The Recreation Center has become a part of so many lives in our community. These are some of their Success Stories:

Finally Enjoying Exercise:

"Best club I have EVER belonged to! I have been a member of 3 other major clubs and Rio has the nicest people behind the desks. They are friendly, so accommodating and informed. Rio has great equipment and super classes. My son is skating and my husband is running for the first time in 30 years. I haven't enjoyed exercise and good health so much in years!"

Loves Rio,
Gretchen M.
 

Diabetes? No Thanks!:

"A short time ago I was diagnosed as pre-diabetic, was told to exercise and diet. I joined Rio Vista in February and since that time I have lost 22 pounds, lowered my blood pressure and generally feel much better. I have recommended the facility to my friends and fellow church members. The staff is great, the facility is always clean and it's nice to be recognized when we arrive. It's a great family destination and a good investment for Peoria residents."

Said No to Diabetes,
Arthur R.
 

The Teenage Friends Duo:

                          Before & After Pictures

"We've been friends since the 8th grade and both of us have been "big" our whole lives but during our sophomore year in high school, we decided to change that. We heard about Rio Vista and decided to go to see if it could help us in our goal to become fit. Today, we go to Rio Vista pretty much everyday and have lost a combined total of over 50 pounds. We encourage anyone who wants to become fit and healthy to join Rio Vista."

Teenage Duo,
Adam W. & Cody F.

The Mom & Daughter Team:

 “When we first heard about Rio Vista opening in September 2007, we started making plans to utilize the facility. We drove by often, checking the progress of the building and discussing our exercise plans. We joined opening day and started utilizing the facility the next day. We both wanted to lose weight and improve our health by developing new lifelong habits.

We started walking half a mile, adding one or two laps to our walk, each night. It was difficult for us at first; however, we were able to encourage each other to keep going just a little longer. We are now walking five miles most every night on “OUR” track with ease. Yes, we call it our track. If you look closely enough, you can see the imprint of our sneakers on lanes one and two. Our average daily steps equate to 10 miles each day. WOW! We can hardly believe it.
Rio Vista has exceeded our expectations. The staff is always friendly, helpful, encouraging and is enthusiastic about our success. We were eager to participate in the free classes offered by Sun Health. We were thrilled when they announced the Walk Arizona Program and Contest. We joined right away and started logging our steps. We were the first two participants to finish the first 100 miles. We kept on walking and before we knew it we had walked another 300 miles, completing phase two of Walk Arizona. We are determined to be the first to finish the next 700 miles which is the third and final phase of the program.

Thank you Rio Vista! This duo has lost a total of 42 pounds. We feel better than ever and our relationship has been enhanced. We continue to encourage each other as we spend this quality time talking and walking!"

The mom and daughter team,
Norma S. and Michelle G.

The Breast Cancer Survivor:

“Ah, success! My name is Susan and I am a 2 year breast cancer survivor. This past June, I had a mastectomy and hysterectomy to minimize the possibility of having a second breast cancer and/or ovarian cancer. As a result of the hysterectomy, I was unable to sleep through the night without sleeping pills. Since I have been working out at Rio Vista's gym, I have been able to sleep much better and I am off all sleeping meds now. In fact, I have more energy now than I had before BBC (Before Breast Cancer)!

One other thing that is very exciting  and near and dear to my heart is the upcoming Peoria Relay for Life that will be held at Peoria Sports Complex. This is a wonderful all night long event that raises money for the American Cancer Society to fund cancer patient programs, advocacy, and most importantly, cancer research. The event is open to the public and will be held from 4:00pm on April 26 through 7:00am on April 27. To learn more about Relay, check out www.cancer.org and click on Relay for Life.

Rio Vista is a great place to work out. My husband enjoys working out, and our son works out, plays basketball, and, of course, there are Guitar Hero workouts too! It's a fun family atmosphere. We will all be in shape for the Relay on April 26. Enjoy life to the fullest!

The Breast Cancer Survivor,
Susan H.

Do you have a Success Story to share? We'd love to hear from you. E-mail JeNina Alvarez at jenina.alvarez@peoriaaz.gov or fill out a "Share Your Story" card at the Center. The cards can be found at the front desk or  near the walking track.