Presenting The Mary W. Sierra Family YMCA! 

The Name Of Wesley Chapel’s $35-Million, 49,319-Sq.-Ft. YMCA Was Unveiled At A Groundbreaking Ceremony On May 28! 

Seemingly the entire Sierra family participated in the groundbreaking ceremony of the new Mary W. Sierra Family YMCA next to BayCare Wesley Chapel Hospital. (Photos by Charmaine George)

 â€śThis is much more than just the beginning of a construction project,” said Tampa Metropolitan YMCA president & CEO Matt Mitchell. “This is a beginning of a new chapter for the YMCA, and it’s the beginning of a new commitment on behalf of our YMCA to this Wesley Chapel community, because we’re here to break ground on what soon will become an impactful community resource and a vibrant hub for health and wellness.” 

Tampa Metro YMCA president & CEO Matt Mitchell hosted the groundbreaking ceremony for the new YMCA on May 28. 

Mitchell was speaking to a group of about 100 people gathered to celebrate the official groundbreaking of the new Mary W. Sierra YMCA (more on the name below) on land provided by BayCare Wesley Chapel Hospital located just south of the 86-bed hospital itself. 

“This will be a place for day camps and new sports and drowning prevention programs for our children,” Mitchell continued. “There will be programs for our families that come together, and connect programs for cancer survivors, both adults and children. Programs that help prevent chronic disease. And programs for our seniors not just to exercise, but to have a place to come and socialize and be a part of an engaging community that helps them thrive. Programs like that, and much, much more, will be right here beneath our feet in the summer of 2026, and it’s gonna be something special.” 

Mitchell then acknowledged that, “Wesley Chapel is already a very special community, but this YMCA will be a new place where families and neighbors come to connect and build valuable friendships, all supporting this venue where every individual who lives in this community can come and live their healthiest and most fulfilled life in Pasco County and beyond.”

As to how the Tampa YMCA came to be able to build this $35-million, 49,319-sq.-ft. YMCA on BayCare’s property, Mitchell said, “We’ve got a lot of good partners, sponsors, funders and friends. And just to name a few — BayCare made this land very available and affordable to the YMCA long term, plain and simple. Without BayCare, there is no YMCA here. Thank you so much for the partnership.” 

 Mitchell also thanked Fleischman Garcia Maslowski Architects and the firm’s co-founder Sol Fleischman, who was on-hand at the event. “Thank you so much for the inspiration and the great design of the great spaces for kids and families that thrive in our buildings,” Mitchell said. “We appreciate you so much for being part of this project.” 

Next, Mitchell thanked Joshua Bornstein, the president and CEO of Creative Contractors, LLC, for “building this project. Josh has built [several] buildings for us and they’ve all have been tremendous, quality projects. There’s a lot of comfort knowing that Josh and his team are on this project as well.” 

He also thanked project engineer Dan Bergin, and the Seven Oaks Property Owners Association. “When we do a project like this, we like to engage with our local neighbors sooner than later and just see how they’re feeling and talking to them about our project. And, the Seven Oaks POA now made our immediate neighbors very accessible to us. So, thank you for the conversation, and for engaging us. We are going to do our best to be good neighbors.” 

Mitchell also thanked a few of the key donors, since, “This is a $35-million project, and a project like this does not come out of the ground unless you have some great lead donors,” including the Sierra family — “Bob and Mary, Hi and Lisa and Michael — who have all been such great friends of the YMCA,” including securing the naming rights to the Bob Sierra YMCA in Northdale. 

In addition, Mitchell thanked Joanne Spurlino of the Spurlino Foundation, who won, with her late husband Cy, the Tampa YMCA’s Red Triangle Award in 2021 as the organization’s top volunteers the year before Cy passed away. Mitchell said, “You’ve shown up for us in so many different ways throughout the years on so many different projects. During Covid, Joanne, Cy and I were sitting in my truck in the middle of this field, just imagining the possibilities. And we’re here, Joanne. Thank you so much for everything. You’ve been such a great friend.” 

Mitchell also gave thanks to Congresswoman Laurel Lee, “who couldn’t be here today to speak with us because she got bucked off a horse yesterday, so she’s a little sore this morning. She’ll be here for the ribbon-cutting. But, if you see her, thank her, because she really advocated for this community, for this YMCA, and secured some great funding through the federal government to help build this YMCA.” 

