Well Lakeshore, last Thursday was my last day to put on a lifeguard shirt and greet the members at the front desk. I have accepted a great opportunity to swim full-time at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs for two years in preparation for the 2012 Paralympic Games in London, England. You better believe each and every staff person will be missed and the members, especially the early morning crew that comes out to swim with the sunrise.

I started working at Lakeshore Foundation in November of 2001 as a lifeguard. I joined the front desk team in October of 2008, but I have been a member here since I was 12 years old. I remember coming to Lakeshore for Super Sports with Kevin Orr and swimming with Calvin Payne. I absolutely loved it, and I cannot imagine where I would be today without the help and support of both the staff and my mother and father.

I thoroughly enjoyed working here at Lakeshore....the friends I made in my coworkers and the members. Lakeshore is truly a remarkable place, and I will miss it greatly. I'll keep in touch and be back for sure.

By: Donna Livingston, Lakeshore Foundation Member 

After years of poking and prodding by all types of well-meaning medical personnel I chose to try Lakeshore Foundation. The first time I walked through the door to Lakeshore I was in tears, again, from the pain of fibromyalgia. I was greeted with smiles by the front desk staff as I approached them and after the paperwork was completed they saw my fear and contortion of pain still on my face. They told me not to worry that the therapists would not hurt me. I had to believe them because I didn't think it could hurt any worse.

The orientation in all areas was professional with lots of smiles and encouragement. As I tried various offerings of classes I settled into the classes that felt "good" and when I returned home the good feeling followed. I could not believe it! Day after day my prescription drugs were put aside as I did not need them as often.

"Breathe deep into your abdomen and release-ahhhhhhhh" and "give yourself a hand because you have just done something good for yourself" are just a couple of statements that you will hear from the instructors. Late for class, or a cell phone ringing-- both forgiven by staff with a smile. The vigilant lifeguards can tell you how many are in the water and who is walking around.

I am typing this now with tears of gratitude knowing that I have found yet another answer to minimize my pain. Thank you, thank you.

Next Thursday, you'll be able to read about Lakeshore's cardio circuit class which has grown from a two-day-a-week fitness class to a group of close friends.

When I Look Over This Room What is it That I See?

By Jereme Wilroy

I see struggles,
and obstacles overcome.
I see aged lives,
and so much done.
I see old bodies,
with youthful eyes.
I see young bodies,
with aged minds.
I see people who care,
about themselves and others.
I see people who share their stories,
from cover to cover.
I see young lives,
that have been dramatically changed.
I see them come to a realization,
that things will never be the same.
What can I do
what is it that I can say
to help them along their way.
for now I will smile
and say nice things
listen to them
and how they're struggling.
to give them guidance
on how to improve their health
to share with them
hardships that have affected myself.
so that they may be inspired
so that they may be uplifted
but what they don't know
is that i've been the one they have gifted.
it brings me joy to make them smile
to sit with them and just talk for a while.
to laugh and share the day
and do some exercise along the way.
when I go
it will be sad
for I will miss these sweet faces
that make me so glad
and made worthwhile the time that we've had.

My time at Lakeshore was a great experience full of both professional and personal growth. Before interning at Lakeshore Foundation, I knew that it was a special place that was one of a kind. Now that I have completed my internship I know why.

The staff at Lakeshore is fully dedicated and extremely motivated to the well-being of others. Lakeshore is not just a recreational facility, but it is an outreach program to those that have specific health related needs. I discovered in the last week how passionate the staff is towards helping others in their area of outreach, and it is inspiring. Whether it is injured veterans or the elderly, the physically disabled or visually impaired, Lakeshore has something for everyone.

I enjoyed my time working in the fitness center, and getting to know the members that exercised there and those that just came in to have their blood pressure taken. I met so many wonderful people at Lakeshore that I became close with, and I enjoyed the many conversations between us. I was fortunate this summer to take over teaching the circuit class, and enjoyed every session with this encouraging group of people.

