YMCA members make strides while staying in place
Stan Spears, 65, is a retired FedEx courier — and now an “Idle Ironman.”
Grandmother, pharmacist and avid reader Vicki Wint, 63, also is an Idle Ironman — no small fitness challenge for any YMCA member of any age.
Created by the YMCA of Greater Oklahoma City, the Idle Ironman demands participants to complete — in about one month using small manageable stages — the same distances as a true one-day triathlon.
Wint, who has worked at Integris Southwest Medical Center in Oklahoma City for the past 29 years as a staff pharmacist, said working out at the gym is one of her favorite hobbies.
“I like to work hard and play hard. I enjoy projects and challenges,” she said.
For the Y’s Idle Ironman, individuals must complete a 2.4-mile swim, 112 miles on a bicycle, and a 26.2mile run.
However, there are conversions for people who need them: Rowing machines can count for swimming; any cycling device counts for bicycling; and walking is the same as running, Y officials noted.
“The goal of the Idle Ironman ... is to encourage our members to reach beyond their comfort zone and feel connected to a community of members who are motivated to push themselves to achieve that next fitness goal,” said Angela Jones, YMCA director of health and wellness initiatives.
Trainer and trainee
Spears, of Yukon, retired from FedEx in 2012 after 35 years. He started as a customer-service agent, then a courier, dispatcher and operations manager.
But, he was away from his family too much as a manager and “went back on the road” as a courier.
“That was the best decision I ever made,” Spears said. “I loved my co-workers and my customers, plus it motivated me to adopt a healthy lifestyle.”
A rigid fitness goal also led him to become a personal Y trainer in 2014, and “I’m still going strong,” Spears said.
In fact, Spears trained Wint for the Idle Ironman.
“One of the reasons that I decided to begin to work out was because my mother became very weak and sickly,” Wint said.
“And I decided that I did not want to be like that.
“I wanted to be able to take care of myself,” she added.
The Idle Ironman was held from Feb. 12 to March 14. Spears and Wint were among the more than 300 participants.
Idle Ironman has encouraged Spears to train for a June Olympic-distance triathlon at Buffalo Springs Lake in Lubbock, Texas.
“I strongly believe that age alone is not a reason for poor health,” Spears said. “Aside from disease or injuries, anyone can stay in good health through exercise and nutrition.”