Member Profile - Margaret Catambay

YWCA Minneapolis Midtown opened in 2000—but some members have been part of our community even longer. As we celebrate our 25th anniversary, we’re highlighting longtime members who have helped shape our history from the inside out.

Meet Margaret Catambay, born and raised in Rochester, Minnesota. Margaret joined YWCA Minneapolis back in August 1980—long before membership photos were stored on computers! She originally came looking for a place to swim and exercise, and soon found herself immersed in water aerobics classes and the vibrant community that surrounded them.

Q&A with Margaret

What has kept you coming back to the Y for over 45 years?

I believed in the YWCA's mission. Once I became involved in classes and volunteering, I could see the benefits of being a member, including forming new friendships and becoming stronger. I could see that the Y built excellent programs to enhance the mission.

Do you have a favorite memory, class, or staff member from your time at the Y?

Oh! I have so many memories and wonderful instructors over the years. I am still connected via Zoom with our Silver Sneakers Aquatics class, led by Lola.

Several inspired me to become an aquatics instructor for people with arthritis. I took the training, but due to knee replacement, I flunked CPR because I was not allowed to kneel. It is probably just as well, as I love being a student. I still take classes with Shelli and Rose (who is now at the YMCA), and I am also in the LifeTime Fitness ARORA group and swim at the Aquatic Center at the University of Minnesota.

How has the Y impacted your personal health and well-being?

Participating in a variety of activities because my main sports at the time were running and figure skating. It has also been a healing place for rehabbing after surgeries, so this was a happy place to continue my physical therapy exercises.

How has your life changed since you joined the Y, and how has the world changed around you?

COVID forced so many changes. In the summer of 2023, I broke my hip while waiting for my husband, who was having a procedure in the hospital, of all places! My surgeon told me not to figure skate anymore, something I had been doing since I was four years old!

What’s one thing people should know about the experience at the Y?

I recommend the YWCA as a wonderful place to meet great people, take classes and participate in fundraising for the YWCA. I enjoyed participating in a couple of indoor triathlons after completing the training.

What advice would you give to someone considering joining the Y today?

Join the YWCA! It’s a radical alternative to what is going on today!

Thank You, Margaret!

We are deeply grateful for members like Margaret. Over her decades of membership, she’s been more than a participant—she’s been a volunteer, a fundraiser and a community builder. At our last Race Against Racism, her team earned t-shirts as the top fundraisers.

Thank you, Margaret, for showing us what 25 years of commitment, courage and community look like.