Earth laughs in flowers’
Ralph Waldo Emerson
We open our newsletter with a springy quote from the Buddha of the West, also known as the Sage of Concord. Ralph Waldo Emerson celebrates his 216th birthday on May 25, thus making him eligible for our Over-80 Membership Program. All fitness enthusiasts who have reached their 80th birthday receive a full year of Beede benefits for a mere $199.
For no particular reason, we did a little calculating and discovered that $199 in today’s dollars equals $3.97 in 1883 dollars, the year Emerson turned 80. There’s a deal even he, a frugal New Englander, would not pass up. So, we’re offering it to anyone born in 1803 who signs up for an annual membership before May 31. Just stop by the front desk.
Let’s kick off the Sage’s birthday celebrations with other dates to remember.
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DATES TO REMEMBER
- May 18 - Saturday - Stow Street Block Party & Concord Bike Fest.
- May 22 - Wednesday - Registration for Summer classes for members & current participants.
- May 23 - Thursday - Water Smart! Class. Details below.
- May 27 - Monday - Memorial Day. The Beede Center is closed.
- May 29 - Wednesday - Registration for summer classes open to everyone.
- June 3 - Monday - Beede & Books
- June 8 - Member Appreciation Day
- June 9 - Sunday - Last day to register for Summer classes
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IT'S A WATER FUN!
Our water fitness classes offer a range of workouts from high intensity to gentle movements. Their growing popularity keeps with global trends. According to the stats provided by the the IHRSCA’s 2018 Health Club Consumer Report, participation in water fitness programs increased 12 percent since 2017. (IHRSCA stands for International Health, Racquet and Sports Club Association. We know you were wondering.)
There are countless contributing variables, but mind-body-soul connection of aquatic activities is prominent, the report states. Experience this mindfulness for yourself. Sign up online at
www.beedecenter.com
, over the phone or in person to see what all the rage is about. We look forward to helping you meet your fitness goals.
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The reward of a thing well done is having done it.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
CHANNELING ALL SWIMMERS
The Beede English Channel Swim Challenge closed Friday, April 5. It was a 60-day challenge that launched Feb. 8 and boasted an amazing 36 participants. We’re handing the mic over to lifeguard Mark Ryder for color commentary.
The swim challenged participants with a mock distance of the 21-mile swim from the English coast near Shakespeare’s Cliff to Cap Gris-Nez (Cape Grey Nose) in Northern France.
Of the 36 participants, there were some who swam above and beyond the “simple” challenge. Alan Sample, one of our Master Swimmers, swam 88 miles; that’s equivalent to swimming back and forth from England to France more than four times. Now that’s impressive!
Elbis Dominguez Covarrubias completed 78 miles, or nearly 4 channel crossings. Don’t worry, we didn’t leave her stranded with the container ships and jelly fish. She made it back safely by deadline.
Cameron Scott completed 43 miles, equivalent to swimming from England to France and back to England again. She must have felt pretty strong because it looks like she wanted to “go that extra mile!”
Honorable mentions go out to Julia Lavely, who recorded nearly 42 miles and Kevin Dionne, who recorded nearly 33 miles.
Congratulations. You are an inspiration to us at the Beede Center.
Now, where there is victory and celebration, there is also tragedy, (but not the Shakespearean kind). We have a small number of swimmers among the missing, never showing up on the French shores. There have been reports of goggles and swim caps (with shark bites taken out of them) found on the shores of the Beede deck. We hope these stray articles were removed voluntarily because of the struggles that accompany the challenge, and not the happenstance of jellyfish attacks or getting caught up in the traffic jams of large freighters that traverse the channel daily.
If you happen to spot a solo swim cap floating in a lap lane, or a pair of goggles at the bottom of the pool, just think happy thoughts and believe that our missing participants are just vacationing, and enjoying
le petit-dejeuner
in a quaint café somewhere along the French shores.
All participants (Yes!!!, even those who are M.I.A. and this would include Maureen from the Front Desk who was oh so close and yet ...) receive a Beede English Channel Swim Challenge T-shirt that proudly states “I Swam 21 Miles At The Beede Center Swim & Fitness,” - even though that’s not an accurate statement for all. On the reverse are maps of the countries and “Beede English Channel Challenge.”
