Aquatic center opens, offers classes

SANDUSKY — Sandusky's aquatic center is in full swim. It has been two months since Sandusky Schools opened the doors to the city's long-awaited aquatic center. It's located at Sandusky High School, 2130 Hayes Ave. (Ohio 4), near the athletic entrance. Fast-forward to today, and community members are putting it to good use by taking advantage of everything it has to offer. "It's an incredible facility," said Michael Carr, an Erie County Health Department employee, who oversees this facility as its aquatics program supervisor. "It's great exercise, great for socializing with others and a great way to cool off." Styles of swimming Lap swimming serves as one of the center's most popular offerings, said Carr, noting it's been several years since locals could visit and jump into a Sandusky-area public pool. "It's really a wonderful pool," said Henrietta Whelan, a local woman who's shown up to the pool often since its opening. "It's a lot of fun, you meet new people, and you get a lot of good exercise." Whelan also participates in the center's Zumba classes every Tuesday and Thursday. On Aug. 14, Whelan was joined by about 20 other students for the fitness class. Zumba students are under the direction of their instructor, Brigette Swain. "I always tell people who say they are not coordinated or have two left feet, 'Nobody can see you because you're in the water,'" Swain said. Zumba is among Swain's most popular classes, but she also offers another one known as H2O resistance. It requires her students to use their body weight as resistance while using exercise equipment, like kickboards and pool noodles. "It's fun," Swain said. "Just being in the pool is fun. It brings out that kid-like mentality, splashing, just having a good time." It doesn't matter if a person is 18 or 80, according to Swain, as her classes offer many benefits: • It can help with a person's joints. • Exercises can build up strength. • Any instruction can be modified if someone is incapable of performing a certain movement. Like Whelan, Wendy Schmiedl represents one of the most active participants. She attends Zumba classes nearly every Tuesday and Thursday. And, once summer ends and the lake gets colder, Schmiedl anticipates exploring more of the pool's options. "It's exercise without knowing that you're exercising," Schmiedl said. Schmiedl said she used to be a runner, but she cannot do that anymore. Being in the water helps her move in ways that she cannot on land. Hours The community can take advantage of the pool even more with its newly announced expanded hours, which run until the end of the month. The school district announced it would expand on its open swim times to include: • 8:45-9:45 a.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays • 2-6 p.m. Tuesdays and Fridays Carr said there is potential for the expanded hours to continue after the end of August. But, until then, the community's interest would be measured by turnout levels. Costs The aquatic center's website has a list of pricing for its visits and classes: • Lap and open swim is available to the school district and health department employees for free until the end of the year. • Lap swim or pool visits: — $5 for a single visit — $20 for a five-visit punch card — $35 for a 10-visit punch card • $95 for a 30-visit punch card • Classes: — $10 for a single class — $45 for a five-class punch card — $80 for a 10-class punch card These fees are necessary to maintain the pool's upkeep and pay for professionals to teach these classes. Schedules for public swimming, lap lanes and water fitness classes will be regularly updated on the school's and health department's websites: Sandusky Schools' and the Erie County Health Department's official social media pages will offer real-time changes and event highlights. Printed schedules will also be available at the Sandusky Aquatic Center's front desk during operational hours. SilverSneakers Swain said the aquatic center is a perk to those who take advantage of the SilverSneakers program, a fitness initiative offered to senior citizens through insurance. Through the SilverSneakers program, seniors can participate in Swain's fitness and Zumba classes. The program's website has a description of each class, a way for those who are interested to check their eligibility to enroll in the fitness program and a frequently asked questions section for those who would like to learn more about the program.