The West Park-Fairview Family YMCA offers a swimming pool, community garden, child watch, personal training, fitness center, and more. Did you know they also have Olympic Weightlifting equipment utilized over the decades to train several nationally recognized Weightlifters?
Keith Sulzer and his wife Susan have been Y members for several decades and support the Y in many ways. Keith went to the Lakewood Y as a kid and learned to weightlift there. Years later, when he and Susan were raising their three sons, they joined the West Park-Fairview Y and started weightlifting as a family. There they met Terry Grow, an Olympic Weightlifting coach, who trained all three boys to be national weightlifting champions, each receiving full scholarships to wrestle in college.
Over the years, many people have been impacted by the Olympic Weightlifting program within the West Park Y. Weightlifting is available for all. If a member is interested in learning these skills, Keith and the other users have made the space and training welcoming and accessible. The Y has partnered with local schools, such as St. Edwards High School, to train students in weightlifting, which increases their strength for other sports and enhances their confidence and friendships built at the Y.
Susan, Keith, and their son Aaron still meet every Sunday at the Y to lift together, saying it's a great intergenerational activity. Keith and Susan appreciate the benefits that strength training still offers them, such as increasing strength and flexibility, maintaining muscle mass, building bone density, improving mobility, and boosting metabolism.
The Sulzer family also donates to the West Park Y each year to help others who want to participate. Keith said, "it's great to stay involved with your community, celebrate common interests and goals, and give back." Keith is a retired Cleveland Police Officer who now works as Investigator Supervisor for the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office. He shares his time, talents, and treasure both professionally and personally. Keith spends time volunteering at the branch throughout the year and especially enjoys the annual clean-up at West Park and helping out with fundraising events. He is grateful for the consistent leadership of the Associate Director, Delinda Hupka, and says she understands the community's needs having grown up in the neighborhood.
This West Park Family YMCA weightlifting community is close-knit and has kept in touch over the years to celebrate successes and health. We are so grateful that the Sulzer family is a part of our Y!