As the weather warms up and the lockdown begins to loosen, many people in and around the whitewater area will long to get out more and enjoy the day. For those looking to get out of the house and get exercise or even swim, the Whitewater Fitness and Water Sports Center is undoubtedly the place for you.
The facility begins on Saturday, March 6th, with open family swimming. In addition to various virtual courses such as cycling, yoga, mini-bootcamp in the morning, pound fitness, Zumba and Tabata, a high-intensity workout. Like other facilities in Whitewater, the center has gone through major changes to stay open during COVID-19 and remains on track through the pandemic by following the protocols.
“Before COVID we obviously had no capacity restrictions or mask requirements and had up to 50 to 70 visitors a day, but now it was very limited,” said service coordinator Lorelei Bowen.
Together with their staff, they have done their best to ensure COVID-19 guidelines are followed to keep visitors to the facility safe.
While many were hoping the facility would reopen fully one day, Lorelei Bowen was also optimistic, but understandably did not have an exact date on when exactly this would happen.
“Such a decision would be the final decision of Whitewater’s Parks & Recreation Board, and we would be very happy to follow what they say,” said Bowen.
Bowen was also optimistic about some of the measures the facility has already taken to ease restrictions.
“We are slowly starting to bring back some programs for the center, but our main focus is still on protecting our visitors and following the city’s plan,” she said.
While visitors to the facility may have limited access and hours of hours to programs such as the recreational pool and bike lessons offered by the facility, the facility staff are fairly optimistic about how the facility works.
“We absolutely love our customers and we’re glad they keep using the facility despite the circumstances,” said Lynette Brown, who teaches her fitness classes over Zoom calls. “It’s a completely different experience, of course, but I’m just happy to continue working with customers as best I can.”
Ultimately, the Whitewater Aquatic and Fitness Center may still be subject to the same lockdown measures as any other location in the state, but the optimism and friendliness create an unprecedented welcoming environment for its customers, especially in the spring and more people wanting out.
“We are doing our best and will continue to do our best to provide the best possible service to people in these times,” said Bowen.
With a happy staff and good outlook for future business, the Whitewater Aquatic and Fitness Center is happy to help get everyone jumping into the new season.
To learn more about the Whitewater Aquatic & Fitness Center, visit https://whitewater.recdesk.com/Community/Page?pageId=10133.
Taylor Addotta (left), receptionist, and Lorelei Bowen, water sports and fitness programmer, sit behind a protective shield in the facility’s temporary main entrance.
