June 21
My Y Story: STORM Swimmer Gabriella Rizzuto For three years STORM swimmer Gabriella Rizzuto drove from Brookline, NH, to Worcester, Mass., when she swam competitively for the Greenwood Swimming out of Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Her mother, Cindy LaCroix drove the one hour each way to and from practice daily. “This got to be a lot…. Read more »
June 14
FROM BED-RIDDEN TO ULTRA MARATHONS Justin Deflumeri has always been physically fit and loves playing sports, especially baseball. He’s an avid marathon runner and is currently training for an ultra-marathon, is a jujitsu champion, and was close to signing on to go professional in boxing. All that took a detour in 2017 when he was… Read more »
June 7
MY Y STORY: HILARY KEATING “I have a blast!” is the first comment Y member Hilary Keating makes when she talks about volunteering at the Y. Hilary has been a Y member for nearly 10 years and started volunteering in October volunteering at Kids Stop (babysitting program) at the Merrimack YMCA. Hilary retired in 2007 after a 40-year career as an educator. She worked as a special education teacher… Read more »
May 31
AFTER A NEAR DROWING, Family Members All Take Swimming Lessons Y member Dapo Olagbaju realized it was time to learn to swim when he had a scary experience while wading in the ocean at Wingaersheek Beach in Gloucester, Massachusetts. “I almost drowned. A few minutes before, my son, daughter, wife, and I were wading in… Read more »
May 24
MEET JAMILA-ASHANTI SCALES Jamila-Ashanti Scales started working at the Y when she was 16-years-old. “My mom wanted my brother and I to have skills that would benefit us: First Aid training, CPR, AED training, lifeguard training. After finishing her lifeguard training, she joined the staff and never looked back. She’s now studying International Affairs and… Read more »
April 26
A NOTE FROM Y MEMBER ALEX FOX: My wife Birgit is a travel nurse and accepted an assignment at Southern Medical Center in downtown Nashua from late October 2022 through late January 2023. I traveled with her for this contract and we stayed at the Residence Inn at Trafalgar Square. I was able to work… Read more »
March 15
MEET BEN KAAS A highlight of 40-year-old Ben Kaas’ week is his tennis lessons at the Merrimack YMCA with instructor Dick Lane. Ben’s goal is to end the lesson with his ‘happy dance,’ which means he has hit six tennis balls in a row. Ben’s sister, Liz Kaas, is Director of Health and Wellness for… Read more »
February 28
MEET KARA HAMILTON Kara Hamilton has been teaching at the Y for 15 years. She started in the School’s Out (YMCA afterschool program) in 2004 when she was a senior at Nashua High School. “The Y has been part of my life since age four. A lot of my core memories are of the Y… Read more »
