The Shadow
LOW MOOR — Four dedicated swimmers reached the exclusive 100-Mile Swim Club during 2023 at the Alleghany Highlands YMCA.
John Snyder led the group, joining the 100-Mile Swim Club for an eighth consecutive year. Snyder, 81, first swam 100 miles back in 2016 and has eclipsed the mark every year since then. Other members of the 100-Mile Swim Club in 2023 include Sandra McHenry, Cindy Scully and Steve Hodges, who doubles as a YMCA lifeguard.
“We congratulate this group of dedicated swimmers,” said Bobbie Wagner, YMCA chief executive officer. “They understand the health benefits of swimming and should be applauded for their efforts. We also encourage others to strive toward this goal, because swimming is such a great form of exercise.”
No one understands the health benefits of swimming more than Snyder. He has been diagnosed with COPD and once relied on an inhaler. Now, he swims at least three days a week in the YMCA pool and works out three days a week in the exercise facility.
John swims an hour and 30 minutes a day, three days a week. That equals about 1.25 miles each day, or 45 laps in the pool. He never swam much as a child, and swimming is an exercise he came to appreciate later in life. John is extremely proud of once again joining the 100-Mile Swim Club in 2023. In fact, he’s quick to point out that he swam 117 miles to be precise in 2023.
“I thank God that I’m able to do it,” he said. “I ask Him every day to guide and direct me.”
John adds that he relies on “willpower and determination” in continuing to reach this impressive milestone year after year. “The old body — when you’re almost 82 years old — you don’t take it for granted,” he said.
The Alleghany Highlands YMCA offers a wide variety of aquatics activities and swimming opportunities. For more information, contact YMCA aquatics director Trevor Barron at (540) 862-8679. For more general information on the Alleghany Highlands YMCA, call (540) 962-9622.