Another thing I participated in this summer was Camp Strive. Camp Strive was a great experience because it allowed me to work with kids, some of which have the same disability that I have. I'm glad I was able to be set as an example to those kids of how life is just as enjoyable with a disability, and that you can continue to strive to become successful, independent, and fully capable to do anything that you have the passion to do.

Lakeshore is such a great platform to reach out to others in need, and I hope that it will continue to grow. I thoroughly enjoyed my time interning at Lakeshore, and was saddened when it came to an end. The staff at Lakeshore is incredibly qualified, and the members are so encouraging and a joy to be around.

By Laura K. Womble 

Slowing down is not an option for Lisa DeVivo. The former Southern Living photo services assistant has enjoyed vigorous exercise, competitive road racing and a healthy lifestyle for years. But in Lisa's early thirties, her healthy, active lifestyle looked to be in jeopardy. She began to notice a downward shift in her energy level. Her daily long walks began to drag and she found it increasingly more difficult to make it to the gym after a work day. When her energy flagged so badly that folding laundry was too exhausting to complete, she knew something was off. It was then, at age 34, that Lisa's doctor diagnosed her with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, a form of multiple sclerosis which relapses and then goes into a period of remission and then relapses again.

According to Lisa, in the five years following her diagnosis, she was always tired, often emotional and at times had to use a walking cane. She also put on 40 pounds. "When women are diagnosed with MS, they usually put on weight which makes it more difficult to do everyday activities, like bringing in your groceries or climbing up the stairs," Lisa said.

She joined her local MS Society chapter ( http://www.nationalmssociety.org/index.aspx ) where she found support and continued education on the disease which affects approximately 400,000 Americans. Then, in 2003, her neurologist recommended a revival of her exercise routine, directing her to Lakeshore Foundation. "In some fitness facilities, the weight room can be an intimidating place, but here it's always friendly."

It was at Lakeshore that Lisa first learned about the BodPod ( http://www.lifemeasurement.com/ ), a Body Composition Tracking System which uses air displacement to determine a person's body-fat percentage. She took her first BodPod assessment in 2004 when she was at her heaviest weight to date. Lisa's results showed she weighed 161.3 pounds, had 39.8 percent body fat which consisted of 97.1 pounds of lean weight and 64.2 pounds of fat weight.

Unfortunately her disease relapsed shortly after her first assessment, sapping Lisa of energy, and she put on 15 more pounds. Then, in 2006, the multiple sclerosis went through a remission period, giving Lisa the strength to begin exercising again. When she took another BodPod assessment in 2007, she was pleased to find that her body fat percentage had decreased by 4.9 percent, she' d lost 7.4 pounds, gaining good, lean muscle weight and losing bad, fat weight. She continued her exercise routine, incorporating the rowing machine, running, the elliptical machine and free weights. She also joined Weight Watchers believing a healthy, balanced diet would help her drop the pounds.

Her most recent assessment this July shows that she's continued her losing trend, dropping 20.4 more pounds (27.8 total weight loss since 2004) and a body fat percentage decrease of 8.6 percent (total percentage of 13.5%).

These days, you can often find Lisa spending up to 90 minutes of her day in Lakeshore's fitness center on the rowing machine. She also does free weights and trains for half marathons.

"Multiple Sclerosis slows down the daily movements of individuals' lives." said Lakeshore Foundation Fitness Specialist Crystal Russell. "Lisa continues to push through her barriers and set high expectations for herself."

A competitive spirit, Lisa found encouragement and motivation in receiving detailed reports on her progress. Now, with the help of Lakeshore's staff, facilities and BodPod, Lisa is able to follow a consistent exercise plan. She is able to enjoy a high quality of life in spite of her disease through regular exercise. "It's very pleasing to me that as I've lost weight, I haven't lost muscle," said Lisa. "I accredit my exercise plan at Lakeshore Foundation as a significant part of my plan to go as strong as I can as long as I can."

Endless PossABILITIES is a Lakeshore Foundation's weekly blog that provides slices of life stories for individuals with physical disabilities and chronic illnesses. If you or someone you know has a story to share, please email Laura Womble at lauraw@lakeshore.org .