We hope you enjoyed our challenge as much as we enjoyed seeing so many of you participate. Some of you got up early and some stayed late to make it happen. Congratulations for a job well done!
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Royal Wave - Nina Nielson, one of 36 participants in the Beede Channel Crossing, gives a victorious royal wave. She made it to the finish.
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Beede Channel Swimmer Andrew West sports a limited edition T-shirt from the Beede Spring collection.
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BACK IN THE SWIM OF THINGS
“The best part of my day is in the water,”
Susie Glines, Beede Center Master Swimmer
and swim instructor
This month we feature longtime Member and Swim Instructor Susie Glines.
Roughly a decade back, Susie stopped by the Beede Center and contemplated joining the early morning Master Swim Class. One of the center’s most popular courses, participants meet before the sun’s up every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for 75 minutes of strenuous coached workouts that average more than 3K yards of swimming.
As a participant in the Appleman Triathlons, Susie is no stranger to marathon workouts, but she had not swum competitively since her high school days in Port Washington, Long Island. At that time that her father had her choose between focusing on becoming a registered nurse or a better competitive swimmer. It was a tough decision, but in the end, generations of growing families benefited. Susie has been a beloved labor and delivery nurse at Newton Wellesley Hospital since 1985.
She met Master Swim Coach Kim Donovan who encouraged her to enroll in the master swim class. “It reignited a passion for swimming I had as a child,” said Susie. She is especially grateful for the unsolicited encouragement from her fellow master swimmers. “They are very empowering,” she said. “”They keep telling you how fantastic you are even though you know you’re the slowest in your lane.”
Through the confidence of her teammates, Kim and also coach Ilka Suvanto, Susie perfected her strokes and competed in 100-yard backstroke and freestyle races. The local meets triggered her competitive spirit. When she expressed an interest in national meets, Kim said she’d not only help, she’d join her.
“I’ll never forget the devotion that is possible from a coach,” said Susie.
Susie hired one of our Personal Trainers to cross train with weights, while continuing the aggressive swim workouts. She and Kim traveled to North Carolina for Susie’s first taste of national competition. Then it was onto Canada for a little international flair. She’s also participated three times in
Round the Sound
open water swim competition in Bermuda.
Now a certified swim instructor, Susie uses a lot of her coaches’ influences with her own students whose abilities range from learning to be comfortable in water to training for triathlons. When not in the water, on the blocks or comforting a soon-to-be mother, Susie loves cooking, reading and singing, especially the praises of her coaches and teammates. Recently she and her husband Steve began traveling again. As you read this, the Glines are enjoying a little Rest and Recreation in Portugal. It’s the perfect segway into the next chapter of their lives. They expect to spend a lot of time doting over their first grandchild, due this summer.
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And now, a very important safety message from Amanda Smith, our Aquatics Guru …
May is National Water Safety Month
The
American Red Cross
and The Beede Center want to ensure that every member of your family becomes "water smart."
Join the Beede Center Aquatic staff for a
FREE
Water Safety Event!
Thursday, May 23 from 4 pm to 5 pm at The Beede Center
Get ready for the summer swim season by learning key points to be safe in, on and around the water!
Schedule includes a fun land American Red Cross presentation for the kiddos complete with stickers and tattoos, a Q&A about all things water with Program Manager Amanda Smith, level assessments in the water to find out your correct Red Cross Swim Level, and advanced Beede swim lesson registration onsite.
Assessments and registration for White Pond lessons are also available!
Being around a body of water all summer and not knowing how to swim can be scary for kids and parents. We'll give you the confidence and knowledge to become "water smart!"
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‘We find delight in the beauty and happiness of children
that makes the heart too big for the body.’
Ralph Waldo Emerson
In other, we mean, Otter news …
Otters 2018-2019 Fall/Winter season was a big splash. Otters won 10 out of the 12 dual swim meets and placed 5th overall at the Metrowest Championship swim meet at Boston University on March 9. Our 6 & Under Girls, and 7 & 8 girls won first place for their age group! There were fantastic swims at every level and it was a fun day for all Otters!
