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A Former (Mediocre) Male Swimmer’s Take On The Transgendered Swimmer

Gary Nager Editorial

When I saw on the news and the uproar on Facebook that transgendered swimmer Lia Thomas had won the NCAA Women’s 500-yard championship, beating out Sarasota native Emma Weyant by 1.75 seconds, I couldn’t help but think about my own mediocre career as a distance freestyle and butterfly swimmer.

I didn’t want to be a swimmer as a kid, but all of my closest friends joined the Hewlett (Long Island) High swim team in 9th grade. At that age, I wasn’t big/tall or good enough to play high school football or basketball, so I accepted that swimming was it for me.

All of my friends were better than I was as a swimmer, especially in sprint events. But, I did enjoy being part of a really good team (we always had guys advance to the State Championship meets and some of them even won their events at the County level and at least made it to the finals in their respective events at States). Two of my closest friends were even good enough to swim for the Ivy League University of Pennsylvania.

Meanwhile, I worked to the best of my ability for four years, doing well enough to earn a varsity letter my junior and senior years, based on my results in dual meets during those seasons. I even made it to the County meet my senior year in the 100-yard fly and 500 free, but did not crack the top-20 in either event, despite swimming PRs (personal records) in both. I believe my 500-free time at the County meet was 5:18, but that was nowhere near my goal of breaking 5 minutes.

Even so, I was in the best shape of my life, so I continued swimming to stay in shape in my two years at SUNY Albany, and I even decided to join Albany State’s team my sophomore year. I was relegated to the events none of the other swimmers wanted to compete in — the 200 fly, 500-, 1,000- and 1,650-yard freestyle — but I only qualified for the Division III State Championship meet in the 1,650. I had put on at least 10-15 lbs. of muscle since high school and swam my P.R. in the 1,650 at State — somewhere over 18 minutes — and also recorded my fastest-ever times in the 200, 500 (5:07) and 1,000 en route to finishing 18th at that meet.

Three months or so later, I transferred to the University of Florida, a long-time swimming powerhouse, and decided to see if I could walk on the men’s team. After the first 200 yards of warmups, I realized I was completely outclassed and got out of the water cursing at myself. The famous then-Gators coach, Randy Reese, put his arm around me and said he could tell I was a competitive swimmer, and that I could stay with the team as the equipment manager and possibly even a meet-day fill-in if I could handle the thousands and thousands of yards per day and still get the kickboards and hand paddles put away at the end of each session.

Not only did I decline, I joked that I clearly wasn’t even good enough to make the school’s women’s team — and he agreed.

Little did I know, 40+ years later, that anyone would actually attempt such a switch. The former William “Will” Thomas, who says she began feeling transgendered while still in high school, joined the University of Pennsylvania’s men’s team as a freshman in 2017 and finished in the top-seven in the same events I swam (500-, 1,000- and 1,650-yard free) at the 2018 Ivy League Championships (for the same Penn team my friends swam for), although Will Thomas did not make the finals in any of those events at the NCAA Championships that year or in 2019, the Texas native’s last year competing as a man.

At the end of 2019, Will Thomas told his coaches that he was transgendered and began undergoing hormone replacement therapy to transition to female that year.

Between Covid and transitioning to female, Lia Thomas (right in picture) didn’t swim as a woman at the 2020 or 2021 NCAA Championships, but resurfaced as one of the favorites in multiple events at this year’s NCAA Women’s meet. Lia not only won the 500-yard final (in a time 13+ second slower than Will Thomas’ PR of 4:20.5), she also finished 5th in the 200 free and 8th in the 100 free.

Now, after previously having met and written stories for the former Bruce (now Caitlyn) Jenner and his Better Health & Living magazine in the 1980s, I do believe it’s possible for adults to realize that the gender they were born into was somehow a mistake, and I wish Lia Thomas the best of luck in life.

What I don’t believe is that someone who was born a man should be allowed to compete as a woman at any level of competitive sports. I’m no doctor or geneticist, but I don’t believe suppressing a male’s natural hormones is enough to not give that genetic man an unfair strength and endurance advantage when competing against genetic women.

Like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, I believe that Weyant should have won the 500-free title, although I blame the NCAA for allowing Thomas — or anyone born a man — to compete as a woman at all.

swimming

A Gated Community At Last?

A long-running saga at Heritage Isles has come to an end after more than 20 years and repeated efforts by many residents to activate the entrance gates at the front of their community.

