Like ducks to water

Alicia Petska / News Virginian
Published: June 29, 2007

"I was getting to the point I couldn't function anymore," recalled the Waynesboro woman. "I used to go home in the afternoon and just lay down and cry because I was in so much pain."

Today, she finds herself free of that old incessant agony. Her secret- A lesser-known form of therapy making a big splash with seniors from all walks of life.

Happy Ducks, a water fitness class from the Waynesboro YMCA, is where Sweet and many others found the antidote to their ailments, using the swimming session provided to wash away the pangs that plagued them.

Class leader Marie Critzer, who guides the group through a series of stretches and warm ups before they start swimming, says it was Happy Ducks that enabled her recovery after a brain tumor some 20 years ago left her unable to use the left side of her body.

"I credit this with being able to walk at all," said the Fishersville woman. "This is good therapy for anyone."

Aquatic therapy presents the benefits of regular exercise with the added advantages of providing better support for the body and putting less weight stress on joints and bones.

In addition to the work out, the Happy Ducks class also offers the chance with socialize with other members, many of who chat as they move around the Y pool.

"We enjoy each other's company and care for each other and share experiences," said Gladys Herrine, an Afton woman who started coming in January to ease her arthritis. Other attendees listen to your concerns and pray for you in times of trouble, she added.

"It's been wonderful for me. I hope we always have it."

For Sweet, the class yielded another, more unusual benefit. Inspired by her time with the poolside group, she decided - at the age of 69 - that it was high time she learned to swim, something she'd avoided in the past due to a childhood accident that nearly caused her to drown.

"I watched everyone else and said, 'Well, hell's bells, I can do that,' " she said.

So great was her determination, she mastered the task after only two lessons, although her courage initially was not quite so bold.

"She [the teacher] said, 'Jump in Anna,' and I said, 'But I'll go down.' She said, 'Yeah, but you'll come back up again.' And I said, 'I don't think so,' " recalled Sweet of that first lesson almost 10 years ago.

Today, Sweet glides freely around the YMCA pool alongside another half dozen Happy Ducks.

Over the years, these thrice-weekly sessions have grown to become part of her routine, one she said she relies on.

"I wouldn't miss this for anything," she said.

Contact Alicia Petska at 932-3561.

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