Misstropolis

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Like Son, Like Mother

by Susan Graage

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Last fall Risa Aronson left her comfortable Newton home on a mission. Yes, she wanted to see her son, Matt, a Peace Corps volunteer who was already more than a year into his two-year posting in the Ukraine. But more than that, she was going to help Matt, a lifelong soccer player and captain of his college team, start a fitness club for young adults in his tiny village of Chernechya, in the state of Sumy Oblast.

A seasoned Pilates instructor and fitness buff, Risa was the ideal candidate to help her son bring fitness to this village of 1,500. Before leaving the US, she created a manual using photos from texts and magazines, emphasizing exercises that needed a minimum of equipment. She made CDs of fitness music and planned several fun and simple routines. Matt publicized her arrival, hanging posters around Chernechya and the closest city, Orkhtyrka, that promised classes by an American expert on how to become a fitness instructor. 

Matt, who teaches at a school in Chernechya, is part of the Youth Development Program, a new Peace Corps initiative that encourages helping the local population develop the skills necessary to function in the global community. Peace Corps volunteers lead classes in small business development and healthy lifestyles in order to improve the Ukrainians’ ability to find and secure meaningful employment.

Most of the villagers had never participated in any kind of formal exercise program; rather walking, biking and tending their gardens was their form of exercise. But a lack of access to consistent health care and public health information, coupled with high rates of alcoholism, smoking and HIV infection, have lowered life expectancy. Chernechyans are ideal candidates for a comprehensive health and lifestyle overhaul.

Risa flew to Kiev and took an overnight train to Orkhtyrka. After a brief reunion with her son, she slipped on a fresh lululemon outfit, and she and Matt headed to the school, making the first of their daily treks carrying a computer and speakers in their backpacks. Risa had brought some stretch bands and a stability ball from home, and they improvised with the rest of the equipment, using carpets for mats. Twelve eager and expectant young women awaited Risa in the gymnasium, ready to learn how to teach fitness.

For a week, they worked out every evening. Because nobody spoke any English, Matt translated as Risa called out the essential aerobic moves – they decided to keep “mambo,” “cha-cha-cha” and “grapevine” in their original languages. Risa showed her students basic exercises, squats, lunges and push-ups, and taught them some Pilates mat exercises and stretching. She talked to these impressionable young women about related aspects of self care, such as the importance of drinking lots of water. She quickly realized, when she offered them a water break, that she was the only one who brought water. Clearly the only option was to share it.

Though her position as Matt’s mom – and a “fitness guru” from the US – made Risa something of a celebrity, this did not prevent every villager she encountered from inviting her into their homes. She says she found their genuine friendliness and hospitality overwhelming – she was quickly woven into the fabric of the village.  On her last night in Chernechya, Risa says, she realized she got much more out of the experience that she gave. She autographed her students’ fitness manuals and they organized a party by the river.  Everybody hung pots on their bicycles and walked two miles to the river. They built a fire for cooking and the whole village contributed to a communal kasha. Risa was overwhelmed with their appreciation as Ira, a teacher in the town, told her, “I love you.  I am so happy.”

Matt is still in Chernechya, continuing his Peace Corps work and the job he and his mother started. To do what she can to help her friends continue on their path toward healthy lifestyles, Risa has begun a fundraising campaign to provide them with a CD player, mats, weights and stability balls. 

Aronson Insurance of 345 Boylston Street, Chestnut Hill, MA 02459 is acting as a collection point for the Risa Aronson Chernechya Fitness Initiative. If you would like to support this initiative, send your checks (which are fully tax deductible), made out to Matthew Aronson, Peace Corps Volunteer, to this address.