National Adult Literacy Database

December 17, 2007

Rose Leroux

Rose is a student at the Captain William Spry Library with tutor Avril Lewis.

Aquacize

by Rose Leroux

In 1990 my daughter was growing and needed me less, and I found myself bored and needing something to fill my time. Well, I joined an Aquacize class. I loved it from Day One. It was so very hard to follow the instructor, but after one month I was following right along with her.

I never missed one class. To my surprise one day after class, my instructor came to me and asked if I would like to train under her. I felt scared but said yes, and that "yes" changed my life. The next week I went to the YMCA to meet with the Aqua instructor Susan and her boss, Betty. The three of us sat and talked for about an hour. I started my training.

I came to the Halifax YMCA for a two day course. Nothing but Aqua and learning the techniques of the water exercise. I did very well and I worked very hard to be one of the best. When I passed the course, I felt finally, "I am good at what I do." After one year of teaching Aqua, I was invited to a thank you dinner. The dinner was nice and then the Head of the YMCA got up and said he had four awards to give out. When he started talking about this volunteer, as he spoke of this person, I was thinking, "Boy, that person must have worked some hard," and when the name was called and that name was mine, that was one of the only times I have felt proud of me. And still when I think of that day I feel that same pride.