YW Staff Profile: Deryck Roberts

 

Job Title:

Fitness Coordinator

 

Where did you attend school / what did you study?

I graduated from Becker College with a degree in Business and a concentration in Sports Management.

 

How long worked at the YW:

One month

 

What are your favorite workouts or fitness routine?

Leg workouts and running on the treadmill before I workout.

 

What song empowers you?

Any Jay-z song

 

What is your favorite part about the Fitness Center?

I love that the fitness facility is newly renovated and ready for workouts.

 

Who inspires you?

My mother, brother, and sisters.

 

What’s your favorite quote?

“I walk into every room as myself. I don’t walk in any room as anyone else. I’m not cowering, I’m not speaking soft, my voice doesn’t change – it sounds exactly the same way. I’m walking as myself and proud and I speak for us and that gives me a joy.” Jay-z

 

What advice do you want to share with your peers about being a member of the YWCA family?

The YWCA brings a family feel. We really concentrate on the connection between everyone- whether you’re an employee or a member.

 

What does the YWCA mean to you?

The YWCA, to me, means opportunity. A place where you can really explore who you are, who you want to be.

 

YW Staff Profile: John Dwinell

Job Title:

Aquatics Coordinator

Where did you attend school / what did you study?

Worcester State College and UMass Amherst

How long have worked at the YW?:

4 years

What are your favorite workouts or fitness routine?

• Swimming
• 200 yards of kicking with fins warm up
• 200 yards Breast Stroke
• 200 yards Side Stroke
• 200 yards of Flutter Kick w/board
•  Underwater swim

What song empowers you?

• American Storm-Bob Segar
• Under Pressure-Queen
• Toes-Zac Brown Band

What is your favorite part about the Fitness Center?

The new facility is a breath of fresh air for the Strength and Cardio area of the YWCA. The new equipment is easy to use and understand and there is something here for all fitness levels. Having a new floor and lighting as well as having the ability to control the temperature of the Fitness Studios is a huge plus.

Who inspires you?

My mother and father. They were both great influences on my life. Both were people who enjoyed the outdoors and brought us exploring. They could make the most out of simple things. Both of them gave their children a love for nature as well as instilling a passion to help others through civic duty.

What is your favorite quote?

“The impossible missions are the only ones which succeed” Captain Jacques Yves Cousteau

What advice do you want to share with your peers about being a member of the YWCA family?

Enjoy every minute of it. Without knowing, you are making a difference in the lives of others.

What does the YWCA mean to you?

Community- working with others for a greater good. A chance to pass knowledge on to others be it working with my peers or in the pool teaching swimming and lifeguarding. Through the working with others, I find myself becoming a better person.

YW Staff Profile: Jermoh Kamara

Job Title:

Director, Wellness and Health Equity

How long worked at the YW?:

Started September 8th, 2020

Where did you attend school / what did you study?

Providence College- BS in Health Policy and Management; BA in Community Health

New York Medical College – Master’s in Public Health; Certified Health Education Specialist

What are your favorite workouts or fitness routine?

I enjoy strength and intense workouts so my favorite workouts are Snatches and deadlift.

What song empowers you?

Any African or Caribbean music that comes on Pandora.

What is your favorite part about the Fitness Center?

Our staff does an exceptional job at cleaning as it pertains to the COVID regulation for gyms. The fitness facility close for two hours during the day to deep clean so that it is safe for our members. We want members to know that we are on top of cleaning so that they can feel comfortable to come in to use our facility.

Who inspires you?

Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama, and the Dalai Lama.

What’s your favorite quote?

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” ― Marianne Williamson

What advice do you want to share with your peers about being a member of the YWCA family?

There is nowhere else that I can think of to start up with your fitness goals other than the YWCA. A membership at the YWCA grants access to our new fitness facility, group classes, and our pool. What we offer is exceptional and our affordable prices cannot be compared especially with our location being in the heart of downtown Worcester. It is the place to include in your everyday plans for nurturing a healthy lifestyle.

 What does the YWCA mean to you?

I am excited about the role I am in because I look forward to making the YWCA a home away from home. From the programs and services we offer, to the people I work with, and the members that come to the YWCA to use the wellness facility, I want everyone to feel at home when they come to the YWCA.