I love the classes they offer and equipment they have. I also love the location of the Meriden YMCA and how it is conveniently located in downtown.
- Jessica Burdacki
Group fitness classes. Instructors are great!
- Krzysztof Buczynski
We're like family - the togetherness. Everyone is nice and encouraging.
- Morine Thompson
I love the Y because I feel like a new person every day after doing exercises.
- Yamiris C.
We love the Y because of its friendly atmosphere which includes both the staff and the members! We are also impressed by the degree of cleanliness in the building. We are so fortunate to be able to extend our life and also our health. Thanks for doing a good job!
- Ron and Linda Horozy
Jennifer Welch
My Y Story
Jennifer Welch
We have been a Y family for many years. My oldest son went to before and after school care at the Berlin YMCA. Then Nina went to YMCA before and after school care from K through 4 at her school. Jackson started in YMCA child care at one years old and he was at the Hart Street center for two years. Now he is in the before and after school program. The school-age director Stephanie Fusco is wonderful to deal with. She makes things so smooth and stress free and the care is excellent.
In addition to using YMCA child care we are also a swim team family. My daughter Nina started with swim lessons at age 3. At age 6 the aquatics director recommended that she try the swim team. Nina loved the practices but it took a little while to get used to the meets. She started getting better and more comfortable and in her second year or so she was asked by Coach Cathy to join the relay team at New Englands. That experience sparked her fire. Nina was determined from that point on to qualify for New Englands on her own and she just soared from there. She has been to nationals and we have been to competitions in Florida.
Jackson started with swim lessons at three years old and is now going to be one of the newest members of the team. He is excited to go to practice. The swim team is our family. The kids and my husband and I have developed a lot of nice friendships over the years and now my husband is head of the parent board.
We love the environment and the family oriented philosophy. I love that the coaches are always continuously looking to help each swimmer improve and make the team better. We just feel it is such a healthy environment and such a loving environment. They set goals and they push the kids in a healthy supportive way.
I think the Y is a great home for the whole family. If someone asked me about the swim team and the child care I would recommend them one hundred percent. The child care and swim team programs are definitely quality programs. I know what other programs offer and how much they cost and I can say that you definitely get a great bang for your buck. I feel like we are getting high quality and I would highly recommend both.
Janice's Story
My Y story began four years ago. I joined the Couch to 5K class with Coach Beky. I wanted to get active, lose weight and get healthy. I started my health journey at 287 pounds and it was difficult to run. I completed the program but unfortunately got sick after and let my progress slide a bit.
I had weight loss surgery by Dr. Aziz Benbrahim. Later I started taking classes at the Y and got excited as they became easier. Then I won a gift certificate to try CrossFit. Beky told me it would be great for me because it will push me out of my comfort zone. She was right and I really love it.
I have lost 117 pounds, lowered my body fat percentage and gained muscle. I was so excited to tell my doctor at my last appointment that my body fat percentage is down to 22%. They were so impressed! My goal is to get to 19% body fat. I just had a fitting for my dress for my daughter’s wedding. I joked with them and told them not to take in the shoulders too much because I plan to be jacked!
What I love about the Y is it is so welcoming and everyone is so nice. You can work out quietly or be social, whatever you want to be. The instructors are great. I enjoy the Saturday morning Pilates class, CrossFit classes, and using the treadmill and leg machines in the Fitness Center.
When I see someone who is starting out where I started, especially if they are shy, self-conscious and trying to take up less space and not be noticed, I want them to know something. It’s ok, go ahead and take up space. I did this and you can too!
Pamela Parker and grandchildren Mariah and Christian
There are so many reasons why we love the Y. My granddaughter Mariah loves musical theater and has been involved in several Meriden YMCA Youth Theater shows including playing Paulette in Legally Blonde. She did a MYT commercial for the Descendants show last year which I keep on my phone and love to watch. I am so proud of her. She is very excited to be in the spring production of Guys and Dolls.
My grandson Christian wants to be at the Y as much as possible. He loved the Vacation Fun Day program so much that even when I had a day off and could stay home with him he talked me into signing him up so he could swim at the Y and play at Exploration Station. He has enjoyed the YMCA After School Care program and he loves to swim, hike up the mountain and play games with the other kids at Mountain Mist Day Camp. He comes home so excited to tell me all about his day.
I love the Y because of the staff. It’s the people that make a difference. They have such a caring attitude and love children and it really shows. You also see it in how happy the members are to be at the Y.
