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Table of con TenTs golf pr odigy
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Madison Sanders making a name for herself
cl ass in session
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Physical education class for homeschoolers
water ther ap y
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Cornerstone offering helps arthritis sufferers Joyce R. KoPPaNg, MD, Facc
PeteR ScaLiSe, iii, MD, Facc
on the r un
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Early morning joggers motivate each other
senior center For an appointment call 1-877-856-1135 CLANTON 1320 Woodfin Lane cvapc.com
ALABASTER Shelby Medical Plaza, Suite 270 1004 1st Street North
20
New leadership has fresh ideas
10 ge t ting physic al YMCA offers class for homeschooled students
ON THE COVER: Madison Sanders, 15, is the only girl on her school’s varsity golf team. That’s just the beginning of her accomplishments.
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the natural
Young golfer’s game continues to grow
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Stor y by stephen da wkins | photo S by jon goering
t’s a familiar story: A father teaches his child how to play a sport, and then one day, the child is better than the dad, defeating him every time they play. Brian Sanders doesn’t have to feel bad, though, even if it’s his daughter, Madison, and not a son that schools him regularly on the golf course. Madison beats lots of guys. Madison Sanders, a 15-year-old sophomore, is the only girl on the Chilton County High School varsity golf team. She’s been a member since the eighth grade. At competitions, Sanders is paired with males from opposing teams. They don’t want to lose to her, but they usually do, even though she doesn’t have the advantage of hitting from the ladies’ tees in competitions. There was the one time during her eighth grade year where she played against an older and much bigger Benjamin Russell football player who also happened to be on his school’s golf team. By the end of the round, his teammates were running down the fairway to ask how many strokes the young, petite girl was winning by. Sanders’ presence is also likely a motivating factor for her own teammates. “It makes them practice more because they don’t want me to beat them,” she said. Perhaps the greatest accomplishment of Sanders’ career so far was winning the 52nd Annual Bud Burns Dixie Junior Championship in June in Selma. She shot a 77 on Day 1 of the event, and a career-best 74 on the second day to post an 8-over par 151. She won the 13-15 age group, comprised of the younger competitors, as well as the overall girls’ competition--the first time a golfer in the younger age group had won the overall title. Sanders took home a trophy that will be engraved with her name and an autographed photograph of 2012 Masters champion Bubba Watson, a previous winner of the Bud Burns Championship. Sanders first started playing at the tender age of 5. She would tag along with dad Brian, and wherever he would be hitting his next shot from, little Madison would drop a ball and swing away with one of her three Snoopy clubs. The family, including mom Amy, realized Madison’s talent when she competed in a U.S. Kids Golf Tour event in Auburn the same year she started playing. It was there that a friend and former golf pro gave Brian and Amy an exciting assessment. “He kept telling her dad that she was a natural and she needed to keep playing,” Amy said. Brian Sanders has served as his daughter’s de facto coach through the years. A middling self-taught golfer himself, Brian said that he has seen Madison swing so many times that he can quickly diagnose what went wrong if a shot is off-target. “I know her swing better than mine,” Brian said. Brian said his daughter’s most significant obstacle on the course is always mental. “She’s such a perfectionist that if she ever has one bad swing, she’s done,” he said.
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Madison Sanders began playing golf when she was 5. These days, she’s blasting shots out of sand traps (opposite page) with the best high school players.
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Brian said he wants Madison to learn to relax more and have fun playing the game. There’s surely some fun to be had in winning. She has posted one outright win, three top-5’s, four top-10’s and six top-20’s in events sponsored by the American Junior Golf Association. “She’s just natural; I haven’t taught her anything,” Brian said. Madison’s competition level now precludes her from having a caddy, so she isn’t allowed to talk to her father during rounds, leaving her to figure out problems on her own. She knows that if she wants to achieve her goal of playing at the college level (specifically for the 2012 national champion University of Alabama team), she has to improve her chipping and putting. So, Madison and Brian hit the course at least two or three days a week during the offseason and pretty much every day during the season. Amy joked that she’s on a first-name basis with the package delivery driver because of the number of new clubs he drops off at their Clanton residence (Madison said most of those clubs are for her dad). “Summers are not like they are for most teenagers--she doesn’t get to sleep in,” Amy said. Brian, an avid sports fan, likes having golf in common with his daughter. He’s told her that even when she grows up and gets married, she can’t move so far away that they wouldn’t be able to play together. He just better not expect to win. n
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YMCA offers PE class for homeschoolers Stor y by emil y beckett photo by jon goering
C
hilton County YMCA will offer a new class for the first time this year for children who are homeschooled. Open to any children in grades kindergarten–12, the class will mirror a typical physical education class at school, with instruction on the fundamentals of different sports and execution of the sports through practice and organized games. The class will start Oct. 3 and will meet each subsequent Thursday during the regular school year at the Y, located on Ollie Avenue in Clanton. Each class starts at 1 p.m. and lasts for an hour. Enrollment for the class is open, meaning participants may register anytime during the year and pay by the month. Fees per month are $10 for Y members and $20 for non-members. Chilton County YMCA Director Mary Beth Wyatt said the idea to form the class came from multiple requests from local parents of homeschoolers looking for a physical outlet. “It’s a program we’ve been looking to
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Getting ph
physical
Crystal Cleckley will be the instructor for a Chilton County YMCA physical education class for homeschooled students.
