Laura Centeno

I moved to Rye from Spain in 2009 with my family and two kids and my third on the way. I joined the Y because I wanted my kids to be part of the community. They took swim lessons and I did aquatics for pregnant women. After I had my baby, I wanted to get back in shape but the group exercise classes were difficult for me because my English was not good. I started to work with a personal trainer and just fell in love with fitness. I fell in love with the Pilates class - every day I did a new one. When I started coming here, I wasn’t working so my days were scattered between the kids. The Y gave me that purpose that I belonged somewhere. It felt so good.

My daughter joined the gymnastics team and felt right at home with gymnastics. She was an LIT (Leader in Training), then a counselor and now that she is in college, she has worked as counselor in the gymnastics summer camp My son was a counselor as well while in high school. My husband takes classes in strength training. He was with JT and now with Hanaan. The whole family is part of the Y!

At some point I wanted to do something else to give back so I became a Zumba instructor and started to teach Zumba classes here at the Y. And then I became a personal trainer. I’ve taught classes in other places but this is where I belong. And now I’m so excited with this new facility with so many new members! I meet new people in every class that I teach. It feels like home.

Every time I have space in my schedule, I always want to try one of my fellow instructor’s classes. I feel like the Y is my place. It gave me a sense of belonging.