Andrew Rohrbacher

Everyone has a story about their time at the YMCA. Here's mine.

I started going to the White Rock YMCA in 2016 when my family moved to Lakewood. I became a regular at the 5:30 am classes and workouts. At first, I only saw the YMCA as a gym, but everything changed in 2017 when I made my first donation to their annual campaign and joined the board of managers.

In 2019, I had a serious cycling accident that left me with a fractured skull and broken neck. As part of my recovery, I started using the recumbent bikes at the YMCA. There, I met another cyclist who was also recovering from an injury like mine. We started riding together every day and even grabbed coffee afterward. Soon, more people joined us – a member recovering from knee surgery and another from shoulder surgery.

One day, as we sat together with our braces and bandages, another member joked that we should start a band. That's when it hit me: the YMCA was more than just a gym; it was a place where people came together, found support, and healed.

That experience inspired me to stay on the board of managers, lead the annual campaign twice, and advocate for the YMCA and its programs every chance I get. I always ask people about their YMCA stories, and if they don't have one, I share mine with them. Because once you've been to the YMCA, you always have a story to tell. - Andrew Rohrbacher