Heritage Isles residents voted in favor of asking the City of Tampa to transfer ownership of the community’s roads to its Community Development District (CDD), which will lead to the security gates once again becoming functional.

The resolution needed two-thirds, or 66 percent of the homeowners who voted, to pass; it got 77 percent “yes” votes.

“The vote cemented what the residents want, which I feel really good about,” said CDD chairman Dan Barravecchio, who spearheaded the effort. “This was really about being able to take care of our own assets…and we can maintain a higher standard for our roads (than what the city can provide).”

The resolution is now in the hands of the City of Tampa which, after conducting its due diligence, will vote on it sometime in the coming months.

If it passes, which appears likely, the Heritage Isles CDD intends to install a new system to put the gates at its Grand Isle Dr. and Sandy Point Dr. entrances off of Cross Creek Blvd. back in working order for the first time since 2003.

The gates haven’t been used because the developer, Lennar Homes, conveyed the Heritage Isles infrastructure to the City of Tampa, which said that made the eight miles of roads within the community public.

The city prohibited the gate attendant from denying entry to any vehicle, requiring “unimpeded access” to vehicles turning off of Cross Creek Blvd. into Heritage Isles.

The CDD decided to eliminate the guard service, for which it was paying $77,000 a year, and the gatehouse has remained vacant ever since.

“If we couldn’t secure the gate, and we couldn’t check identifications, then why were we paying $77,000 a year for someone that couldn’t do anything but flip a switch?,” Barravecchio asked.

Multiple attempts to get control of the community’s roads were denied. There was no legal mechanism in place to transfer the roads to a CDD, only to a homeowners association (HOA), and that required a 100% vote by homeowners.

According to Barravecchio, the city also was hesitant, due to the community’s outstanding bond debt.

Once that debt was paid off early in 2019, the CDD and its lawyers set out to have a state law written that allowed the conveyance of the roads in a community to a CDD with a 66% vote, as opposed to the 100% vote required by Tampa just to transfer it to an HOA.

“You had a better chance of winning the lottery than getting 100 percent,” says Mark Vega, the CDD district manager since 2014. In fact, Vega said he could only remember one case more than a decade ago where a community succeeded with a 100% vote, and it was actually two cases — the Huntington (42 homes) and Westover (61) villages in Tampa Palms.

Heritage Isles hired a lobbyist and began the work of having the law crafted. Piggybacking on House Bill 57, a transportation bill, Heritage Isles was able to get Senate Bill 1194 included, which authorized “governing bodies of municipalities and counties to abandon and convey their interests in certain roads and rights-of-way dedicated in a recorded residential subdivision plat to community development districts under specified conditions.”

It was signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis on June 29 of last year.

“This is groundbreaking, this is pioneer stuff,” Vegas says. “I already know of two CDDs that are excited to jump on the bandwagon, but this (Heritage Isles) is a first for the state of Florida.”

The CDD rallied support within Heritage Isles for the vote, which was held on March 18. Of the 1,020 homeowners in Heritage Isles, a total of 373 voted, with 286 voting “yes” for the community to gain ownership of its roads.

The CDD held a number of community meetings to explain their plans, conducted all the required road studies and has stockpiled more than $650,000 in its reserve funds for future road work.

Once the city approves the transfer, Heritage Isles plans to install a state-of-the-art virtual guard system at its two entrance/exit kiosks, similar to the one used by the Live Oak Preserve community off Bruce B. Downs Blvd., hopefully bringing the gate saga to an official end.

Vega says a lot of homeowners in Heritage Isles “were misled” into thinking they were buying into a gated community. Now, Heritage Isles finally can deliver on that promise.

“There isn’t a year that has gone by that the gate issue hasn’t come up,” says Barravecchio, who has lived in Heritage Isles since 2002 and has been on the CDD board since 2005. He says the effort was fueled by many of the early residents.

“The more long-time residents, they felt it was something that was taken away from them, so they had a much more personal interest in having it restored,” he says. “Those are the people that when they drive down my block and I’m out washing my car, they stop and say ‘Thank you.’”

Heritage Isles CC

Need A Workout? Feel The Burn (Boot Camp)!

Kathy Wasserman was looking for a new place to work out just as Burn Boot Camp was opening its doors in New Tampa for the first time roughly four years ago. She jumped on one of the grand opening offers and has been a member ever since.

“They offered a free 30 days, and, by the end of the 30 days, I was hooked,” says Wasserman, a Tampa Palms resident. “Not only were the workout programs well thought out and varied, but the community of people is the nicest group of people I have ever worked out with.”

