Year: 2025

After experiencing a personal loss in 2020, Jenny’s world around her seemed to collapse. The grief, isolation, and financial strain of the pandemic made everyday life feel insurmountable. As a stay-at-home mom, she carried the weight of caring for her children while financially and emotionally struggling.

Two years later, her sister intervened. “You’re going to the YMCA,” she insisted, refusing to leave until Jenny drove to the Marysville Family YMCA to apply for a scholarship to join the Y. Nervous and embarrassed, Jenny expected judgment to apply for a scholarship. Instead, she met a welcoming staff member who made the process simple and painless.

Her kids were eager to explore Kids Zone, and their excitement drew her back the next morning. What began as hesitant steps into the Y soon became daily visits. While her children played, Jenny started to heal. “I would walk to the weight room and see Group Fight happening, thinking, ‘I wish I was the kind of person that took that class. One day, I’m going to try to go in there.’”

That decision changed everything. When the new year came, she was motivated to have a goal to work towards.

Class by class, Jenny moved from the back row to the front. Her instructor praised her progress, telling her that she was getting stronger physically, mentally, and emotionally. “An object in motion stays in motion,” she says. “I just kept progressing.” With each workout, she found friendship, confidence, and hope.

Eventually, Jenny joined the Y staff as a full-time employee. The place that once helped her rebuild her life had become her career and her calling. Between the Kids Zone staff reminding her that she’s a good mom to her group exercise instructor cheering her on. She said everyone boosted her confidence, making her want to keep coming back.

After welcoming her third child in 2024, Jenny leaned again on the Y community. With encouragement from her colleagues, she joined Athlete 30, a 30-minute, twice-weekly workout that fits her new rhythm of life. It reignited her drive and helped her reconnect with her health and confidence.

In June 2025, she decided to take the Body Composition Analysis (BCA), a complementary tool for members that helps track your progress. And over the summer, she lost 20 pounds and 5% body fat, nearly returning to her pre-baby weight.

The BCA helped her stay motivated. She said the ability to make progress brought back the old Jenny where the excitement of having a goal to work towards encouraged her.

It all started with Jenny walking through the Marysville Y doors and joining the Y. “I feel so empowered since I joined the Y,” said Jenny “It’s impacted my personality and my character and what I think I can accomplish.”