Mitchell also thanked lead donors David and Liz Kenney and the YMCA’s new bank, Valley Bank, which is providing the funding for the project. 

He then turned the mic over to Larry Bevis (left) the chairman of the Board of Directors for the Tampa Metro YMCA. Bevis said, “Today is really beginning of something truly transformational. This new YMCA represents a shared vision that provides opportunities for a healthier and more connected community here in Wesley Chapel. And this project is the result of years of careful planning, true collaboration and the incredible generosity of so many of our neighbors — BayCare Hospital, our elected officials, civic leaders and, of course, our friends from the surrounding communities, many of whom are with us here today. Your belief in this mission and your unwavering support have made this possible. From the bottom of our hearts., we thank you.” 

A rendering of the future Mary W. Sierra Family YMCA outdoor aquatics center (all renderings provided by the Tampa Metro YMCA) 

Bevis added, “We’re obviously very excited about this new YMCA. The two, story building will encompass, nearly 50,000 sq. ft., with an additional 36,000-sq.-ft. outdoor aquatic center.” (Note-That aquatic center will be home to three pools — a covered 25-yard, 8-lane, 4,465-sq.-ft. competition pool, a 1,229 -sq.-ft. therapy pool, and a 2,625-sq.-ft. main pool with interactive water features and slide structure, pool equipment area and pool deck with shade coverings.) 

“Just imagine the laughter and energy of children playing on multiple acres of sports fields,” Bevis said. It will be an epicenter for families to connect and have fun. But, it’s certainly not just about square footage. It’s about the lives it will touch.” 

A rendering of the basketball gym

He also mentioned that 27,000 people, “live within a twelve minute drive from here. This YMCA will become a hub for those young people — a place to learn, grow and build lifelong friendships. And, it’s not just for the young. Nearly 20,000 seniors also live in this area. And this Y will be a gathering place for them, offering programs and a supportive community.” 

Bevis closed with, “As we turn the soil today, we’re not just starting construction. We’re turning towards the future, a future where this YMCA stands as cornerstone of strength and belonging, an opportunity for generations to come. A future where the Wesley Chapel community grows stronger together. Personally, what inspires me most about the Y is our unwavering commitment to serving all. Everyone is welcome. No one is ever turned away because of an inability to pay. That means families, children and seniors, regardless of their financial situation, will always have access to life-changing programs and support right here at this new YMCA. And, like all YMCAs, this is more than just a building. It’s a promise to our community. And together we’re making that promise a reality.” 

Next up was District 2 Pasco County Commissioner Seth Weightman (right), who shared his own personal connection to the Y. 

“The YMCA has played an incredible role in my life, and in a whole lot of people’s lives around this county. I spent summers in my youth working through college at the East Pasco YMCA and down to the Tampa Y. And it had a tremendous impact on my life. It’s where I started to understand, at an early age, about service to others and to our youth, our community and to seniors. And, just being a part of something bigger than yourself.” 

He added, “We’ve all been watching this beautiful piece of land here in Wesley Chapel for a while, wondering what might go on it. I think it was the best-kept non-secret around town. And I’ve got to say, this is truly worth the wait, because today we’re breaking ground on something that’s gonna make a real difference in our families, our kids, our entire community with this brand new YMCA. Here in Seven Oaks is a place where kids can play their first team sport and seniors can stay active and socialize.”

Comm. Weightman also gave, “a huge shout-out to BayCare. You know, without BayCare, making this possible with such a generous land lease or I don’t think this would ever have happened. And the opportunity that BayCare has provided to the Y shows real vision for the health and care of Pasco County. This project is a win-win for us, for wellness, and for our economic development, too. Over 300 new jobs will be created here at this facility. Many of our local teams will have their very first taste of working right here at this YMCA. And, I can tell you that if you’re going to go into the workforce, there is no better job than working at the YMCA.” 

Weightman then read a couple of letters he received from the parents of kids when he was a camp counselor at the East Pasco YMCA in Zephyrhills. 

“I guess I kept them because of the feelings I got from these at the time. It just showed the special relationships that you build and the impact and what it means to the people, to parents, especially as they’re going to work, and they’re dropping their kids off at summer camp, and here they are entrusting you with their kids.” 

One of the notes from a parent said, “Mr. Seth, I just wanted to let you know that you’ve made an impact on my son Brandon this summer. He often talks about the things you tell him, and also that you have taken the extra minute when he needed you. Brandon looks up to you, and it’s been a positive experience for him all summer long. Thanks for making a difference in my child’s life.” 

