Get to know the Bettie Allard YMCA team.
Read our articles below.
Get to Know Lynne Pringle, Volunteer Yoga Instructor
It didn’t take long for Lynne Pringle to go from being a regular participant in yoga classes offered by the YMCA to leading the sessions herself as a fitness volunteer – a role she’s now been serving for more than 15 years and encourages others to take on as well.
Lynne first became a Tong Louie Family YMCA member in 2004 and quickly “got hooked” on the yoga sessions at the Surrey facility. By 2006, she was among Tong Louie’s enthusiastic team of volunteer fitness instructors and has been teaching at least one class per week ever since.
“It’s become quite important to me. I took early retirement and having worked for years and years, I wanted to do something else,” said Lynne, a former flight attendant. “I’d always done yoga and never considered teaching it, but they had such an amazing program for training instructors.
“You don’t have to be an expert to start.”
With Bettie Allard YMCA’s doors set to open in Coquitlam in a matter of weeks, the Y is seeking individuals interested in joining us as fitness volunteers like Lynne to help members achieve their fitness goals. Past experience leading classes is great but not required, as the YMCA hosts courses to gain the necessary certifications for group fitness.
Lynne said it’s rewarding for her to hear participants in her classes detail how her sessions have helped them get into better shape.
“They share it with you, tell you that they’re feeling better, enjoy the class and want to keep coming back,” she said.
The personal satisfaction of helping others improve their wellness has kept Lynne committed to the role and she encourages participants who show interest to volunteer their time as she has. Volunteers receive an access pass to utilize facilities for their own health and fitness, but for Lynne, the greatest benefit she’s realized from becoming a yoga instructor is being part of the YMCA’s incredible community of people.
“It’s the relationships you form,” she said. “It’s the camaraderie as well between the volunteers, the staff and everyone. It’s just a nice place to go and a great social experience. Exercising is just the cherry on the top, really.”
Are you interested in becoming a Bettie Allard YMCA fitness volunteer or want to learn more? Fill out our short questionnaire to express your interest and tell us a bit about yourself!
Get to Know Bianca Schiavone, Fitness Supervisor
Bianca Schiavone is our Fitness Supervisor at Bettie Allard YMCA, set to help members achieve desired results in their health and wellness once the facility’s doors are open. Although she’s new to the role, Bianca is making a return to the Y’s staff team and we’re thrilled to have her back! Read on to learn more about Bianca's extensive experience in the fitness world.
What personal journey or career path has led you to this position with the YMCA?
I was inspired to get into the fitness industry after seeing the impacts of health concerns that ran in my family such as heart disease, diabetes, asthma and depression. I wanted to help my family and others feel healthy inside and out. I started as an aerobics instructor and went on to spend nine years running my own personal-training and bootcamp business, plus teaching a variety of classes at gyms as a contractor.
Prior to the pandemic, I served as Fitness Supervisor at Tong Louie Family YMCA in Surrey before taking a maternity leave and stepping away for a bit. I learned so much the years I was at Tong Louie and I cannot wait to bring all I am and know to our new facility!
What do you enjoy about helping people reach their fitness goals?
I love seeing their smiles, knowing that I’ve made their day brighter and brought them that much closer to their goals, whether they be physical or mental. It is all about their health and happiness for me.
How would you describe your excitement level for the Bettie Allard YMCA to begin welcoming members of the community through its doors?
When I started my previous role with the YMCA six years ago, it was with the hope of being part of the Coquitlam location when it opened, so this has been a long time coming! The YMCA has remained a big part of my life over the last several years, even when I wasn’t working at the Y. I love what the Y is about and everything it does to support our community.
What role do you hope the facility will serve in the community?
Having worked in Coquitlam for the last few years, I feel the Bettie Allard YMCA will play a big role in the Tri-Cities because it is a huge community with needs that the Y can help to address.
We will provide programs and opportunities for families and seniors to thrive in our community. I know families and seniors struggle to find space in classes for themselves and their children, but now they will have much more available to them through our Y. I never had the chance as a child to grow up near a YMCA, but now my children will get this chance. That’s exciting!
About Bettie Allard
Much like the YMCA itself, Bettie Allard was committed and passionate about youth, education, physical activity and building healthy communities, making her a tremendous fit as the namesake for our centre of community in Coquitlam.
Bettie was the late mother of YMCA supporter Peter A. Allard, whose transformational donation to the What Really Matters Now capital campaign helped make this state-of-the-art facility possible.
Bettie was born in Edmonton in 1915. She was very active in sports as a young woman and enjoyed outdoor adventures with her canoe and many friends. Bettie was decades ahead of her time with her concern for a sustainable environment. She dedicated many hours each week to volunteer work throughout her life including the Brock House, Vancouver Planetarium and Vancouver Aquarium.
Bettie raised Peter and his three siblings as a single mother in Vancouver in the 1950s. As her children grew older, she chose to further her education by attending the University of British Columbia, graduating with a major in Librarianship. She spent many years teaching at Rosser and Confederation Park elementary schools, not far from where the YMCA that bears her name is located.
Bettie greatly enjoyed her later years prior to her 2004 passing and was happiest doing what she loved most; cooking, traveling, volunteering and spending time with her family, friends and grandchildren.
The naming of this centre of community is a historic first for YMCAs in Canada, as it will be the first facility of its kind in the country to be named solely after a woman.
Sadly, Peter passed away earlier this year, and though he unfortunately never had the chance to see the building named for his mother at its completion, he expressed his excitement for her to be memorialized in such a manner when Bettie was introduced as the facility’s namesake in 2021.
"Our family is honoured by this recognition and I am particularly pleased that my mother’s name will be associated with a centre that will act as a social hub, bringing people together and helping them reach their potential,” he said. “The Y’s sustainable charity model will enable the Bettie Allard YMCA to consistently deliver vital services to the community for current and future generations.”