The Meriden YMCA has done so much for me and my grandchildren. After my daughter passed away suddenly, I became the guardian for Mariah and Christian. The Y helped with scholarships for camp, assistance with fees for programs, membership, and child care. My grandchildren have a positive place to be and have fun with other kids. We are lucky to have the Meriden YMCA and their caring staff in our community.
Harriet’s Story
When I finally stopped working I decided it was time to get some exercise and joined the Y Silver Sneakers program. My first time at exercise class was a true revelation. Everyone was welcoming, friendly and so helpful. I didn’t feel like a stranger at all.
One gal in particular, Wendy, became an instant friend and readily got my items for me and helped me with those sometimes confusing exercises.
The Y has led to not only exercise but new friends, a feeling of inclusiveness, concern for each other and even getting together outside of the Y. We have our own little text “tree” so we know who is coming and who is not.
Also should have added that our instructors are top notch and so knowledgeable. They keep us limber and strong. And we get a good laugh sometimes as well. It really doesn’t get much better than this.
- Harriet Barrone
Update: Harriet appreciated the videos we sent during the shutdown to be able to see favorite instructors and keep exercising. Harriet shared her story with Michael Fuller at NBC CT about the difficulty of the pandemic, how much she missed the Y and how glad she is to be back.
See Harriet’s Y story on NBC CT
Pat's Story
The Meriden YMCA has become my second home and family. It helps me keep fit physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially.
You can find me working out in the pool, in the aerobics room, or the fitness center! After knee replacement surgeries I built strength and muscle through physical activity. I am more fit today in my 60's than I was in my 20's.
I have build a network of close friends who have become extremely supportive. After years as a caregiver, I lost my spouse. Caregiving was extremely taxing, and the medical issues at times became overwhelming. Members and staff alike were extremely supportive and helpful during this difficult time in my life. We cried together and then they taught me it was okay to laugh with them despite what was going on in my life.
Socially, the Meriden YMCA has opened up a whole new world for me. We "Pool Pals" exercise hard, but we play hard as well. Our trips have included visits to restaurants, museums, horse races, historical homes, plays, art activities, to name a few. You will find some of us playing Mah Jong on Friday mornings next to the racquetball courts. Who knows what we will do next?
I have encouraged a lot of my friends to join the Meriden YMCA because the people of the Meriden YMCA have saved my life in many ways.
Update: When the Y was closed during the pandemic shutdown, it was very difficult. I am so happy to be back. Now I do my water walking. I feel safe at the Y.
- Pat Marcinczyk
Donna’s Story
I've lost 50 pounds and met so many awesome friends of all ages!
CrossFit has changed my body, mind and soul. It’s more than just a workout, its a lifestyle. The CrossFit community is so supportive. Everyone has their own personal goals, but we’re all driven to be the best we can be while supporting each other. CrossFit has made me change my eating and training habits. I learned to slow down and listen! I’m so grateful for the awesome coaches, who give so much knowledge and support.
I love that everyday is a different workout, there is always something to work on and get better at. For example, I'm working on kipping pullups and handstand pushups and the knowledgeable coaches have made progression possible from week to week. I also love the sense of community. Everyone is working on something and supporting each other. The friendships made at CrossFit are friends for life!
- Donna Scott
Kimberly’s Story
My Y story begins when I was looking for a preschool program for my son Steven. We found the Meriden YMCA Little Hounds Preschool program at Hanover Elementary School. We loved it! Steven did very well.
After our experience with preschool, we signed him up for Soccer, Basketball, School Vacation Fun Club and Mountain Mist Day Camp. He has had school trips to Exploration Station when he was in preschool and had a couple of birthday parties there too.
When it was time for him to attend his elementary school, not only was he prepared academically from preschool and socially from preschool and camp, he was ready to ride the bus to his magnet school. Steven’s first bus rides were with the Y to Exploration Station and to Mountain Mist. The camp counselor who rode the bus took him under her wing.
He also gained confidence through youth sports as he learned the game of basketball. When he first started playing, he did not know the game and was unsure of himself. The winter skills and drills program taught him a lot and he learned how to play the game. After his latest season Steven is now very confident and is really enjoying basketball.
Steven loves Mountain Mist Day Camp. His favorite thing about camp is swimming every day. He loves all of the counselors, CITs, and the kids.
We registered Steven for camp during early registration in February 2020. Then everything happened. He was home with me. I work at home so we could not spend much time outside during the day which was hard.
