Melissa Shantz of Wellfleet was nominated by two separate listeners!
For the past year, Melissa has volunteered to offer a “safe” and free outdoor exercise class for a group of (mostly) Wellfleet senior 5 mornings a week after the Wellfleet Council on Aging had been forced to close their doors in March. Participants wear masks and practice social distancing while working out, but also” laugh, motivate each other, and try to keep our sanity in these challenging times”, according to a participant.
As listener Margaret S. shared, “Melissa’s class is not only good for our physical health and fitness, but for our mental and spiritual wellness as well. She is a cherished community resource! On Monday, March 16th, 2020, she held her first outdoor class on a parking lot next to a pond in Wellfleet; she called it “Day #1 of the “Life,Love,Exercise”. And from then on- on cold days, hot days, slightly rainy days, and even a few mornings when it started to snow, she was out there in the parking lot by the pond, or behind the Methodist Church, or in the back yard of one of participants. Melissa always shows up and gives her best for an hour. “
Listener Jan H. gave additional details about the experience: “It’s not just that she leads us in healthy exercise and body movement, but she talks to us the entire time, sharing with us why we are doing each movement. She wants us to understand the purpose behind everything we do and how it all benefits us. Melissa truly cares about everyone in her classes. If you miss a class or two you can expect a friendly text letting you know that she noticed and misses you. She treats our class like family. Being in the medical community she shares helpful news that we can all benefit from. During this unsettling time of Covid her exercise classes have been a source of strength, both physical and mental. They have been a ray of light and a taste of normalcy in a time when there was almost no normalcy to be found. I feel so lucky to have met Melissa and to be a part of her amazing classes!!”
Dave Read caught up with Melissa recently; hear his conversation with her below.
Congratulations to Melissa on being our Cape Codder of the month! We’ll be sending her a $100 Gift Card from our sponsor Stanley Steemer, a certificate signed by Dave Read, and an Ocean 104.7 T-shirt to wear during her classes! Thank you for all that you do Melissa!