Weightman closed with, “I’m very passionate about this organization and just incredibly excited that they’re building right here in Pasco County and Wesley Chapel. So, thank you all. I’m excited to see what the future has in store.” 

The final speaker was BayCare Wesley Chapel Hospital president Nanette Wilcox (right), who said, “This project has truly been a community effort. I’d especially like to recognize YMCA President Matt Mitchell for his leadership and our BayCare Wesley Chapel Board members for their continued work during this journey. BayCare and the YMCA have had a long-standing collaboration. Both organizations share a common goal of improving the health and wellness of those we serve and providing high-quality care. With a Y, that means care for the community by providing a safe wellness space for families, care that is accessible and focused on the needs of the residents. For BayCare, it’s providing safe health care options in our community and excellent services.” 

Speaking of those services, Wilcox added, “We recently opened our BayCare Medical Group offices in this hospital, where patients can get imaging and lab services, primary and specialty care, such as orthopedics [in one place]. With the opening of the new YMCA next door, the patients will have a new space to continue their wellness journey. This extends to our hospital team members as well, many of whom have been looking forward to taking advantage of the amenities and services offered by the new YMCA that they’ve been hearing about.” 

She added, “As we all know, the Wesley Chapel area is rapidly expanding, with our population expected to grow by 40% over the next 20 years. This gives us a tremendous opportunity to reach so many people and strengthen our community through our commitment to health and wellness. I can’t think of a more reliable partner to join us in meeting the community’s needs than the YMCA.” 

A rendering of the future Mary W. Sierra Family YMCA

Before turning the dirt for the groundbreaking ceremony, Mitchell said, “As you know, we take immense pride in our work to help strengthen our communities and really enable everybody to be the best version of themselves. But, but there’s been people along the way that have enabled us and propelled us into being the impactful organization that we are today. 

“Back in 1985, we had the pleasure of opening up the Bob Sierra Family YMCA. And, that Y, for the past 40 years, has really served as a pillar for potential and promise as people pursue their health and wellness together. Over the last four decades, there’ve been hundreds of thousands of people who’ve gone in and out of the doors of that YMCA. Kids, families, seniors, all engaging with their neighbors to really pursue health and well being. Today, our Bob Sierra Family YMCA has nearly 12,000 members, and that’s not including all the kids who come there for day camp and new sports and things of that nature. Each and every year, that Y sees almost 400,000 individual visits. That YMCA has been such a gem in that Carrollwood/Lake Magdalene/Northdale area. It’s just truly amazing. We thank Bob for his great vision back then to provide that resource to so many families. 

A Rendering of The indoor fitness facility 

“Bob and Mary really wanted to make sure that this Wesley Chapel YMCA was a reality for this community. So, Bob and Mary have agreed to fund the naming rights for this YMCA. 

“So I’m really happy to share that this Wesley Chapel YMCA will be known as the Mary W. Sierra Family YMCA.” 

For more information about the Wesley Chapel/Mary W. Sierra Family YMCA, visit TampaYMCA.org.

News Briefs — BayCare Seeking YMCA Approval, Home Sense Opens & Subaru Celebrates 

BayCare Health’s proposed YMCA (two black outlines at center left) and medical office building (top rectangle close to BBD).

As reported by Kelly Gilroy on her outstanding “Pasco County Development and Growth Updates” Facebook page on Aug. 24 — after no updates since representatives from the YMCA first started attending local meetings a couple of years ago — BayCare Health Systems is having a pre-application meeting with Pasco County staff to propose 52,391-sq.-ft. YMCA and a 100,000-sq.-ft., two-story medical office building. The plan includes parking lots, a “New Drive” roadway and a curb-cut connection at the southwest corner of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. and Eagleston Blvd., next to the new BayCare Wesley Chapel hospital. We’ll update this story once we have additional information. 

Home Sense Opens Next To Bealls 

On Aug. 10, a new Homesense store opened in the Shoppes at New Tampa of Wesley Chapel, between the also-still-new Bealls Outlet and Flip Flop Shops stores in the plaza on BBD Blvd. south of S.R. 56. 

