March 16, 2006

Love match

AVAC: Where everybody knows your name

Almaden Valley Athletic Club fosters friendships and more

By Lorraine Gabbert
Staff Writer

Besides offering opportunities for total body fitness, Almaden Valley Athletic Club provides a comfortable venue for members to forge lifelong friendships, and maybe even find a little romance.

AVAC offers total body fitness for its members.

This year, as the club celebrates its 30th anniversary, its members reflect on how it brought them together and the difference it’s made in their lives.

In celebration of their anniversary, the Club is hosting an evening of outdoor dinner and dancing featuring the Joe Sharino Band on its tennis courts on June 24, and plans to renovate its exterior pool deck with tan stamped concrete, as well as replace its poolside furniture with chairs and umbrellas in matching colors. AVAC is also currently offering a $30 promotional enrollment fee for new members.

“Thirty years is a very exciting milestone for AVAC,” says owner Joe Shank. “It is so rewarding to see the impact of our contributions on creating a healthy, active and vibrant community.”

What started out as a walnut grove in 1976, has grown to become one of the Bay Area’s premier fitness facilities for all ages featuring indoor and outdoor pools, innovative classes and equipment, 11 illuminated tennis courts and more, provided in a welcoming, family-friendly environment.

AVAC offers 70 classes a week for every age group. At the Club, couples dance and children do yoga beside their parents. Members strengthen their bodies with Pilates in a serene studio, while others circuit train below. Children dance with scarves, run with ribbons, and play with oversized balls, enjoying exercising and learning new movements and seniors take wellness classes and plan their next field trip.

Parents and children share in AVAC’s new Kids Yoga class. Pictured: Shannon Zettler with daughters Laney and Emma. “It teaches the girls that exercise is fun,” says Zettler,” and this is something we can do together. It was really fun for all three of us.”

During swimming lessons, parents sit upon rows of colorful blue and yellow chairs beneath decorative tropical fish, viewing their children through plate-glass windows.

Beside walls painted with starfish, the children splash, kick off with kickboards, practice their strokes and enjoy learning.

General Manager Sue Davis has been with AVAC for 15 years and finds AVAC’s resort-style facility a really nice place to work. “Families stay with the facility for years,” says Davis, “and 75 of our charter members are still here; that’s the kind of longevity AVAC engenders.”

“The Club promotes a kind of lifestyle,” says member Chris Weiler, “which makes it easy to meet people with similar interests and goals. Most of my best friends are people I’ve met at the club.”

In addition to making friends at AVAC, Chris met Erin, who eventually became his wife. The two first met through the Master Swim program in 2000, when Chris was a new member and Erin was training for a triathlon.

“He was in lane four, and I was in lane three,” recalls Erin, “and I thought, ‘what a good-looking guy!’” The attraction was mutual.

AVAC members Paul and Carol Wilson

“I knew who Erin was before I joined AVAC,” confides Chris, “because in the Bay Area, she was it as far as female triathletes go, and is actually one of the best amateurs in the country.” What he hadn’t known before joining the club was that she swam there—but as they say, membership has its privileges.

As Chris took an immediate liking to Erin, he started training in earnest just to keep up with her. “We’d go on runs and bike rides,” he says, “and it was my big impetus to get faster, just so I could stay with her.” Eventually, they started doing triathlons together, and Chris realized that he really enjoyed the challenge they presented. Naturally, they trained together—at AVAC.

Chris and Erin became engaged in October 2003 and wed in August 2004. They swim at the club seven to 10 hours a week, do weightlifting and use the indoor fitness equipment. In short, AVAC is a part of their lives.

Erin, who has been a member of AVAC since 1992, says that she still sees the same people at the club she has for years. Regarding its members’ loyalty, she credits the club’s staff, activities, equipment and trainers. “They’re good about keeping up on the latest and greatest equipment,” she says. “They even remodeled the women’s locker room to make it even nicer. These extra perks make it a really nice club.”

AVAC members Ron and Chris White. Photos by Lorraine Gabbert

As they’re both swimmers, the Weilers appreciate the addition of the indoor pool for swim lessons, leaving experienced swimmers like themselves the outdoor pool year round for Master Swim. “They took out two tennis courts,” says Chris, “and in return gained an indoor pool and additional parking.” They also made many members so much happier according to Chris.

Paul and Carol Wilson, who created and coach the Master Swim program, are close friends with Chris and Erin. So much so, in fact, that Carol was Erin’s maid of honor and Paul officiated at their wedding. The two couples even toured Europe together, attending the recent Tour de France.

“Erin was one of the first swimmers we coached and she and I hit it off,” says Carol, “and we’ve been friends ever since. Then Chris came along and got added to the friendship.” The foursome soon formed a bond that has withstood the test of time. “Our friendship is really strong,” says Paul.

AVAC members Rick Gibson and Sharon English Gibson

Like the Weilers, the Wilsons met while swimming and started biking together before falling in love and getting married. “When we first met, Paul had only swam for a few years but wanted to do a triathlon,” says Carol. “But through our competitiveness, he rapidly improved and pretty soon we were at the same speed.”

Wed nearly 10 years ago, they continue to inspire each other and continue to compete in triathlons together. They are also extremely proud of their master swim program, which is in its 14th year. “Our swimmers keep improving,” says Carol. “We keep raising the bar, and they keep meeting it.” Two of the swimmers are pro-triathletes, one being national triathlon champion Becky Levelle, and the other, her husband.

The Wilsons make time before or after their program for social time in the spa, making for a friendly, cohesive group. While relaxing, they enjoy throwing out good-natured challenges to each other, keeping everyone motivated. In August, the team will compete at the World Championship at Stanford.

General Manager Sue Davis likes AVAC’s family-oriented atmosphere.

Sharon English-Gibson and Rick Gibson met on AVAC’s tennis courts in 1999, and spent their first date playing singles tennis there. The club and its tennis courts mean so much to them, that when they were planning their wedding, they seriously considered having it courtside. As it was, the majority of their wedding guests were friends they made through AVAC.

“We’ve met so many people here,” says Sharon, “that it’s more like a family.” Rick agrees. “Everyone has a support group,” he says, “whether it’s at church, or elsewhere, and AVAC is ours.”

The Gibsons play tennis three to five times a week, with Sharon playing on two teams and Rick playing on one. As Rick does court monitoring and volunteer coordination during the United States Tennis Association (USTA) National Championship held at AVAC, they even planned their wedding around the event, marrying after nationals.

“It’s a fun club to belong to,” says Sharon, who also plays golf with some of its members, including Chris White.

Before taking swimming lessons at AVAC, Kayra Ilkbahar didn’t like the water and was afraid to swim. “The supervisor went with him in the pool to help him overcome his fears, and now he’s swimming,” says his mother, Yonca. “It’s wonderful.”

Ron and Chris White are charter members of the club and also met playing tennis. “We were on the court playing next to each other,” says Ron, “when the ball rolled over by Chris. I went to get it, and I was awestruck by her beauty.” The Whites, who met at AVAC about 27 years ago and recently celebrated their 23rd anniversary, are still active members of the club and still friends with people they met there 30 years ago.

The Whites see AVAC as a family friendly place. “It’s a place you can raise your kids,” said Chris. “Our kids took lessons here, attended junior camp, were number one on high school teams, and went on to play in college.” Retired, Ron plays tennis at the Club four times a week and Chris still belongs to the USTA. They have taken home many mixed doubles trophies over the years, and continue to play together, as well as compete in tournaments.

“AVAC is a huge part of our lives,” says Chris, “and I love the friends we’ve made through it. In fact, most of our friends are AVAC members.”