Winter 2019-20 Hometown Messenger

From sinking to swimming Community Center personal trainers make a difference for Shakopee resident

As she sits by the edge of the Indoor Aquatic Center lap pool on a coldWednesday afternoon, Sue Westegaard puts on a pair of yellow swim shoes. She’s here usually twice a week swimming laps. It’s hard to believe that a year ago, she would have barely stepped into the water. “I was petrified [of swimming],” said

In half-hour increments, Westegaard worked with the trainer to learn the basics of swimming. “I told her I don’t know if I’ll ever dunk my head in, but I sure would like to learn some skills like floating and basic strokes." At first, Westegaard struggled. She didn’t feel like she was progressing as a swimmer,

Westegaard, who grew up in South Dakota and didn’t have places to go swimming as a child. “I took swimming lessons for a year as a kid, and it never really stuck.” She was frustrated. Her inability to swim interfered with her life.

but her trainer was patient. She maximized the half-hour sessions, giving Westegaard benchmarks to reach. Little by little, Westegaard became a more confident swimmer. “And in February, it’s like someone flipped a switch,”Westegaard said. “I was doing the breaststroke without any problems at all.” Now, close to a year after her

"It’s like someone flipped a switch. I was doing the breast stroke without any problems at all." Sue Westegaard Community Center member

PERSONAL TRAINING AT COMMUNITY CENTER

Sign up for a single personal training session or multiple with one of the Community Center's six skilled personal trainers. Fees based on the number of participants and sessions. Learn more on page 11 of the Winter/Spring Parks and Recreation Activities Brochure. PRIVATE SWIM LESSONS Shakopee Parks and Recreation also offers private and semi-private swim lessons. Learn more on page 23 of the Winter/Spring Parks and Recreation Activities Brochure.

“A couple of years ago, my brother bought a cabin on a lake. I was watching my nieces and nephews who all knew how to swim well and thought ‘you know, it’s time for me to do this,’”Westegaard said. Westegaard, who is a 10-year Community Center member, began taking several group fitness classes, including a shallow-end water aerobics class. Last December, she reached out to the instructor for help. “I trusted her, so I asked if she’d be my personal trainer,” Westegaard said.

lessons began, Westegaard confidently swims laps at the aquatic center during the week. She participates in both shallow-water and deep-water aerobics classes. And for the first time this summer, she joined her nieces and nephews in the lake at the family cabin. Westegaard credits her success to the support she received from her friends at the Community Center and the hard-working personal trainers at the Community Center. “It was easily worth the cost,” she said.

Think Shakopee Business The Think Shakopee Business video series invites the community inside Shakopee businesses to showcase the innovative work of our local employers. Economic Development Specialist Jenn Brewington hosts these behind-the-scene tours to celebrate Shakopee's diverse business community and highlight the unique products and ideas being produced here. The series started in 2018 by focusing on larger employers, such as Shutterfly and Cameron's Coffee. Brewington hopes to expand to smaller locally owned businesses. "We like to choose companies that have an innovative approach to something, a unique product or is embracing new technologies," Brewington said. Find videos on the city's YouTube channel at youtube.com/ cityofshakopee.

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