REACH FOR THE STARS. Though preschool gymnastics doesn't look like this Volume One file photo from a few years ago, that doesn't mean the YMCA is done encouraging you to get moving and get active.

Twenty minutes a day. Five days a week. Six weeks. Do you have what it takes? 

The STRONG Challenge – a free community-wide health and wellness challenge beginning on Oct. 19 – encourages locals to get active with weekly challenges following themes of play, connect, rest, serve, and balance. 

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It's the perfect time to take back our lives, reenergize, achieve goals, and to feel better and stronger.

Linda May

regional executive director of the ymca

“It's the perfect time to take back our lives, reenergize, achieve goals, and to feel better and stronger,” Linda May, regional executive director of the YMCA, said in a media release. “But we know how difficult that can be to do on your own. Throughout the STRONG Challenge, participants will encourage and inspire each other, and the YMCA will keep us all on track. We also encourage businesses, organizations, and families to do the challenge together. Let’s all help each other out!”

Sponsored by a $7,000 grant from the Response and Recovery Community Fund of the Eau Claire Community Foundation, the YMCA’s new program is open to everyone in the Chippewa Valley, offering weekly motivation, resources, workouts, and more. It encourages folks who aren’t a part of the YMCA or who need extra motivation to get active to get moving. 

Some of the challenges include Zumba, yoga, and HIIT, as well as weekly walking clubs and opportunities to safely gather – either virtually or in person. In the first 24 hours after registration opened for the program, 272 locals had already signed up. You can get involved by texting STRONG to 833-962-2777 or by visiting www.ymca-cv.org/strong. 

“This challenge provides an opportunity to get active and healthier by yourself or as a STRONG family,” said Craig Monson, regional executive director of the YMCA of the Chippewa Valley in a media release. “We’re grateful for the Eau Claire Community Foundation’s support in bringing this to our entire community.” 

Get involved with the STRONG challenge by texting STRONG to 833-962-2777 or by visiting www.ymca-cv.org/strong.