If you ever workout or visit the High Street YMCA in downtown Lexington, you’ve probably seen or heard about Shelby Harbour. She has been working at the YMCA since the spring of 2020 and has a decidedly unique perspective serving our members and participants during a pandemic. Shelby embodies all of the character traits for a Y team member and the spirit and mission of the YMCA. “The Y is about family, friendship, and a great place for people to be sociable,” Shelby shared.
“I have worked in several departments and these opportunities allow me to learn lessons and develop new skills that I use every day,” she added. Those several departments include Kids Corner and after school care, where Shelby was able to provide supervision and assistance to families as the YMCA provided emergency childcare services to frontline health care workers in the earliest days of the pandemic.
Since then, she has served in membership and wellness roles, getting to know the regulars of the High Street YMCA. “The members make my day on every shift by just a simple conversation. It is so nice to be able to connect with members personally, and I even consider some of the members my friends.”
Outside of her work, Shelby stays busy with her studies at the University of Kentucky. Due to graduate in December of this year with a degree in health promotion, Shelby says her goal is a simple one: she aims to make a lasting impact on people while helping them improve their overall health and well-being. She says her primary focus is doing this through education. “A goal of mine is to use all the tools I have to educate people not just on how to achieve overall wellness, but why it’s important. I’m passionate about the teaching part of it, so that people can feel empowered to make the best decisions for their health long after we’ve worked together.”
Shelby would love to say hi if you see her at the Y but will probably miss you if you’re an early riser. Even though she really wants to try it, she hasn’t made it up quite yet to attend Debbi Dean’s 6 a.m. Jump Start class. “I’m a social butterfly but I really love to sleep!” Whatever the hour, we know Shelby is already making an impact on the YMCA members she serves, and we are proud of the way she has navigated her various roles during a pandemic and in this subsequent season of rebuilding.
Next time you see Shelby at our High Street YMCA, be sure to give her a shout out for everything that she does.