Owner Tammy Henrici deserves some of that credit. When she took over Burn Boot Camp, located in the Big Bear Plaza off Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. between BayCare and Mahana Fresh, in September 2021, Covid had sucked some of the life out of the gym.

Now, with new equipment and trainers and under her direction — Henrici even leads some of the 45-minute boot camps herself— the place is popping again.

“There’s increased energy and enthusiasm from the trainers,” Wasserman says. “I have never enjoyed working out more.”

Henrici is a self-described workout buff, who has been a member of many gyms over the years. She joined the Burn Boot Camp in New Tampa shortly after Wasserman did and found it just as satisfying.

So, she decided to buy the New Tampa franchise.

“I was addicted. I was so excited about going the next morning I couldn’t sleep,” Henrici says. “I have been in the corporate world for 40 years and working out at Burn gave me the confidence to make a change in my life. When I saw how Burn can change people’s lives, I knew I had to own one to finally help other people realize their potential, too.”

Henrici used to work in IT for a major health company, and now focuses on fitness. She is a National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)- Certified Personal Trainer and also is a second-degree black belt in Krav Maga Martial Arts.

Burn New Tampa offers a combination of strength training and high intensity interval training (HIIT) in each 45-minute camp. On Sundays, a protocol is released online and through an app explaining what lies ahead for the next week. No two workouts are the same, says Henrici, so no matter what days you come, the workouts will be targeting different parts of the body and range from strength to cardio.

Wasserman says she goes to 5-6 classes a week. There are other people like her, while others show up 2-3 times a week. There’s literally something for everyone, Henrici says, and anyone of any skill level can get something out of each boot camp.

“We meet each member at their level of fitness,” says Henrici. “We have some people who have never worked out before. We have some former collegiate athletes. We have moms and dads, people who are young and not so young anymore. No matter your background, we push everyone to do 1% better than the day before.”

Henrici says she has built a family atmosphere at Burn New Tampa, and Wasserman says that is probably what she likes most about it.

“There is a level of inclusiveness and positivity you don’t normally see in gyms,” Wasserman says. “Everyone seems happy to see each other and work out next to each other. They high-five each other. There’s a positive, competitive nature I haven’t seen at other places.”

But, don’t mistake that camaraderie for being part of an easy workout. The workouts at Burn New Tampa are anything but, Henrici says. There are a variety of weights and resistance bands, along with foam jump boxes, a boxing bag and other equipment that keeps you moving from station to station.

For those who don’t work out due to creaky knees and sore joints, Burn has a floating floor which cushions the jumps and lessens the impact on your body. And, if you can’t jump, trainers can provide modified techniques.

“The floor was the initial physical thing that attracted me to the gym and it makes a big difference in a workout,” Henrici says.

Burn New Tampa offers camps six days of the week, with multiple camps — usually some in the morning and some in the early evening — each day of the week and two on Saturday morning. For four of the camps during the week, Burn New Tampa offers a complimentary “child watch” room (Burn is not a licensed day care provider, however). All the camps are open to both men and women, although Henrici says that her current members are predominately women.

The goal is to provide physical improvement via weight loss and muscle gain which, in turn, help decrease the need for a variety of medications you may be taking, as well as mental improvement by providing stress-reducing and endorphin-releasing workouts.

“That’s why so many members say this is their ‘happy place,’” Henrici says proudly.

About The Burn

Burn Boot Camp is a franchise with more than 330 locations across the U.S. All of its trainers are NASM CPTs (Certified Personal Trainers) and also have to be CPR-certified, including the four at Burn New Tampa. But, they also need to have the energy to run a boot camp and get to know each and every member’s needs.

“No one is a number, and we take pride in providing personal attention to every member,” Henrici says. “We can be giving Jane form correction while calling out to those at the next exercise to get three more reps in and addressing the entire camp about how much time is left, all at the same time.”

Burn New Tampa offers 6-, 12- and 18-month memberships, as well as month-to-month memberships. There are Camp Packs (5-8 camps per month) and Fit Cards, which are good for a year. Wasserman, who travels to visit her children in Nashville and Chicago, loves that Burn has universal memberships so her membership can be used at any Burn Boot Camp facility in the U.S.

If it all sounds too good to be true, Burn New Tampa is currently offering a 7-day complimentary trial for you to try it out and see for yourself.

With so many fitness options, Henrici thinks Burn New Tampa is the best choice because she says it is the total package.