Homesense — the off-price home store featuring high-quality furniture and accessories that is the newest retail banner of The TJX Companies, Inc. — now operates 50 stores in the U.S. TJX is the leading off-price retailer of apparel and home fashions in the U.S. and worldwide. The company operates nearly 5,000 total stores in nine countries, including 1,304 T.J. Maxx, 1,189 Marshalls, 901 HomeGoods, 81 Sierra, and now 50 Homesense stores. 

I visited the new store the day it opened and it was packed with not only people, but as-advertised great prices on everything from couches to wall art to Halloween knickknacks (photo above). For more information, visit us.homesense.com or call (813) 991-0249. 

Subaru’s Grand Grand Opening! 

Although the dealership has been open for several months, we want to thank Subaru of Wesley Chapel (located at 26570 Silver Maple Pkwy., just south of S.R. 56) owner Scott Fink and his entire staff for hosting one of the greatest Grand Opening and North Tampa Bay Chamber ribbon-cutting (top photo) events in recent memory on Sept. 7. 

An estimated crowd of at least 300 people attended the dog-friendly event (the dealership is a supporter of the Humane Society of Tampa Bay), which included three food trucks, lots of amazing raffle prizes (including a mountain bike, kayak and paddleboard) and lots of happy dogs, some up for adoption, others with their owners and some with their Pasco Sheriff’s Office handlers (photo, below). 

“Scott Fink and his Fink Auto Group definitely know how to throw a party,” said NTBC president & CEO Hope Kennedy. “We appreciate the opportunity to be here to cut the ribbon.” For more information about Subaru of Wesley Chapel, call (813) 618-5051 or visit SubaruWesleyChapel.com. 

News Briefs — BayCare Seeking YMCA Approval, Home Sense Opens & A 911 Event

Former New York City EMT Stephen Spelman is bringing the framed Ladder 18 fire truck artifact from 911 to the Zephyrhills Museum of Military History for its 911 Remembrance Event on Sept. 9. (Photo by Charmaine George)
BayCare Health’s proposed YMCA (two black outlines at center left) and medical office building (top rectangle close to BBD).

As reported by Kelly Gilroy on her outstanding “Pasco County Development and Growth Updates” Facebook page on Aug. 24 — after no updates since representatives from the YMCA first started attending local meetings a couple of years ago — BayCare Health Systems is having a pre-application meeting with Pasco County staff to propose  52,391-sq.-ft. YMCA and a 100,000-sq.-ft., two-story medical office building. The plan includes parking lots, a “New Drive” roadway and a curb-cut connection at the southwest corner of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. and Eagleston Blvd., next to the new BayCare Wesley Chapel hospital. We’ll update this story once we have additional information.

Home Sense Opens Next To Bealls
BayCare Health’s proposed YMCA (two black outlines at center left) and medical office building (top rectangle close to BBD).

On Aug. 10, a new Homesense store opened in the Shoppes at New Tampa of Wesley Chapel, between the also-still-new Bealls Outlet and Flip Flop Shops stores in the plaza on BBD Blvd. south of S.R. 56.

Homesense — the off-price home store featuring high-quality furniture and accessories that is the newest retail banner of The TJX Companies, Inc. — now operates 50 stores in the U.S. TJX is the leading off-price retailer of apparel and home fashions in the U.S. and worldwide. The company operates nearly 5,000 total stores in nine countries,  including 1,304 T.J. Maxx, 1,189 Marshalls, 901 HomeGoods, 81 Sierra, and now 50 Homesense stores.

I visited the new store the day it opened and it was packed with not only people, but as-advertised great prices on everything from couches to wall art to Halloween knickknacks (photo above). For more information, visit us.homesense.com or call (813) 991-0249.

9/11 Remembrance In Zephyrhills 

On Saturday, September 9, at 8 a.m., the Zephyrhills Museum of Military History near the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport (at 39444 South Ave.) will host a 911 Memorial Remembrance Day event.

Former New York City emergency medical technician Stephen Spelman, who arrived at World Trade Center in his vehicle as the North Tower was getting ready to fall on September 11, 2001, will be bringing the piece of the Ladder 18 fire truck that he had been given to the event.

Spelman had previously loaned the ladder truck artifact to the Tampa Premium Outlets Rotary Club for the mall’s 911 exhibit, but decided to bring it to the military museum for an event that also will feature guest speakers — Lt. Col. Perry Blackburn from the movie “12 Strong,” as well as Craig Gross, a Gold Star Family member whose son, Cpl. Frank Gross was killed in Afghanistan and Pasco County Commissioner Seth Weightman. 

