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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

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Going ‘ape’ over trail running

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Joe Fuller wants to be clear — he doesn’t believe in the legend.

The Legend of the Skunk Ape, a.k.a. The Florida Bigfoot.

Avid trail runners push through the darkness with the help of body lights, during Skunk Ape Events’ fourth annual Night Run at Dade City’s Green Swamp Wildlife Management Area on July 22. (Courtesy of Joe Fuller)

Despite there being several reported sightings of Skunk Ape since the 1960s — including in the Green Swamp Wildlife Management Area, where Fuller calls his home trail-running track — Fuller isn’t worried about running into the supposed 6-foot-9, 600-pound, foul-smelling, hairy, ape-like creature, which, according to lore, ran upright on two legs, occasionally near Dade City.

“I don’t (believe in it), but I thought the name was perfect since we do all the races in the Green Swamp,” the former Saint Leo cross-country runner said. “I went on a lot of long runs in there, always really enjoyed it, and I would still run out there after graduating.

“There was no one ever out there except me,” Fuller added. “I never saw many people on those trails, but I wanted to bring people to them so they can love them and enjoy them as much as I do.

“It was a lot of great miles to share with people.”

That’s why, in 2018, Fuller founded Skunk Ape Events — as a way to connect the running community and show his fellow avid runners, of both trail and ultra events, the beautiful, natural splendor of the Green Swamp.

Jon Kier, of Naples, is awarded as the overall winner by Skunk Ape Events founder Joe Fuller, at the Night Run on July 22.

Fuller wanted to share what he saw with every run through the Green Swamp Trails, but he also wanted it to be all-inclusive. When Skunk Ape hosts runs, it’s a “come one, come all atmosphere.”

“It doesn’t matter what pace you run, your size and shape, experience level,” he added. “Or whether you run the entire race, walk the whole thing, or crash and burn. What does matter is that the runners are experiencing an enjoyable time on the trails, surrounded by those who are supportive and empowering.

“We do get a lot of those who have not tried trail running, but the events are very laid back, very inviting for all.”

One major difference from Skunk Ape running events and others is that Fuller says he will wait at the finish line for every runner, whether they’re in first or last. It’s a no-pressure atmosphere for those who just want to run through the Green Swamp terrain that features such elements as a grass plain field, cypress areas and even rolling hills with sugar sand.

“It might be just my dad and I waiting for you, but we won’t take down the finish line until the last person has crossed,” Fuller said. “We have no time cutoffs. We want anyone who can finish to have that finish-line moment. There are slower runners, and there is nothing wrong with that. Even if it’s 1 or 2 a.m., everything — the flags, line, tables, food and water — will be there for whoever finishes.”

Women’s winner Deanna Doane, of Jacksonville Beach, who also set the new women’s course record, is awarded by Skunk Ape Events founder Joe Fuller.

And while the finished runners wait, they’ll mingle about at the post-race potluck, in which every runner provides food or drinks.

Fuller says just about every race in the past year has sold out, which he credits to the trails and running-community atmosphere. But also the price to participate.

Fuller pointed out when he graduated from college, he found many running events were out of his price range. 

“They were too expensive for me,” he added. “So, I think this is a race that anyone in any situation can and will find affordable. With this running community, these are more like events than a race, which I think people like a lot, too.”

That much was evident when Skunk Ape hosted its fourth annual Night Run on July 22, which brought hundreds out to the Green Swamp to see runners complete a 30K course. The run started at 7 p.m., giving the runners about two hours of daylight before switching over to body lights and finishing the race in near total darkness.

“When the sun goes down,” Fuller said, “the runners will experience listening to the drone of frogs from all over the swamp, hoots from the owls, calls from birds, buzzing of bugs and, sometimes, the yips of coyotes in the distance.” 

The event, which was kicked off by Dade City Commissioner Ann Cosentino, had winners in age groups from 20 to 70 and even raised more than $500 for a local Title 1 school so kids in the running programs can afford shoes or cross-country spikes for the upcoming school year.

It was another Skunk Ape Events race as legendary as its namesake.

Hundreds of avid runners joined in Skunk Ape Events’ fourth annual Night Run in Dade City’s Green Swamp Wildlife Management Area. Runners came to tackle the 30K course and enjoy the post-race potluck party. Skunk Ape Events, started in 2018 by former Saint Leo cross country runner Joe Fuller, looks to promote trail and ultra running locally and in Florida, even going as far as waiting until every runner crosses the finish line.

