been involved in aerobics for years and so I was very interested.

Q: Why have you felt connected to the Y for so many years?

Jean: It becomes part of you. I was a relatively new retiree when I joined and it became part of my weekly schedule, part of my life, and really part of my extended family. Everyone who was going became friends. I’ve made friendships that started back at the beginning and are still strong today, even if they have moved out of state.

Q: What makes the Y community special?

Jean: If you don’t go for a while and then you see something that you want to do, everyone welcomes you back in like family. We truly care about each other. If someone is going through a hard time, maybe not feeling well, people notice and check in on you. You share experiences and it’s a cohesive, friendly group of people.

Q: Do you have favorite Y memories or experiences?

Jean: The first thing that comes to mind is one of the Fab 50 group trips. We went to the Garfield Park Conservatory in Chicago. It was a place I had been before,but I don’t tend to go on my own. Being able to go with people I know was great to take advantage of. It was really nice and really all of the things that the Y comes up with for Fab 50 are really nice.

Q: What should someone who is thinking about joining the Y know before they sign up

Jean: If someone is new to town, I would definitely recommend it. The YMCA is clean, the people are friendly, and they have great programs.  

We would like to thank Jean for her incredible support over the last 15 years! At the Y, we look forward to making a positive impact on members of our community through 2021 and beyond!

The C.W. Avery Family YMCA is celebrating its 15th Anniversary on Wallin Drive in 2021! To commemorate this milestone, we are sharing the Y story of one of our fantastic members each month. Today we shine the spotlight on John Ciesniewski. John joined the Y in February of 2006 with his wife Amy and their three sons, Jacob, Joshua, and Jonathan, and we are so excited to have him share some of his favorite memories from the last 15 years!

Q: What do you remember about joining the Y?

John: At that time the only thing I knew about working out was how to run. I would get up early and run, but in the winter it would be cold and awful. I heard that the Y was breaking ground and I just couldn’t wait for it to open. When it opened that February, I figured I’d hang up my running hat and figure out what I should actually do to work out. I started to meet people and they convinced me to go to classes.

Q: What has the Y helped you achieve over the last 15 years?

I have made some great friends here and you don’t do that running alone. Because I have been in classes, these people have become part of my life now. I didn’t set out to do that, but it’s what happened. I’ve also learned so much about fitness. It’s not just the exercise piece, but also my diet. When I joined the Y, I wouldn’t say I was overweight, but I was 200 pounds and probably shouldn’t have been 200 pounds. Now I’m at 180 pounds.”

Q: How has the Y impacted your family?

Kids Corner was a godsend for my wife and I and this is also where my kids learned how to swim. I took them to the pool every day. I remember telling them that if they could swim the whole length of the pool we’d go get Dairy Queen. We only have good memories here. My boys are older now, but they know how much fitness matters and they really are fitness-minded now. They take it seriously and I’m pretty sure they’ll be a part of a Y moving forward.

Q: Why do you continue to enjoy your Y experience?

It’s the people. A lot of us say that when we grow up we want to be like Gus and Diane Rousonelos. Everybody at the front desk knows your name and Shelly Interial in particular is the bright spot in the morning. Kevin Hir has been a huge inspiration as the boot camp instructor. (Executive Director) Lisa Behounek has also been a great friend and we have been so happy to see this place grow and become such an attraction and anchor for the people who live in this community.

Q: What should someone who is interested in joining know about the Y? 

They are in for more than just trying to get into shape. They are going to grow physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. It’s all four of those things. I have friends that are members of other fitness clubs and they don’t really talk about it. It’s just a place they go for an hour of their day. It’s not family like it is here. The Y becomes a fabric of your life.

We would like to thank John and his family for their incredible support over the last 15 years! At the Y, we look forward to making a positive impact on members of our community throughout 2021 and beyond!