The coaching staff worked hard to make it a fun and successful swim season for everyone. Maureen Cownie returned as Head Coach for Otters, and she was joined by Sergei Meehan, Susan Carey, and Tom Tringale. What made this year special were all the volunteers that supported our Otters, from our high school Otters right down to our 5th grade Otters.
Everyone gave so much of their time and effort to make this a terrific swim season in and out of the pool! Big shout out to our high school Otters, Phillip Bogaevsky, Charlie Clark, Bella Cownie, Christina Crowley, and Aliya Hosford for being assistant coaches and working every swim meet. Our little Otters luv ya! Our middle school Otters deserve recognition as well, Anna Bogaevsky, Jason Lu, Theo Randall, Arden Trudeau, and Cathy Weng were terrific assistant coaches as well.
The big surprise was having our 5th graders on deck, Sarah Nazdo and Nicole O'Reilly, offering tips to our youngest swimmers. Let's not forget the parents who supported the coaching staff, Tatyana Bogaevskly, Lori Sheehan, Kara Traill, Jay Fritz, Julie Monagle-Fleming, Claire Trudeau, Adraina Casimaro, and Scott Randall. It was an Otterly fun filled, fantastic swim season which was celebrated at Hunt Gym on March 31.
And the fun continues......
This year Otters will host the 1st Annual Otters Summer Bash on June 1 in preparation for the Bay State Games qualifying race on June 15 @Regis College. Also new this year are the Otters College Swim Clinics being offered with guest coaches. The dates and guest coaches are:
May 5
: Nicole Carter from Brandeis University
May 19
: Eileen Hall from St. Michael's College
May 26
: Paul Phillips from Clark University
June 9
: Kristy Martin from Babson College
June 16
: Mike Caruso from Bridgewater State College
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From left to right: Zoe Borden, who has worked with Laura since she was 3, Olympian Jane Katz and Laura Diamond at the 2018 Against the Tide event.
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Laura Diamond helped launch MBCC’s Against the Tide
In the early nineties, Laura Diamond and her spouse Carolyn had dinner with friends who were organizing a fundraiser for breast cancer prevention. “They said they were doing this swim and I said we’d help,” said Laura. “We were young and I didn’t know anyone with breast cancer at the time, but I knew I would.”
Several years later, Carolyn was diagnosed, as well as other friends and family. They are the lucky ones - all survivors. “We’re everywhere,” she said of people with breast cancer diagnosis.
You may have seen Laura, proprietor of Diamond Physical Therapy, in the water helping patients adjust to new physical baselines, or easing their mobility with a cognitive disability. She has also been a top fundraiser for the
Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition’s Against the Tide
fundraiser, since its inception. While many programs are developed to raise awareness and help fund cures, Against the Tide tackles the sometimes fatal disease from the front end.
“This is the only organization that does environmental prevention,” Laura said. "MBCC trys to make it so fewer people get diagnosed.”
PFAs, or polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a serious hurdle. Manmade chemicals, PFAs keep outerwear water resistant, carpets stain resistant and food from sticking to pans. These carcinogens contaminate our bodies and water supply through everyday items. The MBCC advocates for greater protection of our natural environment.
Laura’s team, which includes Beede members Marsha Wilcox and Sally Sanford, is already ahead of the fundraising pack for the June 15 event in Hopkinton. In 2018, Making Waves brought in nearly 20 percent of the event total. New team members and donors are very welcome. There are several events, including a Kids Fun Run. “The MBCC is trying to find a way for everyone to participate,” Laura said.
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In closing, We want to congratulate the Concordians who completed the Boston Marathon. Well done!
Macdara Nash,Yordanka Shtiliyanova, Kerri Nash, David Nerrow, Christopher Hogan, Thomas Salemy, Ashley Smith, Meghan D’Arcy, Melissa Hoey, Derek Schwartz, Jayme Reissen, Bruce Blumberg, Marie Crowley, Ben Lewis, Jacob Hoerger, Ted Hibben, Jennifer Sachek-Ward, James Dohoney, Emily Rasmussen, Beno Chapman, Gayle Chatlosh and Kyle Stanley.
Wishing you all a fun and fit Month of May.
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