WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. — Wesley Chapel is one of the fastest-growing areas in Tampa Bay, and now there's a new place for people to connect, stay active and build community. The area's first YMCA has officially opened its doors.
Located next to BayCare Hospital in Wesley Chapel, the Mary W. Sierra Family YMCA is the 15th YMCA to open in the Greater Tampa Bay area. Just one month after opening, the two-story, nearly 50,000-square-foot facility already has more than 6,000 members.
With the area continuing to grow, YMCA leaders say they're still working to keep up.
“Even from three years ago, when we did research out here to kind of get an understanding, it has changed drastically because it’s grown so much,” Membership Director Andi Cornett said. “Now we’re even like, yes, we just opened, but we’re still catching up and making sure that we are staying with the growth and the change that happens.”
From basketball courts and child care to fitness centers and temperature-controlled pools, this Y also features a new AI-powered workout system called eGym.
"It does a biometric scan and it's like the circuit machines that you're used to at a workout area, but it tailors to you and changes to your preferences," Cornett said.
For members, the new facility is already making a difference.
Samuel Teresi says he loves the sense of community the Y brings.
"I think it's great because they have so many different classes where you go to a gymnasium in a community," Teresi said.
As a Silver Sneakers member, Teresi gets access to the Y through his Medicare benefit.
"I did the chair yoga today until the girl wore me out," Teresi said.
For two-time Paralympian archer Lia Coryell, who is living with progressive MS, says the pools have become her safe space.
“I moved to Tampa two years ago, and it’s like, this is my sanctuary. This is where I feel like I fit in and I belong, and nobody treats me different,” Coryell said.
After a stroke left her with limited mobility, Coryell says swimming at the Y changed her life.
"I've lost 100 pounds in 18 months from swimming because this is my sanctuary. This is where I belong. People here in New Tampa, it's where you can just be yourself," Coryell said.
With the Y so close to home, getting there is easier.
"It's less than 3 miles … I think it's like 7 or 8 miles, but I got to go on I-75 to get there, and that's not my thing," Coryell said.
If you live in the area and are interested in joining, you can find more information, here.
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