YMCA PART OF THE PIONEERING EXPERIENCESponsored Content by the YMCA
A pioneering spirit brought a new sport—basketball—to young men at a YMCA in 1891 to occupy them during the harsh New England winters. That same entrepreneurial attitude within the YMCA movement is the reason Ys created volleyball, racketball and Father’s Day.
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History tends to repeat itself so it’s no wonder that YMCAs blaze new trails daily in their work to overcome their community’s unique challenges.
Nowhere is that more obvious than here in Eugene where the YMCA takes the lead on disease prevention and maintenance programs, including a one-of-a-kind program for individuals with mobility restrictions and a first-in-the-state course for those who have undergone cancer treatment.
“The Y leads in the community by reaching out and supporting people when and where they need it most,” says Eugene Family YMCA CEO Brian Steffen. “Chronic disease is a growing crisis in our community and statistics show a devastating impact on quality of life and significant loss of life. Mobility impairments wreak havoc on an individual’s independence and ability to live life fully. The Eugene Y has been on the cutting edge of this kind of work and will continue to do so.”
Loren Cushing, a former physical therapist at the local hospital, designed and developed the Eugene Family YMCA’s U Can Gym program in 1987.
“People who are newly disabled have trouble with re-entry into the community,” Loren says. “The Y was the best place for this program. The Y is inclusive, welcoming of anyone and offers expert training for regaining strength, balance and mobility.”
U Can Gym is a 2-hour program three times a week in the YMCA’s Health and Wellness Center. Participants learn to transfer, navigate obstacles, improve sensory perception and strength, and gain range of motion. A dedicated wellness coach creates specialized plans for each individual.
Diagnosed with polio when he was 6, Loren walks with a pronounced limp or uses a wheelchair. For more than a decade, Loren was a ringer in the Northwest Wheelchair basketball league.
“I am an advocate for people needing mobility and the Y has a willingness to help people in out-of-the-box ways,” says Loren, 72. “This program has supported hundreds of people on their journey to wellness.”
Similarly, LIVESTRONG® at the YMCA has helped hundreds of cancer survivors. During each 12-week session, individuals work to achieve physical and emotional goals after cancer diagnosis and treatment. Specially trained instructors offer the evidence-based program three times a year. The program’s success—as evidenced by the 60-plus people on the waitlist—means that Eugene Y instructors are called upon to support other YMCAs around the country to establish their own LIVESTRONG® program. They recently mentored the Ashland Family YMCA to launch its program, which has now spread to four Ys in Oregon.
As the Y heads into the next 133 years in the Eugene community, it looks forward to fostering the next generation of pioneers who will tackle newfound challenges within our community—with success.
To learn more about the Eugene Family YMCA and their mission, visit newymca.org
Nowhere is that more obvious than here in Eugene where the YMCA takes the lead on disease prevention and maintenance programs, including a one-of-a-kind program for individuals with mobility restrictions and a first-in-the-state course for those who have undergone cancer treatment.
“The Y leads in the community by reaching out and supporting people when and where they need it most,” says Eugene Family YMCA CEO Brian Steffen. “Chronic disease is a growing crisis in our community and statistics show a devastating impact on quality of life and significant loss of life. Mobility impairments wreak havoc on an individual’s independence and ability to live life fully. The Eugene Y has been on the cutting edge of this kind of work and will continue to do so.”
Loren Cushing, a former physical therapist at the local hospital, designed and developed the Eugene Family YMCA’s U Can Gym program in 1987.
“People who are newly disabled have trouble with re-entry into the community,” Loren says. “The Y was the best place for this program. The Y is inclusive, welcoming of anyone and offers expert training for regaining strength, balance and mobility.”
U Can Gym is a 2-hour program three times a week in the YMCA’s Health and Wellness Center. Participants learn to transfer, navigate obstacles, improve sensory perception and strength, and gain range of motion. A dedicated wellness coach creates specialized plans for each individual.
Diagnosed with polio when he was 6, Loren walks with a pronounced limp or uses a wheelchair. For more than a decade, Loren was a ringer in the Northwest Wheelchair basketball league.
“I am an advocate for people needing mobility and the Y has a willingness to help people in out-of-the-box ways,” says Loren, 72. “This program has supported hundreds of people on their journey to wellness.”
Similarly, LIVESTRONG® at the YMCA has helped hundreds of cancer survivors. During each 12-week session, individuals work to achieve physical and emotional goals after cancer diagnosis and treatment. Specially trained instructors offer the evidence-based program three times a year. The program’s success—as evidenced by the 60-plus people on the waitlist—means that Eugene Y instructors are called upon to support other YMCAs around the country to establish their own LIVESTRONG® program. They recently mentored the Ashland Family YMCA to launch its program, which has now spread to four Ys in Oregon.
As the Y heads into the next 133 years in the Eugene community, it looks forward to fostering the next generation of pioneers who will tackle newfound challenges within our community—with success.
To learn more about the Eugene Family YMCA and their mission, visit newymca.org
