Kate Brown

with Alice (age 6) and William (age 8)

Kate: This is our second year at the Rye Y. What brought us here was Alice, my daughter, swims on the WaveRyeders team.

Alice: I like doing jumps at the end. I do the Butterfly (stroke).

Kate: She’s been swimming since she was six months old. She did some lessons here when she was really little. She’s six now, but she’s been on the team for two years.

William: I used to play basketball upstairs, but not really anymore.

Kate: We come here mostly for Alice’s swimming. We’re here a lot for that. The coaches are great. They’re very accommodating and very patient. Alice was shy and they were really encouraging and made her feel comfortable from the beginning. And it’s a beautiful facility. It’s very comfortable. I can do homework with William while Alice is swimming. It’s a joy to be here.

I feel grateful, really grateful to be teaching Zumba at the Y. How I missed in-person classes during COVID! I’ve been teaching virtual classes 5 times a week for the past 2 years.

I learned about the Rye Y from my fellow Zumba instructors. One day I talked with Laura, who teaches here and asked her if there was a way I could sub a class at the Rye Y. She said, yes, of course. So I got in touch with Diana and that’s what I did. I auditioned and passed with Diana and all the class members there.

I began covering Martha’s classes now and then. And then she moved so I was asked to teach one of her classes on Friday. So here I am! The members are nice and such quick learners. They know Zumba but enjoy my style and I’ve gotten positive feedback. So I can’t complain. I’m really, really grateful!