“We provide unlimited 45-minute camps a week,” she says. “We offer 1:1 Focus Meetings with the trainer to set goals and monitor them. We also provide nutritional guidance. Members can also access daily virtual workouts when they can’t make it to the gym.”

The Focus Meeting is to help define what a member wants to get out of the boot camps. And while there are no certified nutritionists at Burn, the trainers do recognize the importance of a proper diet when it comes to being in shape and asks members to track their food intake in an app. They will suggest increases or decreases in their fat, carb, and protein intake.

“We aren’t focused on the scale but rather on the inches, fat loss and muscle gain,” Henrici says.

The Burn Boot Camp app allows members to check in to camp for the child watch room, trainer and workout schedules for the week as well. And, the support from other members, Henrici says, is unrivaled.

“Your best friend may be here waiting for you.”

Burn Boot Camp New Tampa is located at 17512 Doña Michelle Dr., and is open Monday-Friday, 5:15 a.m.-10:30 a.m., and 4:15 p.m.-6:30 p.m.; and 7:45 a.m.-10 a.m. on Saturday. For more information, visit BurnBootCamp.com and check under “Locations” or call (813) 563-6700.

BURN Bootcamp

Nibbles & Bites: Mojo Fusion Latin Cuisine & MaeBerry Co. The Latest KRATEs To Open

MOJO FUSION: Although it wasn’t quite open when we went to press (it is open as you’re reading this), Jannah and I were fortunate enough to be able to attend the Friends & Family pre-opening of Mojo Fusion, the Latin Fusion restaurant owned by Luis Ledezma and his family. Ledezma, who has years of experience in the food business, is from Venezuela, but promises that his menu at the first restaurant he has owned also includes Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican and even Argentinian-style dishes on its smallish — but delicious — menu.

We got to sample the super-tasty Argentinian-style Choripan chorizo sandwich shown above (the chimichurri sauce is legit) and the Cuban nachos (plantain chips topped with shredded pork, chicharrones, melted cheese, pico de gallo, cilantro aioli and fresh chopped cilantro), as well as the “fantastica” house-made red sangria. For more info, call (813) 406-5385 or visit MojoGrillLatinFusion.com.

MAEBERRY CO.: MaeBerry Co., the brainchild of Monica Russo, a Wesley Chapel resident who previously sold her baby clothes and accessories online only, opened the day before we went to press and I was so impressed with MaeBerry’s super-soft, breathable Hanlyn Collective Game-On bamboo pajamas that I bought a pair for my grandson Jackson (picture, right).

MaeBerry has lots of baby teethers, Itzy Ritzy diaper bags and so much more in one of the smallest spaces we’ve seen at the KRATEs that you really should check it out for yourself. For more information, visit MaeBerryCo.com or search “MaeBerry Co.” on Facebook.

EL PRINCE MEDITERRANEAN: Continuing our ongoing tour of the newest KRATEs to open at The Grove, El Prince Mediterranean, which has only had locations in Middle Eastern destinations like Dubai and Qatar, has opened its first U.S. location right here in Wesley Chapel.

I’ve only sampled a couple of items at El Prince so far, but both the meat shawarma (photo; which is delicious, marinated sliced ribeye beef roasted with Middle eastern spices, topped with onions and tahini sauce that I had them put on the side) and the El Prince salad (with dice lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, onions and a savory vinaigrette dressing) were super yummy.

El Prince also offers shish kebab (cubes of marinated lamb) and shish tawook (cubes of marinated chicken) platters, kofta kebabs (grilled, seasoned ground beef) and a mixed grill of all three, plus bone-in grilled chicken and the specialty of the house — roasted lamb shank, and more.

For the full menu and more info, search “El Prince Restaurant” on Facebook or visit ElPrinceRestaurants.com.

Other KRATEs that were hoping to open by the time this issue reached your mailbox but will likely take a little longer to open are The Bacon Boss (one of our favorite local food trucks, with amazing burgers and more, opening its first actual restaurant) and Palani’s Hawai’i Noodles, both of which are now planning to open sometime later this month.

Other KRATE restaurants getting ready to open over the next couple of months include Ato Sushi Burritos & Poké Bowls, Tasty Ramen, Boba Mac’s Tea & Eat, Tacos el Patron, TJ’s Hot Dogs, Flipn’ Fries Factory, Bakery X, Cafe Zorba and more. — GN

food krate

Middle School Violinist: Please Support Our Orchestra Programs

Did you know that kids who are involved in music are more likely to score higher on standardized tests? It’s true — papers from respected journals, such as The Journal of Educational Psychology and The British Journal of Psychology have done extensive research on this matter. So, why aren’t our local public school orchestra programs supported by our public school districts?

