Cycle Master Class

Join us for a high-energy morning at our first Cycle Master Class! Come out for a fun ride with Y swag, great music, and fantastic instructors, including our very own CEO, Rob Adams, leading the charge. Plus, there’ll be exciting prizes for participants and all the motivation you need to kick-start your day! Don’t miss this special session to support the YMCA’s Work Hard Eat Well program—let’s ride together for a great cause!

YOU can help kids with the greatest need through Work Hard, Eat Well.

Date: Saturday, November 16, 2024

Check-in: 8am

Class 1: Class 2: Class 3:

9 - 9:30am

9:30 - 10am

10 - 10:30am

Cost: $75 per bike, $50 tax receipt provided

Register

Your Instructors

3 instructors; each with a half hour cycling class

Dona Andela

I have been leading group cycling classes since 1996! An extension of a passion for cycling and triathlon. Certified by Mad Dog Athletics I began instructing at Cedar Springs Health Racquet and Sports Club in Burlington followed by stints at Goodlife in Burlington, The Calgary Winter Club and have most recently joined the YMCA Kingston! The most rewarding part of coaching group cycling is recognizing the efforts and successes of the participants. I am a retired Physical and Health Education Teacher (Halton Board of Education, St. Mildred's Lightbourn School in Oakville and The Calgary Board of Education). I am an active member of the Kingston Velo Club and enjoy cycling outdoors during the summer!

Keith Speck

After spending years in various sports, including hockey, road races and triathlons, I had to abandon these activities due to arthritic hips (3 hip replacements to date). I began participating in spin classes and was encouraged to pursue spin and fitness certifications. I was certified to instruct in 2009 and quickly began instructing numerous programs in various Kingston facilities'. Classes include sculpt, tone, Tabata, intense core, gentle stretch, and cycle. Over the years I have developed, organized and led 11 spin a thons, raising over $15,000 in donations for various charities. I enjoy being part of the fitness community and love nothing more than contributing to a participants personal progress.

Rob Adams, CEO
YMCA of Eastern Ontario

Rob is a fitness fanatic and the CEO of YMCA of Eastern Ontario, bringing both heart and hustle to every ride. As a former Cycle instructor, he's got the skills and the passion to make this Cycle Master Class unforgettable! Recently convinced to step back into the saddle, Rob is thrilled to co-lead this special session in support of the YMCA’s Work Hard Eat Well program. Expect high energy, serious motivation, and an unbeatable playlist to keep your wheels spinning and your spirits high!

 

What is Work Hard, Eat Well (WHEW)?

Work Hard Eat Well is an inclusive one-of-a-kind program that runs in the Rideau Heights neighborhood in Kingston, an area of great need. Operating three days a week for 6–15-year-olds, the program is offered at no cost to participants. The program teaches physical and nutritional literacy in a fun and interactive way.

What does WHEW offer?

Work Hard Eat Well provides activities from crafts, gym games, cooking, and team building to encouraging physical activity, healthy eating and having fun!

By providing mentorship, YMCA staff support each youth with their social and emotional growth through interactive games, skill development and opportunities to make new friends. With access to the Rideau Heights Community Centre, youth can drop in and participate in structured activities and are provided with a healthy meal that can be re-created at home using simple ingredients. With our supportive YMCA staff, access to the facility and a healthy meal, WHEW has been an enormous success, and we are excited to see it progress.

WHEW Keeps Growing

WHEW was originally offered as a two-hour program with the first hour spent on physical activities and the second with kids in the kitchen cooking themselves a nutritious meal. With the onset of COVID, the cooking element had to be discontinued although a healthy meal and recipe card were still provided.

To meet the need for this program – which has been growing since its inauguration in 2019 – it is now offered three days a week for three hours, as well as a summer camp each year.

We are currently providing 5,500 meals per year and will host a holiday dinner for the third year in a row for 100 youth and their families. This year, our aim is to double that number.

We are happy to announce that WHEW has had the opportunity to return to the kitchen on some occasions, and kids love it! 

Impacts of Program

Work Hard Eat Well has created an inclusive, safe, and respectful community for its young participants who attend from the four area schools. This provides opportunities for them including positive role-modeling from program mentors. It contributes to the issue of food insecurity – a massive issue across the country – by providing meals, teaching children cooking skills and empowering them to share this information at home and even to recreate the meals they have learned to cook.

  • Over 12,000 meals serves to local youth in 2023

  • Runs 5 days per week across the communities we serve

  • Over 7,000 visits to the program

  • Over 150 participants at our Annual Holiday Dinner in Kinston