In honor of Mother’s Day weekend, we are celebrating a group of strong women in Atkinson whose bond was built in a unique way. My mom Vanessa Underwood, of Plaistow, started the senior fitness class about 30 years ago. Once held at the Vic Geary Center in Plaistow, it’s now held two times a week at the Atkinson Community Center.Many of the participants are well into their 80s and at least a couple of them are undergoing cancer treatments. But still, they show up to lift weights, dance and support each other. “The class is addicting,” said 78-year-old Atkinson resident Audrey Charest. “Once you come in here, you leave your age at the door.”“I’m 84 years old and our greatest inspiration is Vanessa, our teacher,” said Beverly Reed.“But they are my strength, too,” Vanessa responded. “They’re sisters, they’re mothers, they’re friends, they’re my sounding board.”Vanessa has been teaching this class for more than three decades. “I’ve had three kidney transplants, cancer, and this is what keeps me going,” she said. “I know has kept me alive and I know it’s keeping other people alive.”“I’m the youngest one here and looking at people 15 to 20 years older than me, I am thinking, ‘OK, they’re still going and they’ve been coming this many years, then hopefully, I can keep moving like that,’” said Corey Cobb, who started coming after she lost her husband a couple of years ago. “It’s more than just exercise,” said Mary Ellen Dahlstrand. “We tell stories and we know what’s happening in each other’s lives.”“They know that as we age, they better stay strong so that they can be healthy to live their lives fully, but also in the event that they get sick,” Vanessa said. “I mean, look at a couple of these women, they are going through chemo and cancer and they’re here exercising.”When Millie Thompson was diagnosed with lung cancer, she says her doctor encouraged her to keep exercising.“And I just got a scan a couple weeks ago and everything is going great,” Thompson told the class this week.“It’s just a good group of women who actually care about one another,” said Liz Gurden. “When you’re having a bad day, they’re right there for you.” “We love one another, that’s the big thing,” Charest added.Vanessa says the group welcomes newcomers with open arms and the same compassion.“When I meet people in the community I tell them they should come to my class, because they’ll never meet a group of people like this,” she said.
In honor of Mother’s Day weekend, we are celebrating a group of strong women in Atkinson whose bond was built in a unique way.
My mom Vanessa Underwood, of Plaistow, started the senior fitness class about 30 years ago. Once held at the Vic Geary Center in Plaistow, it’s now held two times a week at the Atkinson Community Center.
Many of the participants are well into their 80s and at least a couple of them are undergoing cancer treatments. But still, they show up to lift weights, dance and support each other.
“The class is addicting,” said 78-year-old Atkinson resident Audrey Charest. “Once you come in here, you leave your age at the door.”
“I’m 84 years old and our greatest inspiration is Vanessa, our teacher,” said Beverly Reed.
“But they are my strength, too,” Vanessa responded. “They’re sisters, they’re mothers, they’re friends, they’re my sounding board.”
Vanessa has been teaching this class for more than three decades.
“I’ve had three kidney transplants, cancer, and this is what keeps me going,” she said. “I know [fitness] has kept me alive and I know it’s keeping other people alive.”
“I’m the youngest one here and looking at people 15 to 20 years older than me, I am thinking, ‘OK, they’re still going and they’ve been coming this many years, then hopefully, I can keep moving like that,’” said Corey Cobb, who started coming after she lost her husband a couple of years ago.
“It’s more than just exercise,” said Mary Ellen Dahlstrand. “We tell stories and we know what’s happening in each other’s lives.”
“They know that as we age, they better stay strong so that they can be healthy to live their lives fully, but also in the event that they get sick,” Vanessa said. “I mean, look at a couple of these women, they are going through chemo and cancer and they’re here exercising.”
When Millie Thompson was diagnosed with lung cancer, she says her doctor encouraged her to keep exercising.
“And I just got a scan a couple weeks ago and everything is going great,” Thompson told the class this week.
“It’s just a good group of women who actually care about one another,” said Liz Gurden. “When you’re having a bad day, they’re right there for you.”
“We love one another, that’s the big thing,” Charest added.
Vanessa says the group welcomes newcomers with open arms and the same compassion.
“When I meet people in the community I tell them they should come to my class, because they’ll never meet a group of people like this,” she said.