“We’re also going to have a plane full of parachuters dropping in at 8:46 a.m., the time that the first plane hit the North Tower,” Spelman says. “My son is going to ring a bell in remembrance of that time.”    

Spelman received the piece of the ladder from a former fire captain friend of his who also was part of Motts Military Museum in Groveport, OH, where Spelman was scheduled to speak at a 911 event in 2017 when Hurricane Irma hit Florida, so he couldn’t make the trip. 

A few weeks later, Spelman received the piece of the ladder truck in his mailbox. 

“Ironically, I was about 30 yards from that (fire) truck when the North Tower collapsed,” he says. “I tried to find a place where this piece of history could properly be displayed and the Simon Premium Outlets management agreed to include it as part of the outlet mall’s 911 display.”

For more info, visit ZMMH.org.

Wesley Chapel To Add A YMCA!

YMCA vice president of operations & executive director of Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA Robyn Ostrem and membership and wellness experience director Ryan Pratt revealed that a Wesley Chapel Family YMCA will be breaking ground in 2021. (Photo: Charmaine George)

The Bonefish Grill officially completed its move from Bruce B. Downs Blvd. in Wesley Chapel to the Cypress Creek Town Center along S.R. 56 at a grand opening Dec. 14, but it turns out there were even bigger fish fried during the event.

Wesley Chapel is getting a YMCA!

That announcement was all the buzz as folks nibbled on some of the best appetizers the beautiful, new Bonefish Grill has to offer.

“We’re about to be your new neighbor,” Robyn Ostrem, the VP of operations and executive director of the New Tampa Family YMCA, told the gathering right before Bonefish Grill officially opened. “We’re going to build a Wesley Chapel Family YMCA that will break ground in early 2021, and will built by June of 2023.”

Ostrem, who has been with the New Tampa YMCA since 2019, did not announce an exact location for the Wesley Chapel location, only that it would be located on Bruce B. Downs Blvd, although that really only leaves two possibilities — the land in front of the new BayCare Hospital being built in the northesatern portion of Seven Oaks, and the land in front of Meadow Pointe across the street from the Super Target on County Line Rd.

Ostrem said the new facility will cost $15 million to build and will be 30,000 square feet. The New Tampa Family YMCA, which is the closest current option for many Wesley Chapel residents, is 35,000 sq. ft.

“We’re in New Tampa now, but we’re going to be closer to you now in Wesley Chapel,” Ostrem said.

Generally, YMCAs have indoor courts for basketball and volleyball, workout areas and rooms for exercise classes and daycare, as well as meeting rooms. Many, like the New Tampa Y, also have pools and can host events like high school and youth swim meets.

The Wesley Chapel Y will be only the third YMCA in Pasco County, joining the East Pasco Family YMCA in Zephyrhills and the James P. Gillis Family YMCA in New Port Richey.

After years of rapid growth in the housing and restaurant markets, the “sports & activity” market in Wesley Chapel has picked up the pace this year.

The Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County opened in August, with the ability to host sports leagues and tournaments for basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports, while the indoor Recreation Center at the Wesley Chapel District Park is currently under construction and will be completed sometime next year. An outdoor hockey rink right next to the rec center was completed last week as well. 

Synchronized Swimmers Getting Ready For NY

 

synchronized swimmers
Some team members of the New Tampa YMCA Synchronized Swim Team pose underwater for a photo after a recent practice. The synchronized swimmers will perform June 4 at 10:30 a.m. to raise money for 14 team members to attend the Junior Olympics next month in New York.

Kids and adults stream in and out of the New Tampa Family YMCA in Tampa Palms, some headed for the basketball and volleyball courts, others to the activity rooms and exercise equipment. At the pool, kids learn to swim, while other more advanced swimmers churn out lap after lap under the direction of the YMCA swim team coaches.

It’s about what you might expect at any YMCA.

But, tucked away beyond that in the far end of the same 50-meter pool, there’s something you might not expect.

Amongst the din of splashing swimmers, one of the New Tampa Y’s more successful programs toils in relative peace, a group of tightly-coiffed, nose-clipped synchronized swimmers, young and old, dancing beneath the water and working together in perfect harmony.

The Tampa YMCA Synchro (TYS) team, based at the New Tampa YMCA since starting in 2004 and one of the few programs in the central part of Florida — but a regular on the state and region competition circuit — is coming of age.

