Faithful members return to the flagship branch of the YMCA of Honolulu

On the first day of reopening at the YMCA of Honolulu in mid-June following a three-month coronavirus shutdown, Clayton and Carol Makiya were at the flagship Nuuanu branch bright and early, eager to get back on the weight and cardio training machines.

Both in their 50s, the competitive powerlifters were disrupted again with a second lockdown in September, but went right back when all eight branches reopened Oct. 22. The Makiyas have their own powerlifting equipment at home, but they can get a more strenuous workout with the Y’s advanced weight machines.

Their devotion was matched by Laurie Hamano, who has led exercise and yoga classes as a volunteer at Nuuanu for 38 years. ­Hamano continued to dance and pump away in Zoom classes that she made available free to longtime students during both lockdowns. She returned to the Y this month to teach in-person yoga classes limited to five, while livestreaming it on Zoom for members.

Even with stricter measures in place, Hamano and the Makiyas say it’s well worth the humbug to protect everyone from COVID-19 because the Y has been a vital part of their lives for decades.

Clayton Makiya, who joined 20 years ago and his wife (who joined 10 years ago) said the Nuuanu branch is conveniently located to where they now live. But they wouldn’t go anywhere else because they value the community of weightlifters and the gym’s history as a training center. They treasure the friendliness and comfort level felt among its members and staff.

Hamano’s dedication is also due to the people she’s met: “That’s why I’ve stayed so long. I do this for the class members; they mean everything to me.” And, it’s “an absolute calling” that keeps her levelheaded and able to handle life’s aches and pains — “it’s just as important as eating and breathing.” Hamano first joined an aerobics class long ago to recover from debilitating cancer.

Although Hamano admitted to being nervous about returning after the first lockdown, “I love it. I’m wearing a shield, everybody’s wearing a mask, and it’s wonderful. I feel like, OK, I gotta get used to that, but (the Y organizers) made me feel safe, pretty much the way they handled the entire resuming of class, and I (was) one of the first to come back.”

Carol Makiya said the Y has done a good job spreading out the weightlifting equipment so everyone is socially distanced, and as for requiring masks, “we totally understand that they gotta do that.” It is a lot harder to breathe through masks while working out, she admitted, laughing, but, “Now we say, we’re lifting, but we’re doing cardio, too!”

Clayton Makiya said they got used to making reservations — started during the first lockdown — to work out but are limited to 90-minute blocks, whereas they could exercise up to four hours at a time if left to themselves. When gyms closed during the second lockdown, the Y began holding outdoor activities limited to 10. “I think it’s a good thing that the Y offers options to keep classes going and helps the community continue their fitness endeavors,” he added.

Michael Broderick, president and CEO of the YMCA of Honolulu, said, “Members who have returned have been impressed with our safety, mandatory mask requirement at all times, sanitation and social distancing policies we have in place. Many have stated how safe they feel and how happy they are to be able to get back to their fitness routine and to see their friends and favorite staff members. And since current state restrictions limit indoor classes to five and outdoor and pool classes to 10, many of our members have continued to enjoy the more than 80 livestream classes we offer each week.

“Currently, we are seeing about the same percentage of members returning to work out as other Ys on the mainland — about 30% and growing,” he said. “The truth is, many in our community are still concerned and may not be fully aware of the extensive safety protocols and procedures our Y has in place in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and state guidelines.

“But what is especially heartwarming are the thousands of Y members who have continued (paying for) their membership that helps keep our doors open to serve them and our community,” Broderick said.

Home for weightlifters

Clayton Makiya joined the flagship Nuuanu branch Y 20 years ago, driving all the way from Ewa Beach mainly to be mentored by Tommy Kono, Olympic gold medal weightlifter. Kono, who set 26 world records and earned three Olympic medals, moved to Hawaii in 1955. He joined the Nuuanu branch to train and volunteer, and in his retirement, Kono coached weightlifters of all levels before he died in 2016, according to the YMCA of Honolulu.

Clayton Makiya trained under Kono from 2000 until Kono’s death, but added that the Nuuanu weightlifters had good coaches since the 1940s, when the program produced Olympic contenders. “He was a very nice person, a very father-like figure. He not only coached us about lifting, but about life itself.” He taught them the importance of “being good to others, don’t take things for granted, being the best person you can be.”

A family of members

To Hamano and her husband, Wayne, who came from Hilo and didn’t have relatives nearby, “the Y became our family,” she said. They benefited from its wide-ranging services: from child care while she worked out, after-school programs and summer camps, as well as swimming, gymnastics and other sports activities. Hamano’s husband, who is currently the board president, would tell people he had to join the Y 25 years ago to see his wife and two kids, they spent so much time there, she said.

Hamano became hooked as an instructor after a year of taking aerobics classes, and is close to other teachers who have been around for as long as she has. “I grew up with them,” she said. Some of her class members have stayed with her for 25 years, and “the hard-nosed guys” are close to her age, in their 60s and 70s.

Hamano is still leading an unofficial exercise class twice a week on a personal Zoom channel that she started during the lockdowns, with about 15 longtime members participating. She had stopped the more vigorous exercise classes in the gym because people exhale more and could spread the virus more easily, she added.

She has always updated her choreography and exercises to keep them from getting boring, and plays popular hits (a la Bruno Mars and Taylor Swift) to keep everyone energized. “Who said us old farts have to use old-fart music?!”

No one cares if anyone makes the wrong moves, Hamano said, “I hope I always made them feel safe, that they could let go, and just enjoy the music and just dance. That’s why we have so much fun.”

Did you know?

Before the pandemic, the Nuuanu branch of the YMCA of Honolulu, the largest branch on Oahu with about 5,000 members, was on course to raise $10.75 million toward the renovation of its 57-year-old facilities. While the Nu’uanu Y Capital Campaign will continue, efforts will be refocused when the state is in a more stable situation.

Michael Broderick, the Y’s CEO and president, said renovation plans focus on making more efficient use of the space and improving accessibility by adding ramps and an elevator. The three-story story residence will be torn down and replaced with a two-story wellness center. Plans also include reconfiguring and expanding space for youth development; health, fitness and wellness programs for all ages and needs; among other ­services.

Founded in 1918, the Nuuanu branch was located on the corner of Pali Highway and Vineyard Boulevard. It became the flagship of the Honolulu Y in 1963, when it moved into a new building at its current location farther down Pali Highway. The Nu’uanu Y was the nation’s and Hawaii’s first fully interracial YMCA, joining separate Japanese, Chinese, Korean and Filipino YMCAs on Oahu.