Meet Vicki McCabe, a downtown resident who has been a member of the Parker Hannifin Downtown YMCA for over 3 years. She has made swimming laps in the early morning before work part of her routine.
In 2023, Vicki and fellow members realized that the nationwide lifeguard shortage was impacting the members and staff at the downtown Y. Vicki decided that she could be a part of the solution and talked with Aquatics Director, Gary Guzy, to find out what it would take to become a certified lifeguard.
After a couple of weeks of rigorous training involving CPR, First Aid, a water rescue and some encouragement from others, she became a certified Lifeguard. She started with a few shifts a week, mostly on the weekends. Vicki says, “It’s a good community of people I enjoy meeting and interacting with. It’s a primary source of socializing for me. I want members to feel happy and safe when they come in and it makes me happy to see people enjoying the facility. This is a way I can serve the city and the community. It has also improved my overall fitness.”
Gary Guzy, Aquatics Director at the downtown Y says “I’m so grateful that Vicki was willing to take this on. She is very reliable and a consistent Lifeguard that I can depend on. One person really can make a difference and she has inspired other members to also become certified.”
As for what is next for Vicki, she might like to become a certified swim lesson instructor or even learn how to teach aqua fit. She encourages others to “not shy away” from a challenge. Do what you can to help. If you’re interested in learning more about becoming a certified Lifeguard, please contact Gary at gguzy@clevelandymca.org.