Jake Gonzalez

The Y has played an instrumental part in helping us get wired into the town. Much of our support network was developed through relationships that we built at the YMCA.

My daughter inspired me to start my Y journey back in 2011. She was at that fun age where she was steady on her legs and getting into everything. As active as she was I knew that I didn’t want to be one of those dads that was too tired to play with their kids after work. I started out at the Y using the track and playing basketball and swimming with my daughter a few times a week. Later that progressed into using more of the weights and cardio equipment which eventually lead to me losing 70 pounds. The Y has also helped us in other ways. When we first moved to Indiana from Michigan five years ago we didn’t know anyone in the Warsaw community. The Y has played an instrumental part in helping us get wired into the town. Much of our support network was developed through relationships that we built at the YMCA. We started getting the kids involved with the Y at an early age. They have been involved in everything from swim classes to basketball giving them the chance to learn social skills, teamwork and the importance of being active. Now it’s a rare occasion to not run into people we know from the gym when we are in town. The YMCA is now a part of our routine. It seems like at least one of us has something going on at the Y every day. The Y has been a great way for our family to spend time together and maintain a healthy lifestyle.