CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Marshalltown YMCA/YWCA Marketing and Communications Director Andrew Potter enjoys a brisk jog at the facility.

Why have I been coming to the Y for more than three decades of my life?

Because the Y has been here for me during all stages of my life.

As I coach youth sports at the Marshalltown YMCA-YWCA I see many of the youth experiencing the facility for the first time in what we hope starts a lifetime of great experiences, just like I have had.

When I was a high schooler I honed my 3-point shot at the Y by the river in Ottawa, Illinois. We had a noon basketball crew, which played pick up games and many of them had their own nicknames.

Much later in life, I moved to Marshalltown and was blown away at how awesome our Y was here. I got into exercising and playing with the noon basketball crew here in Marshalltown. I ended up losing about 20 pounds over the course of a year, just by being active regularly. And the pounds have stayed off 15 years and more than 1,000 trips to the Y later.

Currently, I enjoy jogging around the track at the Y, sweating it up on the treadmill and utilizing the strength training equipment.

It’s nice to know that, as I age, the Y will be there for me. If I choose to do something with less impact on the knees I can go with an elliptical, stair climber or stationary bike or focus more on strength training.

Maybe I’ll take up lap swimming in the future or be a group exercise regular as those options are always open to me at the Marshalltown Y. My kids love to swim and play basketball at the Y as well as participate in the youth sports leagues.

Let’s not forget about the social aspect too as I have made many lifelong friends at the Y and I’m sure I will meet many more people in the future.

Full Disclosure: I’m not only a frequent Y user, I also started working there this past year.

Stop by and take a tour if you haven’t been to the Y in awhile. You’ll realize the Y is here for the whole community, no matter your age or your fitness level.

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Andrew Potter is Marketing and Communications Director for the Marshalltown YMCA-YWCA.