When summer came, I was so glad Steven had the chance to go to Mountain Mist and enjoy being outside. The Y was fantastic about communicating about what would happen during summer camp. I participated in all of the Zoom meetings. I was very confident in the Y and was happy there were no COVID incidents. Everyone worked hard to ensure the campers had a safe fun summer. The last day of camp was very emotional for me. I was so happy and grateful my son had a wonderful summer. We are looking forward to this summer.
- Kimberly Osnoe, mother of Steven
Maria (Maggie)’s Story
I have had two major surgeries for rare conditions. Imagine your tissues have lost the “glue” (collagen) to hold them together. It is called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome or EDS which is a genetic defect in the collagen that is in the connective tissue for organs, muscles, ligaments, skin…everything in your body. This is what is happening all over my body and part of my brain had started to slide down into my spinal column which is called Chiari 1 Malformation.
The surgeries involved a “Brain Decompression and Craniocervical Fusion” by a specialist in New York. I am still recovering, still doing physical therapy.
Our kids, Devon and Delaney are very active. They do theater (MYT), dance, summer camp, swimming, and basketball. With me being out of work for medical reasons and my husband only able to take a limited time off, we had no idea how we were going to take care of the kids and keep them active. We needed them to go to camp while I focused on recovering but had no idea how we could pay for it last year.
The Meriden YMCA offered Devon and Delaney camp scholarships (with funds raised by the Annual Campaign) so they could go to camp for free last summer while I recovered from major surgeries.
This was a very big deal to us. The Y helped us tremendously during a very tough time for our family. It took a lot of worries away. Thank you. It means so much to my family.
Maria (Maggie) Diaz
Maria’s Story
I started at the Y with Silver Sneakers.
I feel good and have met a lot of nice people.
I enjoy ZUMBA, Yoga, Have a Ball, Weights, Senior Olympics, Lunch and Learn...everything! I come almost every day.
- Maria Morales
The O'Neal Family’s Story
I love the Y because my girls have made some wonderful friends on the swim team and my daughter's reading improved in the Reading Rocks program. I have also met some wonderful friends. I love the staff they are so incredible with everything and I love the Y because my kids feel safe there. My older daughter also loves CrossFit Kids.
Pat Fitzgerald's Story
Everybody has their breaking point.
It was early in the year. The weekend before, I went to a hockey game up in Boston with my brothers. I ate a lot of fast food and I wasn't feeling too good. I dropped my daughter off for swim practice and thought, we have a family membership I might as well use it.
I went upstairs to the fitness center and saw the scale. I decided to get on it and saw 300. I stepped off and thought it might be broken. I took a deep breath and stepped back on the scale. It still said 300. Everybody has their breaking point. That was it. I said to myself, this has to stop.
First, I started running every day. I thought 45 minutes on the treadmill would do the trick.
I signed up for the Biggest Winner Challenge with my wife. It was a home run for both of us and a great thing to do together and have that support at home. She has lost weight - I don’t know all of the numbers - she has done great.
Carrie (Carrie Marquardt, Fitness Director) was our coach for the Biggest Winner Team Challenge. I had been running on the treadmill for about a week and a half when we did a team challenge work out with Carrie. It was a whole variety of things - air squats etc. In 25 minutes I was drenched with sweat.
Carrie said we’re done. I said, “Yeah we’re done with this, what's next?” And Carrie said, “No we’re done.” I could not believe it. Then Carrie said “You just did more in that work out than you did for a week and a half on the treadmill.”
I listened. My old self would've gone off and just done my own thing. I changed my workout and still did a lot of cardio but also added the Workout of the Week.
It’s May, and I was talking to Brandon, (Brandon Keegan, Meriden YMCA Fitness Staff member, Personal Trainer, and CrossFit Coach.) Brandon said if I wanted to lose the upper body weight in my chest I needed to work on strength and not just cardio. So I’d mix it up, run 5 laps on the track, go do a strength exercise, and do some more. I tried CrossFit too which helped me get stronger and continue to get in better shape. Everyone is very supportive.
I am trying to change everything. The way I exercise, the way I eat, the way I do things. Everything. I have pushed myself way out of my comfort zone in many ways. I have tried Boot Camp and other classes and work outs that I would never normally do. Also, I don’t like to talk about myself. I am a shy guy. But after (Coach) Annie shared her story, I decided I can too if it inspires others.
- Pat Fitzgerald
Sue’s Story
“The Y is not just a gym. It’s a life changing experience. I love all of the personal trainers. They all challenge you in different ways. I ran a half marathon last year with Beky’s encouragement! The challenges are great. We’ve changed our eating habits and substituted water for soda. And Mountain Mist is a jewel—no other gym has that.”
- Sue Meadows