“The key to a successful team is when swimmers get a taste of improvement and get a taste of excellence and the winning,’’ said 26-year-old Camille Albrecht, who started as an assistant coach in 2009 and has been head coach of the TYS program since 2013. “A lot of our younger girls saw some of the success the older girls were having, and they want those same things and they’re working harder because they already know what success looks like.”

Success is measured by competitors like 19-year-old Wesley Chapel resident Saloni Mehrah, who participated at the U.S. Nationals in Mesa, AZ, along with 13-year-old Benito Middle School student Julianna Silva.

Success also is sending synchronized swimmers to compete for a spot on the U.S. National Team, which Silva, 12-year-old New Tampa resident Katie Wieckowski and 10-year-old Jennah Hafsi, who are both homeschooled, did in Coral Springs, FL, this spring.

Success also is sending almost half your team — which qualified with top-3 finishes at Regionals — to the Junior Olympics next month, to compete against roughly 1,000 other synchronized swimmers.

Mehra and Meghan Wieckowski will compete in the 18-19 age group, and Abby Eckhardt, Kyra Okin and Zoe Keegan have qualified in the 16-17s.

Silva, Camila Acuna, Maria Pinilla-Baquero and Ariana Alonso are in the 13-15 age group, while Katie Wieckowski, Jennah Hafsi, Jennifer Lynfatt, Lilly Weber and Teghan Theile are all competing in the 12-under division.

The 14 synchronized swimmers heading to the Junior Olympics, held June 24-July 2 at the Nassau County Aquatic Center at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow, NY, is the most the program has ever sent, better than the previous best of 10 swimmers last year.

Synchronized Swimmers Ice Cream Fund Raiser

In order to travel to the prestigious event, the TYS is hosting a New York-themed Ice Cream Social on Saturday, June 4, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., at the New Tampa YMCA. The synchronized swimmers will show off their latest routines and custom-made suits (that can cost $150 and more), and even the dads and brothers will get into the act as the “SyncBros” perform a routine.

The show is free to attend and the TYS and the parents will be selling ice cream, root beer floats, pizza, salad and drinks. There also will be baskets filled with prizes, and tickets to enter the drawing are just $2 each or $5 for three.

Albrecht has helped grow her team by holding two summer camps each year, to teach the finer points of her sport to younger kids. Her hope is to make synchronized swimming, which until the turn of the century was known as “water ballet,” a primary sport.

A former synchronized swimmer herself for the Tampa Bay Synch Rays, Albrecht says she started competing when she was 7.

“My mom wanted me to have a sport, and I loved to dance and I loved swimming,’’ she says. “I had already broken both my arms, so we thought that would be safe.”

Abby Eckhardt, 15, who has been on the New Tampa team for five years, started her athletic career as a gymnast, competing for three years until a neck injury sidelined her. She found her athletic outlet in the pool.

“It fell right into place for her,’’ said her mother, Amy. “It’s the perfect sport.”

“I think its challenging and I like all the friendships you make with all the girls,’’ said Abby. “We’re like a giant family.”

Many synchronized swimmers on the team come to the sport after trying swimming, gymnastics, ballet and/or dancing. In fact, synchronized swimming has always been described as a hybrid of those sports.

The daughter of former Tampa Bay Buc offensive tackle Steve Young (not be confused with the former Bucs and San Francisco 49ers quarterback of the same name), Albrecht says her girls are hard workers. While most people’s first question is always, “How do they hold their breath so long?,” Albrecht says the swimmers are as fit and strong a group as you will find.

“People don’t know how much work we do outside the pool,” she said. “The basic skillset we look for is flexibility, and then it’s strength. We do a lot of cross training, a lot of land work. You have to be strong.”

Albrecht says it takes years to perfect synchronized swimming. Mastering the solo aspect of the sport is challenging enough, but then to be able to synchronize your routine with others takes years of practice.

To get her swimmers ready, Albrecht has former SynchRay swimmers Amanda Olson and Brittany McCauley on her staff. And Lily Hu, a USF student, joined the staff after moving here from China, where she competed internationally in the sport.

For more information about the synchronized swimming program at the New Tampa Family YMCA (16221 Compton Dr. in Tampa Palms), visit TampaYMCA.org/locations/new-tampa, or call 866-9622.