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do for a while, and we’re excited about it,” Wyatt said. “Right now, parents have to go out-of-county to find something like this. Home school kids can play sports through the different co-ops, but parents wanted them to have that P.E.-style experience.” Crystal Cleckley, resident Zumba and gym instructor at the Y, will be the primary instructor of the class for homeschoolers. “I think it will be good,” Cleckley said. Children in the class will learn about and play common sports such as basketball, soccer and gymnastics, as well as “fun” ones like pool noodle hockey, Wyatt said. “Each month is a different sport,” Wyatt said. “It’s another opportunity for the Y to teach kids how to be active. You get the Y values, but you’re also teaching them about the healthy lifestyle, and being active is an important step.” Other facets of the class will include lessons in teamwork and sportsmanship, and participants will have opportunities to socialize with more of their peers in a group setting than they normally would at home. Each class will begin with stretching. As the class grows, it will be divided into age groups. All participants must wear tennis shoes and are encouraged to wear gym clothes (gym shorts, jogging pants and T-shirts). Another class the Y is in the process of adding is an exercise class in Jemison called Fit 4 Life. Cleckley will teach the class, which is geared toward adults ages 50 and over. For more information or to sign up for a class, visit the Y or call (205) 755-2382. n
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Arthritis sufferers benefit from water therapy Stor y, photo by emil y etheredge
A
lthough the water arthritis class at Cornerstone Fitness and Wellness has been offered since 2000, class participants continue to benefit from new techniques of water
therapy. Instructors Elizabeth Cleckler and Gail Sharmon teach the class three mornings a week to a group of mostly women who take the class to relieve pain associated with arthritis. “We have seen wonderful results from the class because we have people doing things in the water they could never do on land,” Sharmon said. Sharmon said the exercises in the water relieve pressure from joints and areas most people have with arthritis pain. Both Sharmon and Cleckler work to encourage those attending the class to stretch their hamstrings, shoulders and practice deep breathing as well as work different parts of the body that usually have arthritis including knees, fingers, necks, backs and toes. Sharmon said the class also helps senior citizens who aren’t as mobile on land to move around in the water with different balancing techniques such as walking backwards in the pool. Sharmon, 62, understands the benefits of the class she teaches on a personal level after having knee replacement surgery in 2003. Sharmon said shortly after her surgery she exercised in the water and attributes the water therapy as the main reason for not requiring a second surgery on her other knee. “I was a very active person when I was younger,” Sharmon said. “I taught physical education for 27 years, I took tennis, gymnastics, cheer, etc. and essentially wore my body out. I can’t do a lot of the land classes such as Zumba because it is too much pressure on my knees but when I am in the water, I can do anything.” Although the class is geared toward senior citizens, Sharmon said the class is open to anyone with arthritis pain and can be beneficial for pregnant women.
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“We have had several pregnant women attend the class throughout the years because it is a gentle exercise,” Sharmon said. “It is great for people who don’t feel comfortable on a treadmill because they more than likely will feel comfortable in the water.” The class is offered year round to Cornerstone Fitness and Wellness members but Sharmon said the fall season is typically the slower season due to most senior citizens going on vacation in the fall. “September and October are slower months for us in the class because we have a lot of people traveling, but we pick back up in November or December,” Sharmon said. “It is kind of funny because we will be swimming indoors when it is snowing outside.” Sharmon said throughout her time of teaching the class, she has seen a group of “regulars” attend the class who have lowered their blood pressure, monitored diets and lost weight. “We have some people who come on the days the class isn’t offered and will walk in the pool for their exercise that day,” Sharmon said. “The more of your body you can get under the
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Water exercises relieve pressure from joints as well as produce other health benefits.
