Whether you want to workout, stretch you muscles and work your joints, or just swim, the aquatics center has a program for you. Vyonne (Vy) Manovill, the dedicated aquatics director at the pool, offers not only pool-related classes for college credit, but many programs for students and the public. Arthrisize, hydrofit, lap swim, and open swim, are the most popular, she said.

With a large student turnout, she is able to offer more activities. In the past, intramural games had been set up at the pool. And she even showed the movie Jaws, projected on the wall of the aquatics center while patrons swam around the pool with the lights off, wearing glow sticks around their neck.

Promoting “health and wellness” is the basic goal of the programs offered at the aquatics center for everyone from young children to adults to senior citizens, she said.

According to the American Red Cross, the fourth leading cause of accidental death in the state of Vermont is drowning. Manovill said it’s important to educate children about the water. Programs that are offered during summer help to increase safety awareness and decrease fears about the water in children, she said.

During an arthrisize workout, you can find yourself exercising, stretching out and relaxing to the sounds of classical music, all while swimming. This program is one of her favorites.

“It’s like a family” Manovill said.

And participants say it really helps

“The water has made a world of difference for me,” said Carol ????, a weekly patron of the arthrisize program. ????? suffered a brain injury that affected her mobility, but said the pool is working wonders.

The aquatics center provides a great asset to the Castleton community, but Manovill said there are challenges to overcome, the biggest being issues with parking.

Many of the center’s patron are senior citizens with health and mobility problems and better parking closer to the facility would help increase participation, she said. Often, patrons are forced to park behind the gym or in the campus center lot creating a long icy, cold, walk to the pool.

Manovill used to sign out a Castleton van and pick the patrons up in the over-over-flow lot off South Street, drive them to the pool and then drive them to their cars when finished.

“They needed to be here,” she said.

However, due to the loss of a campus vehicle this year, she has been unable to continue that. Now they solely rely on finding close or open handicapped parking in to get to the program.

For more information on the pool check out the Castleton State College Web site at www.castleton.edu.