SilverSneakers Announces 2022 Member of the Year
Posted: August 15, 2022 in Suppliers
SilverSneakers
NASHVILLE, TN – SilverSneakers by Tivity Health, the nation’s leading community fitness program for older Americans, announced the national winner of its 18th annual SilverSneakers Member of the Year Award. The award honors a SilverSneakers member or members who inspire and motivate other seniors through health, physical activity, and community. This year’s recipient is a couple: Mary and Larry St. Germain of Destrehan, Louisiana. The St. Germains are recognized for their embodiment of wellness through movement, social engagement and community involvement.
Married for 59 years, the couple is committed to staying active through SilverSneakers because of Larry’s family history of heart disease and his suffering a heart attack at only 42 years old. The St. Germains have been SilverSneakers members for ten years and attend multiple classes a week at Destrehan Anytime Fitness. The couple attends SilverSneakers classes as a benefit through Humana, their Medicare Advantage plan.
“Mary and Larry St. Germain represent the great group of Member of the Year nominees who inspire and encourage others to improve their health through physical activity. We are thrilled to honor them as SilverSneakers’ Member of the Year,” said Richard Ashworth, president and CEO of Tivity Health. “The St. Germains exemplify the tremendous strength and commitment our members have to maintain their health and vitality.”
Larry loves community engagement and often dresses up as Batman to entertain children at schools and church fairs, even working with Make-A-Wish Foundation to help make a local boy’s wish come true. Recently, Mary had a knee replacement. Her doctor attributed her ability to bounce back quickly to her activity with SilverSneakers and encouraged her to get back to working out as soon as she could.
“The past 11 years have meant a lot to us. Experiencing a heart attack at 42 was a wake-up call, and I owe everything to SilverSneakers for allowing me to be as active as I am in my health right now,” said Larry St. Germain. “If we can change one person’s idea about being active at our age, then we did our job of making a difference.”
“It’s such an unbelievable, amazing feeling to receive such an honorable award – it really means the world to us,” said Mary St. Germain. “Our fellow gym members and teachers are family, and their votes and support made this possible.”
The St. Germains will be honored alongside nine other SilverSneakers members who were selected as finalists for the award. A public online vote determined the national winner. Read more about the SilverSneakers Member of the Year winner and finalists: SilverSneakers.com/MOYAward.
Over the past two years, many SilverSneakers members have transitioned to live, instructor-led and On-Demand virtual classes to help them stay connected and keep active while also staying safe. SilverSneakers currently offers thousands of live virtual classes each week in addition to a network of over 22,000 fitness locations nationwide.
Currently, more than 18 million Americans are eligible for SilverSneakers at no additional cost through Medicare Advantage, group retiree and Medicare Supplement plans. SilverSneakers encourages members to participate in health and fitness programs through a wide variety of offerings that include strength training, aerobic workouts, and flexibility exercises designed specifically for a Medicare-eligible population. SilverSneakers members have free access to classes for all fitness levels led by SilverSneakers instructors, as well as opportunities to engage socially to help achieve optimal health.
