Amanda's Strength Training Success
For Amanda Sulyi, the YMCA truly is a community for a lifetime.
Growing up in Ohio, Amanda spent her childhood participating in YMCA summer camps and gymnastics programs. The Y has remained a constant throughout every stage of her life. A former YMCA of the Triangle employee of 25 years and current YUSA employee, Amanda has experienced firsthand how the YMCA supports individuals and families across generations.
Today, her parents find connection and community through THRIVE events, while her children, now college students, grew up enjoying Kid Zone, flag football, soccer and track-out camps. Now, they're continuing their YMCA journey by working part-time at the Y, building leadership skills and gaining valuable experience.
While the Y has always played an important role in Amanda's life, last year she decided it was time to focus on a new goal: her own health and wellness.
"I wanted to be capable and strong," Amanda said. "I wanted to build functional strength that would help me with things like college move-in days now and carrying groceries later in life."
In January, she purchased a Y personal training plan and began meeting weekly with her trainer, Nicole White, at the Kraft Family YMCA. Through consistency, determination and the support of her trainer, Amanda has transformed her health.
Just one year later, she has lost an incredible 108 pounds.
Beyond her weekly training sessions, Amanda visits the wellness floor one to two times each week to practice what she's learned. She also enjoys walking and participating in group fitness classes. Her favorites include line dancing, Zumba, and water aerobics, all at the YMCA.
More important than the number on the scale, Amanda is proud of how much stronger and more capable she feels in her daily life.
After a year of building healthy habits and staying committed to her goals, she is thrilled with her ability to move more freely, remain active and enjoy life with confidence.
For anyone considering their own wellness journey, Amanda offers simple but powerful advice:
"Be brave and just start. Don't worry about whether other people are looking at you because they're not. Everyone is focused on their own workout. Just focus on what you're doing. Strength training is so important as we get older if we want to stay active, maintain our mobility, and preserve our muscle strength. It's worth it."
To celebrate her remarkable achievement, Amanda plans to deadlift 108 pounds, the exact amount of weight she has lost, as a powerful reminder of the burden her body was carrying every day.
One hundred and eight pounds. One year. Countless healthy choices.
It's an accomplishment worth celebrating, and a testament to what can happen when determination, support and community come together.
