Five residents inspire others to be active
Left to right- Joyce Francisco, Carrie Koyanagi, Hannah Laurence, Bob Lonsdale and Niki Townsend will be honored at the inaugural Spirit of Wellness Celebration on Nov. 17 for their accomplishments at the Center for Health and Fitness. Photo submitted by Diedre Davidson.
Sitting on the fabric upholstered chairs facing the elevators at the Center for Health Fitness at the Beach Cities Health District, 90-year-old Bob Lonsdale recently rested a minute before starting his workout. A fitness center regular with one real leg, he has been coming to the center since 1996- continuing to work out at the center throughout many life changes. As the elevator opened and people in running shoes and exercise clothes walked out, Bob greeted everybody by name, asking about their families and their health.
Tonight, in honor of Lonsdale and four other inspirational members, the CHF will host an event to celebrate and honor their personal tenacity and ability to overcome obstacles.
“The more I learned about what our fitness center members had accomplished, the more I was inspired by them,” said BCHD Director of Communications, Michael Shaw. “I couldn’t believe how many there were. It seemed like every person I talked to had achieved something that blew me away, that motivated me to try harder myself.”
Five individuals including Lonsdale, Carrie Koyanagi, Joyce Francisco, Niki Townsend and Hannah Laurence will be honored at the celebration, along with Manhattan Beach Mayor Nick Tell for embodying the “spirit of vitality.”
Lonsdale’s story began in 1996 when he had heart bypass surgery. “Scared the hell out of me,” Lonsdale said. After that he made it his mission to become a healthier more active person. However, in 2010, because of a blood clot associated with peripheral artery disease, Lonsdale’s leg was amputated. “Worst thing that ever happened to me besides my wife dying,” Lonsdale said.
Even with a missing leg, that didn’t stop him from coming to the center. “Half of the reason I healed after my surgery was because I went to the gym regularly,” said Lonsdale. “The other half is because of the social unit I have here.”
Lonsdale knows most of the morning members at the gym and comes to work out at least three times a week. He has also been meeting with a group of friends from the center for coffee more than 15 years. “I have lots of support from friends here,” he said.
Other members who will be honored include Carrie Koyanagi, a cancer survivor who after being hospitalized for asthma-related conditions and unexpectedly diagnosed with diabetes. Carrie found CHF through the Cancer Support Community’s six week Return to Wellness Program— a partnership with CHF to help cancer survivors improve their overall health and fitness following cancer treatment. At the end of the program, Carrie poured herself into the fitness center and lost 20 pounds, just in time to wear her favorite dress to her son’s wedding.
Joyce Francisco will be honored for using fitness to guide her through recovery from breast cancer, knee surgeries and foot surgeries. She is an avid traveler and has been to six continents, so she knew she’d need to focus on her health if she wanted to keep visiting new places by foot. Joyce participated in CHF’s WellBeing Weight Management Program to get her started on living a better lifestyle through proper diet and exercise, and now her focus is on living the best quality of life possible.
Another inspirational person in the center, Niki Townsead found the courage to make her own health a priority after having a baby and lost more than 20 pounds. She continues to work out, eat healthy and take classes to lead a healthy lifestyle.
Finally, Hannah Laurence, who was paralyzed by scoliosis, now spends much of her time running on a treadmill.
Hannah, a 15-year-old freshman from Torrance and Manhattan Beach was born with a bend in her spine that made walking extremely difficult. As she grew older, her ability to walk was impeded by a pinched nerve that left her bottom half paralyzed. After many painful surgeries beginning when she was 3 where her spine was replaced by titanium metal pieces, she began the recovery process with the support and courage of her parents Kim, Dana and brother Chase. “With children you just go with the punches,” said her father Dana. Blazing a medical unknown, her parents researched the best places for spinal surgeries and most hopeful procedures and pushed Hannah to keep going with the hope that one day she would walk again.
After overcoming obstacle after obstacle, Hannah conquered the most difficult one of all, and after a tearful session pushing herself to stand among a room of cheers and whoops, she finally took her first step and has been walking ever since.
“I was always hopeful,” said Kim. “It was all about the small steps, and she did it.”
For Hannah, she didn’t want to be confined to a wheelchair and imagined her future on her feet. “I just kept going and got stronger,” she said.
Years of surgery have inspired Hannah to study medicine and help other people with spinal problems. “It has been a journey,” said her mother Kim. “Her scoliosis is done, there is no more. We’re done.”
Although only five people will be honored at the event, stories of survival and accomplishment run rampant on the treadmills and weights around the center. The celebration, according to Steve Ehasz, general manager of the CHF, is a way of sharing success stories and reminding people fitness isn’t just for ‘fit’ people.
“This is the inaugural event, but I hope it’s just the first of many to come,” said Shaw. “There are so many unbelievable stories to tell.”
The Spirit of Wellness Celebration will be at Bluewater Grill tonight from 6-8 p.m. and all are invited. RSVP at www.beachcitiesgym.com/celebration. Admission is $20 and space is limited.