Every person who walks through the Rye YMCA’s doors has a story to tell.
By Denise Woodin
Every person who walks through the Rye YMCA’s doors has a story to tell.
Whether it’s an elderly woman learning to swim for the first time, a middle-aged man taking control of his health through our Diabetes Prevention Program, or a teenager who landed her first job as a camp counselor, we continue to be inspired by the people we meet here.
Starting today, we will share some of those stories with you. And if you have a Y story, stop by our front desk and tell us about it. We’re good listeners.
Brigitte Sarnoff had never been much of a fitness buff. Busy with family, a fulfilling career, and volunteer work, she stayed away from gyms or any form of physical activity. So, when Dr. Randy Stevens, Director of Radiation Therapy at White Plains Hospital, encouraged her to join LIVESTRONG at the YMCA to deal with the lingering effects of her cancer treatment, she balked.
“I immediately thought of reasons I couldn’t participate,” Sarnoff laughingly told a Rye Y staffer: “It’s too far. (But it was right here in Rye.) It was too expensive. (But it was free of charge.) I ran out of reasons!”
A Rye resident for nearly 40 years, Sarnoff, 67, had suffered through a one-two cancer punch. After aggressive treatment for uterine cancer in 1999, she was placed on hormone therapy. Then, in 2007, she received a diagnosis of breast cancer. Although it was caught early, she had to take Tamoxifen to prevent a reoccurrence. The drug’s side effects — leg pain and extreme achiness — and Dr. Stevens’ advice wore away her resistance to an exercise program. In February of this year, she sat down with Barbara Hughes for a LIVESTRONG interview.
Launched at the Rye Y in 2011, LIVESTRONG is a free 12-week small group program that allows cancer survivors to reclaim their total health. Sarnoff didn’t know what to expect when she walked through the Y’s doors, but she knew she wanted to reduce the pain and “just feel better.”
“I had a wonderful interview,” she remarked, adding that she developed an “instant friendship” with Hughes, the Y’s longtime Director of Member Services. “What impressed me most is that the structure of the program exposes you to a variety of types of exercise in a non-judgmental atmosphere with adaptations made to your particular situation.”
Sarnoff continued, “I love the instructors. They’re just so caring and kind. I was afraid of the machines. The treadmills scared me. But the trainers stand right beside me. And I enjoy the group camaraderie. LIVESTRONG has been such a gift. I’ve definitely improved my endurance, my flexibility, and my balance. I’m just stronger. I feel better. And I’ve discovered Zumba!”
An effusive and warm woman — currently Co-President of the Rye-based Helping Hands for the Homeless and Hungry — Sarnoff has found ways to give as well as receive. “The emotional part [of cancer] is not an issue for me. I think I’ve been able to help some of the other ladies here.”
Although Sarnoff “graduated” from LIVESTRONG in May, she has joined the Y and thrown herself into a new exercise routine that includes Zumba, Limbercize, Group Active classes, and workouts on the treadmill and recumbent bike. Since March, her blood pressure has dropped. “That makes all my doctors happy,” she exclaimed. Looking back on her experience with LIVESTRONG at the YMCA, Sarnoff remarked, “I’m just so thankful for the program.”
Join the Rye Y October 2-7 for the second annual LIVESTRONG week, a celebration of cancer survivors and the YMCA program. For a full list of activities, visit www.ryeymca.org.
The author is Director of Community Impact and Social Responsibility at the Rye YMCA.