Mahi Nooka

Unfortunately, not many adults involve themselves with youth orchestra programs, or even bother to learn about them. But, I believe that absolutely needs to change.

My name is Mahi Nooka. I’m 14 years old and I’m an eighth grader at Dr. John Long Middle School. I have been playing the violin for four years and I was invited to give my opinion on this subject by Neighborhood News editor Gary Nager because of a disturbing pattern I’ve noticed: our local youth orchestras are not being supported by the Pasco County School District or the local community.

You see, school orchestra programs in this area aren’t well-known or funded properly. I’m in both my school orchestra at Dr. John Long and in an outside program called the Tampa Metropolitan Youth Orchestra (or TMYO). It’s well known that the arts historically have had a low priority in Florida’s public schools, especially compared to sports and other money-making activities and I don’t think that’s fair or just.

But, even within the arts, there is a hierarchy; specifically, within school music programs. Orchestra programs are almost always given a lower priority than band programs in the amount and quality of resources provided. I’ve seen bands (especially high school marching bands) get larger classrooms, uniforms, and spots on the school’s website, while the orchestra programs are stuck using the same equipment for the past sixteen years or more.

It doesn’t make sense to me, though. I know that music has the ability to change kids’ lives — it has changed mine drastically. I started in orchestra in the 6th grade (although I’ve been taking private lessons since the 4th grade) and came to love it.

In the 7th grade, my private teacher recommended that I join an outside program to supplement my school experiences, and we found TMYO, a youth orchestra program located in Hillsborough County. I auditioned for one of the four groups they had that matched my skill level best, and I loved it so much that I auditioned again this year, for the next higher group. Currently, I’m proud to say that I am sitting fourth chair in the second violin section at TMYO.

One thing I can tell you through my experience is that orchestra is like a family. It teaches teamwork and lets us form incredible bonds. I’m more confident and passionate because of it, and my fellow musicians and I are comparable to siblings. Orchestra gave me that, and I’m hoping that if orchestra programs are better nourished, other kids can have that, too.

However, whether orchestra programs can thrive or not doesn’t depend upon us as musicians. The success of these programs depends heavily upon public participation — on people like you knowing about our programs and taking the initiative to support us.

That brings us to the real question: How can you support us?

Attending an orchestra concert is a great way to help. By attending, you’re showing that the kids’ hard work is not for nothing, and that someone cares. This is vital to developing confidence and allows us to practice performing in front of an audience (two essential skills for musicians).

Trust me, it doesn’t feel good when your auditorium is half-full and you’re performing for barely fifty people. This may seem like a lot of people to some of you, but think of how many people go to sporting events, especially football games.

And honestly, if nothing else, concerts are just a great way to spend time and involve yourself with the community. Though I’m not sure about other programs and schools, the concert for Dr. John Long is on Wednesday, May 4, at the Center for the Arts at Wesley Chapel, and the next concert for TMYO is on Saturday, May 14, at the USF School of Music in Tampa. The general public is invited to attend both of these events.

In addition to simply attending an orchestra concert, many local nonprofit programs have options for donations on their website. I know TMYO does (tmyo.org/make-a-donation) and so do many others in the area: the Florida Youth Orchestra (floridayouthorchestra.org/donate), and the Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra (fsyo.org/support-fsyo). Donating lets our orchestras continue to exist and allows young musicians continue to express themselves creatively.

If you’re not interested in donating or attending, you can still help by spreading the word. Discussing the benefits of orchestra programs can help stir up interest in the programs, and some parents might even check out orchestra programs for their own kids. It may seem like a little thing, but it can help a lot.

And so, I’ve made my case. The youth orchestra programs need to be supported, and I’ve done my part to ensure that happens by having this article published in the Neighborhood News. I will keep advocating in the background because of my love for orchestra, but there is only so much I can do. I hope I have inspired you to take action. This is your chance to give back and make an impact — one that will be appreciated by young orchestral musicians in our community.

arts orchestra

A Former (Mediocre) Male Swimmer’s Take On The Transgendered Swimmer

A Gated Community At Last?

Need A Workout? Feel The Burn (Boot Camp)!

Nibbles & Bites: Mojo Fusion Latin Cuisine & MaeBerry Co. The Latest KRATEs To Open

Middle School Violinist: Please Support Our Orchestra Programs

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