MEMBER SPOTLIGHT:
Darryl Boom, Active at Kruse Woods Member
The Lake Oswego Municipal Golf course was Darryl Boom’s favorite place to exercise until it closed for renovation last year. “I would walk the back nine. It’s really pretty; hilly and wonderful. I found a lot of golf balls, and I was really happy,” he said. When the parks department closed the course, “all of a sudden, I’m sitting without a place to exercise.”
Darryl’s loss was Kruse Woods’ gain, because the golf course closure is what led Darryl and his wonderful sense of humor to Active Wellness Center. “I really like the place. I like the space. I like that you’ve got all sorts of diverse equipment, and there’s good parking too!” Soon after joining, Darryl started taking classes and began to realize that his body needed strength training in addition to walking and golfing in order to stay healthy and mobile as he aged. “I think it’s wonderful that classes are included with membership,” he said. “Classes can give you some ideas about areas you need to work on.”
When he’s not taking classes, Darryl spends most of his time working on strength and balance. He describes EGYM as a “really neat concept” and hopes adding muscle will help improve his golf game.
Currently, Darryl is getting ready for his annual trip to Mexico, and that comes with its own challenges. “There are gyms down there, but they’re a lot different than Kruse Woods and they don’t have near the space we have here.” To help him stay fit while he’s away, Darryl develops exercise routines he can do at the local gyms in Mexico that will keep him moving until he returns home.
As much as Darryl misses his time on the golf course, he appreciates how the renovation closure has opened his eyes to a new approach to health and fitness. “I wouldn’t be here if they hadn’t closed the course. In retrospect, it’s a blessing in disguise. I’m much healthier now. I feel better. Golf is great and I’ll continue to play if they ever get the course done,” he says with a wry smile. In the meantime, Darryl is enjoying his newfound fitness community. “The people here are really friendly and interesting. Everybody has a story and I like that.”
We can thank Parks and Recreation, as well, for leading Darryl through our doors. We wish Darryl a safe stay in Mexico and look forward to seeing him again in the spring.