water, the more you can move.� For more information about the arthritis class, contact (205) 280-6450. n
Dr. Douglas C. Clark Dr. Jason K. Dickerson
Dr. Seth Williams
Wellness 15
Early birds
Morning runners help keep each other motivated Stor y, photo by emil y etheredge
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efore most people wake up to prepare for their day, a group of about 15-20 Chilton County runners race to greet the sunrise. Three days each week, the Chilton Runners meet together at Goosepond Park in Clanton at 5:15 a.m. for an early morning run that usually finishes up before 6 a.m. Although each runner faces his or her own individual challenges, the group serves as an accountability tool for some, camaraderie for others and enjoyment for each participant. “I like to run early in the morning,” Ali
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Garrett said. “I have a special running playlist on my phone with fast paced music that I listen to while I run. I find that I push myself more when I run with a group of people or friends.” Garrett started running in January 2013 when she ran a 4-mile race with some of her friends but officially started running regularly in May 2013. Although Garrett said her body is not that of a typical runner, she enjoys running and uses it as a form of exercise. “Most people think all runners are really lean and fit, or that you have to be skinny to be a runner and in shape and that is not true at all,” Garrett said. “I don’t want people to limit what they
think they can do, just because they don’t fit the body type of a ‘runner.’ Anyone can be a runner; you just have to do it.” Members of the Chilton Runners Facebook group use the social media site to communicate with each other in preparation for a run or encourage new runners to join the group. Often the night before a 5:15 a.m. run, members of the group will check to see who will be running on Facebook and encourage those who might need motivation to show up the next morning. Part of the challenge during the summer and early fall months is the lack of daylight for the group of runners
who can often be spotted running along Clanton streets with the only illumination tool being a cell phone or iPod. “Sometimes people don’t pay attention and get pretty close to us while we are running,” Blake Hudson said. “We try to stay out of their way, but sometimes it is hard because people aren’t looking.” Julia Davis and family, including husband Matt and daughters, Emily and Jessica, run with the Chilton Runners several days a week. Davis admits when she first started running in July 2010 it was difficult due to being out of shape, not owning a good pair of tennis shoes and feeling embarrassed to run in front of other people. However, Davis reminds herself before each run the phrase “you can” to serve as motivation to persevere. “I say things over and over in my head like ‘you can do anything for 30 minutes, 3 miles, 26.2 miles, five hours, etc.’or I think of my family and friends and do it for them,” Davis said. “Some days there is no motivation, just like real
A group of early morning runners and members of the Chilton Runners Group pose together after their morning run. Front row (left to right): Kadie Coker, Jessica Davis, Blake Hudson and Joshua Burns. Back row (left to right): Faby Clark, Brian Jones, Amanda Baxley, Matt and Julia Davis and Teresa Richards.
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life. It is a decision and you do it because it needs to be done. You do it anyway and in the end you are proud of yourself.” Davis has created a blog about her running experiences to serve as a motivational tool for others who might be interested in running. “Running is a parallel to life,” Davis said. “The successes and failures are short lived, so you experience all of life’s lessons in a hands-on way. If you fail, there is always tomorrow, you just get up and try again. Success is always ahead.” Jessica and Emily Davis first got involved in running due to the motivation from their parents Matt and Julia Davis. Although Jessica Davis said the toughest part for her is waking up each morning, the easiest part is feeling good for the rest of the day. “When I am done with a run is the most enjoyable part of running for me because I am proud of myself,” Davis said. “Running takes perseverance but you don’t have to have a talent or coordination to do it.” Emily Davis has found that listening to music helps her keep a beat while running and to help her go faster. Kadie Coker, 19, started running in March 2013 after being an active softball player for 15 years. Coker wanted to find something to continue to challenge
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her physically but struggled at the beginning of her running journey to complete one mile. “Through determination and discipline, I conditioned myself to compete in my first 5K Almighty Mud Run in May 2013,” Coker said. “I had so much fun doing this event that I didn’t want to stop. I continued to train and entered the 10K Peach Run in June and I was very excited to win my age division and to have placed second overall.” On Sept. 7, Coker went on to complete a Sprint Triathlon in Montgomery where she swam 450 yards, biked 12 miles and ran three miles. Coker finished the triathlon with a time of 1:25, placing first in the female 30 and under division. “If you would have asked me this time last year what I would be doing today, I never would have thought I would be running a half marathon or better yet, running for fun,” Coker said. “I encourage everyone to get up and get moving. I believe you can accomplish anything you desire if you will just do the best you can and never give up.” Amanda Baxley started running in March 2013 due to wanting to get in shape and have a healthier lifestyle. Baxley said the easiest part of running is the only thing most people require, which is a pair of shoes. “You don’t have to have a gym membership, wait for a class or really go anywhere other than out your front door,” Baxley said. “You can run anywhere you may be so you don’t have to worry about missing a workout while you are away from home.” Baxley tries to keep her regular runs to at least 3-miles three times a week and she sets a mileage goal for herself each month to tailor her runs to meet her goal. “Every day I run is better
