After retiring, in 1981, I moved to the Okanagan with my husband where we built a home. We were looking for something in the way of entertainment, so our friends asked if we wanted to come to the Y. That was 37 years ago and we’ve been coming ever since.
I just love it. It’s something nice to do, I’ve made a lot of friends, and it has kept me in shape. Over the past 30 years, I have attended nearly 4,440 Aquafit classes!
I celebrated my 90th birthday in February at the YMCA with many of the people I’ve met along the way. They threw me a really nice party. Many of us have become good friends; whenever one of us has a birthday, we take her out to lunch at one of the nice restaurants.
Lots of people have told me over the years that I am an inspiration to them. It makes me feel great that they think that.
It's important to be active throughout life. I probably wouldn’t be here or be in the shape I’m in if I had not been enjoying the exercise and social atmosphere of the Y all these years.
If anybody has an inkling that they want to come to the Y, I would really encourage them to do so as it is probably the smartest thing they will ever do.
—Bea Ingram