by Sue Glass, President & CEO, YMCA of Metropolitan Denver
body, mind and spirit word abstract in letterpress wood type against grained wood
This spring, I marked my 50th birthday, and I declared to the world my intention to complete an IRONMAN to commemorate my milestone birthday. It has been a couple of months now, and my training is in full gear. In the last 30 days, I completed 2,160 exercise minutes (36 hours!). My longest distance ride was 41 miles, run 9 miles, and swim .71 of a mile.
Why would I subject myself to such insanity, you might ask? The answer is simple, yet complex.
Throughout my life I have faced many hardships and life-altering circumstances. Looking back, I never expected to be where I am today, leading a committed team at one of the most inspiring organizations in the world. Those grueling, painful, lonely, and harrowing circumstances I endured produced in myself grit and determination to overcome obstacles. They taught me how to push through pain and discomfort, to rise above the challenges, and to not be defined by my circumstances but be defined by my God-given purpose. It was a long faith journey — filled with pain and forgiveness, perseverance and resilience, healing and self-acceptance.
Reflecting back, my journey was incumbent on three interdependent critical factors: my faith, my mindset, and my physical health. My spiritual journey led to my physical and mental transformation. That is why I’m passionate about the mission of the YMCA, which is all about developing healthy spirit, mind, and body.
Wellness is a full integration of physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. Today, we are in the middle of a mental health crisis. Over the past 10 years and during the COVID-19 pandemic, people have experienced high levels of isolation, grief, and a shift in their normal routines. The Y can be a transformative place where we can learn and practice resilience, as well as adapt and cope despite tough and stressful times. We can practice connecting with ourselves and others, and learn new coping skills that help us thrive.
To support the mental health of people in the Denver metro area, the Y is investing in programs and creating caring spaces to help our community spend time together, have fun, and feel connected to something greater than themselves. These “third places,” a place to belong in addition to home and work, are so essential when navigating the ups and downs of life!
So, what does all of this have to do with IRONMAN? The journey to the IRONMAN parallels our life’s journey: it is grueling, painful, and in some respects lonely. Yet going through the training, we learn skills to push ourselves out of our comfort zone, face our own insecurities, overcome failures, test our resilience, push our limits, and test our physical and mental state. And when the race is complete, we emerge triumphant, stronger, more confident, and limitless. The key is caring for our spirit, mind, and body. The Y is there to support your journey.
I encourage you to check-out the YMCA Metro Denver’s offerings (denverymca.org) to see how our programs can benefit you both physically and mentally. Beyond our numerous fitness class offerings, the Y also provides many programs to help individuals develop and maintain positive mental health, helping to enable individuals to cope with stress, be productive, and contribute in a meaningful way to their families, workplaces, and communities. The Y is here for you!