Kevin Stokes has been walking to and from his home to the North Lexington Family YMCA almost daily for the past 16 years since moving to Lexington. “It’s a positive atmosphere here…the staff are always there when I need to talk. We are all like family,” Stokes commented.
Kevin and his wife have one son and four grandchildren. He has helped coach his grandson’s YMCA basketball and flag football teams for a few seasons.
He volunteers at the Lexington Rescue Mission; a place that helped him during his time of need almost 15 years ago.
When the Y was closed due to the COVID-19 shutdown, Kevin began walking a couple extra miles per day and lost nearly 25 lbs. He has continued his new cardio habit, and began lifting again when the Y reopened. COVID has given him more motivation to stay healthy.
The words of Martin Luther King, Jr. describe Kevin’s daily motivation best, “If you can’t fly then run. If you can’t run then walk. If you can’t walk then crawl. But whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.”