After having brain surgery, Levert Solomon’s eldest son convinced him to join the Clarksville Area YMCA so he would not sit around the house feeling sorry for himself.
That was 10 years ago.
“Mr. Solomon has been an inspiration to us all, an inspiration to keep moving even when we don’t feel that we can,” says Membership Director Crystal Papke.
Visiting the Clarksville Y multiple times each week, the Detroit native can often be seen on the treadmills and the elliptical machines, his personal favorite.
“If it weren’t for going to the Clarksville Y, I would not have been able to tour the USS Midway Aircraft Carrier in San Diego, where my youngest son is stationed in the Navy,” he explains. “The support I get at the Y has helped me grow stronger.”
That was a particularly memorable trip for Levert, a 26-year veteran who volunteered to join the Army and go to Vietnam. He enjoys sharing those memories with fellow members and the staff at the Clarksville Y.
“This was the first Y I had ever joined,” says Levert. “It’s grown a lot since I started, but one thing has not changed: the friendliness and sense of community.”