Star Journal

Top Menu

  • Contact Us
  • Hodag Star Journal E-Edition
  • Subscribe

Main Menu

  • Local
    • News
    • Business
    • Schools
    • Law & Order
    • Arts & Ent
    • Wedding Planner
    • Viewpoint
    • Sports
      • Sports News
      • High School Sports Scores
  • Covid 19
  • Outdoors
  • Wellness
  • Classifieds
    • View Ads
    • Place Ads
  • Our Legals
    • Legal Ads
    • Statewide
  • Obits
  • Lake View
  • Northwoods NOW
  • Living On The Lake
  • Contact Us
  • Hodag Star Journal E-Edition
  • Subscribe

logo

Star Journal

  • Local
    • News
    • Business
    • Schools
    • Law & Order
    • Arts & Ent
    • Wedding Planner
    • Viewpoint
    • Sports
      • Sports News
      • High School Sports Scores
  • Covid 19
  • Outdoors
  • Wellness
  • Classifieds
    • View Ads
    • Place Ads
  • Our Legals
    • Legal Ads
    • Statewide
  • Obits
  • Lake View
  • Northwoods NOW
  • Living On The Lake
Latest NewsLocalUncategorizedWellness
Home›Latest News›Livestrong at the Y

Livestrong at the Y

By StarJournal
March 14, 2015
758
0
Share:

It’s 5:30 in the morning and while most people find themselves rolling out of bed to start the coffee pot, you can find Ben Meyer at the YMCA of the Northwoods. “Exercise to me is more than just a pursuit of the look and feel of having a healthy body. It is a mental stimulant for me. I find it’s hard to stay sharp mentally without morning exercise,” says Ben.

Ben moved to the Northwoods just over three years ago and joining the YMCA was one of the first things he did upon moving to the community. He was looking for a place to meet his physical fitness goals and also a welcoming spot in the community to help him get adjusted to his new move and community.

He says the Y was able to really do both.

Ben didn’t know just how much he would rely on the community mindset found at the YMCA of the Northwoods, until October of last year, when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and immediately scheduled for surgery. A scary diagnosis for anyone, but for an active, young man an even harder pill to swallow, but Ben’s personality doesn’t let him stay still for long. “Recovery was difficult; at times very simply body movements were painful. I also wasn’t used to the feeling of not being able to exercise for a long period of time,” he says.

Through connections and relationships built at the Y he learned about the Livestrong program. Livestrong is a 12-week program designed to help adult cancer survivors in their recovery. They learn to rebuild strength and stamina following treatment. This program is offered at the YMCA of the Northwoods completely free to any and all adult cancer survivors in our area thanks to the Annual Support Campaign. For Ben, he says the program was a good piece of the puzzle during his recovery, because perhaps more than anything it helped him realize he was and did not have to go through any of this alone. The benefit of it being a free program was not lost on Ben either, “It is a real privilege to have a program for cancer survivors like me at a place like the Y and to have it supported by the generous donors to the Y’s mission.”

For Ben, the YMCA of the Northwoods is an important part of his daily life, both before and after his diagnosis and recovery. He says sharing his story is just one way he can help the rest of the community understand the Y’s mission and its true role in the community. Through the Annual Support Campaign, programs like LiveStrong are possible, but the campaign also allows the Y to let everyone participate in all programs, regardless of their ability to pay.

Scholarship programs exist to help families cover membership costs, or to help send kids to summer camps and swim lessons. For Ben, he says the Y’s mission aligns with the ideals of the Northwoods community and all the reasons he enjoys living here, “People who live in the Northwoods take pride in what makes this area special. It’s more than our natural beauty. It’s the strong and supportive bonds of our Northwoods communities. Involvement with the Y takes many forms, physical, mental, emotional, financial, and more, but they all have a common theme. What they Y does helps improve our overall community. That’s worth our involvement.”

The Annual Support Campaign at the YMCA of the Northwoods is underway now. If you are interested in learning more about how you can get involved, donate, or learn more about the programs at the YMCA, give them a call at 715-362-9622.

Previous Article

Candlelight vigil brings Rhinelander community together

Next Article

Outdoor Notebook: Salt water fishing

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

Related articles More from author

  • Business

    Letting go is key

    February 5, 2015
    By StarJournal
  • Latest NewsLocalNews

    The Seed Library

    April 27, 2015
    By StarJournal
  • Latest NewsLocal

    Is Wisconsin moving backward in recycling?

    April 27, 2015
    By StarJournal
  • LocalMultimediaNewsPhoto GallerySchools

    Crescent school unplugs for Earth Day

    April 27, 2015
    By StarJournal
  • Latest NewsLocalWellness

    Worst allergy season ever?

    April 27, 2015
    By StarJournal
  • Latest NewsLocal

    Rhinelander High School Key Club to host blood drive

    November 15, 2013
    By StarJournal

Leave a reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

About Us


Star Journal is published by Multi Media Channels LLC, N2919 County Road QQ Waupaca, WI 54981.

  • Contact Us
  • Hodag Star Journal E-Edition
  • Subscribe
Copyright © 2020 Multi Media Channels LLC.
All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied, modified or adapted without the prior written consent of Multi Media Channels LLC.
×