than just sitting on my couch,” Baxley said. “Surround yourself with people who will support, motivate and encourage you. Set goals for yourself and push toward exceeding those goals.” Anyone interested in the early morning run can join the Chilton Runner’s Facebook page, or find certain times that others in the group run each day. “Not everyone runs in the mornings but we do have a lot of members in the group who enjoy running at the beginning of each day,” Julia Davis said. “Running isn’t for everyone but you should find what you enjoy and stick to that.” Many of the runners in the Chilton Runners group encourage those that might be interested in running to get involved with a 5K race. Here is a list of upcoming races sponsored throughout Chilton County: •Thorsby Swedish Fest 5K Run/Walk Oct. 12 at 8 a.m. For more information about the race, visit www.thorsbyswedishfestival.com/5kviking-run.html. •Camo 5K Oct. 12 at 7 a.m. One mile fun run and 5K camo run in Clanton. Participants have the opportunity to win door prizes. Trophies will be given to the fastest runner in each age division. Participants
are encouraged to wear camo to the race. There will also be a prize for the person in the best camo attire. All proceeds go to the Wounded Warrior Project. For more information, visit registeronline@www.active. com or clanton.camorun@ gmail.com. •Almighty Mud Run Oct. 12 at 8 a.m. at the Bridgestone Retreat Center 302 County Road 383, Billingsley. For more information, visit almightymudrun.ezregister. com. •Bear Crawl Mud Run Nov. 2 at 8 a.m. Ages 12 and up. For more information visit, www.bsk12.net. Other races held throughout the year in Chilton County include: •The Minooka Mudder 5K held in March at Minooka Park in Jemison. For more information, visit www.minookapark. org. •Get Moving Jemison 5K run and walk and fitness expo at the Jemison Municipal Complex. •Maplesville’s Heritage Day 5K walk/run in April. •The Chilton County Humane Society 5K “Dottie Dash” in May at Goosepond Park. •Peach Run (5K, 10K and 1-mile fun run) at Cornerstone Fitness and Wellness in Clanton in June. For more information, visit www.cornerstonefitnesswellness.com. n
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Those who visit the Clanton Senior Center regularly have become a tight-knit group.
Senior Center plans new activities Stor y, photo S by stephen da wkins
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ew leadership hopes to keep the Clanton Senior Center an integral part
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of the community while growing the number of people who benefit from the services provided at the center. Carolyn Thomas and Barbara
McMillian have been on the job at the center for about a month. Though neither had experience working at the center, Thomas has a history with home health service, and McMillian has also taken care of elderly residents. The pair volunteered at the center for a while to get an idea of the type of work required. “We loved it,” Thomas said, and the feeling seems to be mutual from the residents who visit the center regularly. The Senior Center is an outreach of the Middle Alabama Area Agency on Aging. M4A provides meals for the seniors each day. The city of Clanton, meanwhile, owns the building and employs Thomas and McMillian. The center is open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. each weekday, with lunch served about 11:15 a.m. Seniors play Bingo on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and there is also a pool table, dominoes and checkers. One of the
favorite activities is putting together puzzles. Lunch is served about 11:15 a.m. each day. Many eat at the center, while some take the meal home to eat. There’s also a list of homebound residents who have their meals delivered. Thomas said local churches help with deliveries. Anyone interested in the services offered at the Senior Center need to apply, but the only requirement is that the applicant be more than 60 years old. At one time, as many as 35-40 residents visited the Senior Center regularly, but that number has dropped to about 15-20. Thomas said she hopes some new activities planned will help attract more seniors to the center. “We want to get some activities going to get more people coming back in here,” Thomas said. A going away party was recently held for one long-time visitor, and on Oct. 9, there will be a health
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Carolyn Thomas serves meals provided by M4A to seniors at the Clanton Senior Center. fair at the Maplesville Senior Center, the only other center in Chilton County. Temple Assembly of God held a yard sale recently and donated several unsold items to the center. So, center visitors
will have their own yard sale soon. McMillian said she has enjoyed getting to know the seniors who visit the center. “I love it down here,� she said. n
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