Frigid conditions don’t stop area residents from working out at the YMCA

With air temperatures were approaching 10 degrees below zero with a wind chill of 30 below zero on Wednesday morning, it hurt just to step out the front door.

Because of the frigid temperatures, many area businesses, schools and activities were closed or canceled.

However, the freezer outside didn’t stop a brave few souls from making their way to the Hardin County YMCA to get in their daily workout on Wednesday morning.

While the YMCA was open, all classes were canceled on Wednesday.

Included among those working out were Tim and Wendy Wilkerson, who were putting in their daily time on the treadmill.

“It’s terrible. It’s real hard to come out when it’s this cold. But it was a pretty easy decision to come work out,” said Tim, who works out at the YMCA six or seven days per week.

Tim, who is blind, said that he normally walks to the YMCA on days when his wife is working her shift at International Paper and he probably would have still attempted to do so on Wednesday.

“When the wife’s home she can drive. So it’s really not that hard to warm the car up. But most of the time I walk everywhere, so that would have made it a huge decision that way.”

“It would have been tough though,” he added.

“I would have had to put on an extra sweatshirt or something.”.

“It’s rough. It’s very cold,” added Wendy.

“I usually don’t come. He usually comes in the morning when I go to work, but today is kind of rough. It’s very cold and slippery.

“I bring him in the morning,” she added.

“But he would have walked. He’s very determined. He loves coming to the Y every day, so he would have walked.”

Kentonite Mike Sealscott was lifting in an otherwise vacant weight room.

“I don’t mind it. It doesn’t bother me much,” Sealscott said of the extreme cold.

“You just got to get your butt out of bed. I didn’t have to work today, so here I am.”

“Only live a couple blocks away, so I can drive, walk, it doesn’t matter.”

John McEntee of Kenton decided that Wednesday morning was the perfect day to join the YMCA’s Silver Sneakers Club.

“My routine just started today,” McEntee said.

“My wife said, ‘You don’t have to go out in this, you can call and reschedule,’ But I thought ‘I don’t need an excuse because I’ll think of them all by myself, I’m sure.’”

“It’s cold,” said McEntee, who just turned 65.

“I bundled up real well and made sure I had a scarf around my face.”

“I knew I needed to get back to it.” he added.

“I want to get back to exercising and in a little better shape. I’ve got some goals I want to accomplish this summer and I can’t do it sloughing. I worked out a lot years ago, but went on a hiatus and at my age it’s time to start getting back into it.”

While classes, childcare and other YMCA programming were canceled on Wednesday, the YMCA is hoping to get back on its regular schedule today.

By KENDRICK JESIONOWSKI
Times sports editor