“The thing that brings the trail-running community together is the environment, both on the trail and runners,” Fuller said. “Most likely, if you look at the runner in first and in second, if one of them falls down, the other is going to go back and help the runner that fell. You see that a lot, especially on trail running.

“So, the most rewarding part, for me, as the race director, is to see people finish and have that finish-line moment,” he added. It’s all about the supporters and runners and volunteers that create the environment, make the magic happen.

“As long as a Skunk Ape sighting doesn’t happen.”

Wild Boar Night Run – Half Marathon, presented by Skunk Ape Events
When: Sept. 16
Where: Green Swamp – West Tract, 13347 Ranch Road, Dade City
Cost: $20 and a potluck
Details: A casual, old-school race with no time cutoffs. Runners will run a cross-country trail and return back for a potluck recovery meal and celebration.
For more information on upcoming events or to register, visit SkunkApeEvents.weebly.com.

Published August 23, 2023

A look inside the huddle

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Some say a football team is a family.

And Land O’ Lakes High coach Dan Goodspeed knows that a football family includes the moms, sisters, grandmothers and aunts. In the case of the Gators, specifically, the Women of Blue.

Dan Goodspeed

The Gators coaching staff and football team hosted nearly 65 women for its first ladies clinic, which is expected to become an annual event. The clinic is part of an initiative to include, and educate, women more about the game, by discussing topics such as play calling strategies, player safety, equipment, nutrition and hydration.

Goodspeed, a former NFL lineman who played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when they won Super Bowl XXXVII in 2003, borrowed the idea from the Bucs, which has the Women of Red. That version does a similar event and also provides in-season exclusive content and team updates.

“I used to go speak at (The Women of Red Ladies Clinic), and (owner and president of Tampa Bay Buccaneers Foundation) Darcie Glazer (Kassewitz) always does a great job with it,” Goodspeed said. “It’s held in the Club Section at Raymond James Stadium, and the women would go from station to station, learning different aspects of the game.

“My station was describing the playbook,” he added. “We would show there’s rhyme and reason to what we do — like a chess game, that we’re not just out there trying to run into each other. We show the real reason why we play football.”

Land O’ Lakes High Football coaches spoke to the Women of Blue, at Stonewater Grill on Aug. 1. The coaches and team hosted a Ladies Clinic to speak to the moms, sisters, aunts, grandmoms and women of the football players or other women interested in learning more about the sport and game. Topics covered included player safety and play calling. (Courtesy of Dan Goodspeed)

Although Goodspeed set out to emulate the Buccaneers, his initial source of inspiration was his mom — especially because she was concerned about his safety when he began playing football in high school.

“It is a violent sport,” Goodspeed said. “She thought I would just get all crunched up, but we wanted to show that we make sure their boys are safe. They’re young adults, and we want them to make it through the season.

“Football is the greatest sport,” he added. “Many of these guys aren’t going to play football in college, but we feel (the clinic) lets (the players) be able to sit down with parents on the weekend and tell them exactly what they did or have a conversation about what is happening when watching games.”

The Gators had stations at its Ladies Clinic, but there was a heavy emphasis on player safety. Goodspeed and his staff brought in old and newer equipment — helmets and shoulder pads — to show how it has improved over time and how it will protect the players.

Additionally, an anonymous donor gave the team 85 guardians caps – the new padding that goes outside the helmet that is designed to cut down up to 12% of the force of a hit. The women also were invited to try on the equipment to find out how it feels inside the helmet.

Zaida Abel enthusiastically tries on football equipment at the Women of Blue event hosted by the Land O’ Lakes High football team.

“Honestly, my biggest take-away was feeling very comfortable that my child was in good hands,” said Lisa Campbell, whose son, Zach, is a junior tight end on the team. “We got to meet all the coaches and each was more caring than the next, so I know when I’m not there, they are in good hands, whether he’s 5 or a junior.

“So, you can see that they’re not all about win, win, win,” she added. “They care about safety and are concerned with making things better, and as safe as possible.”

Campbell said she enjoyed hearing coaches at the stations addressing various aspects of the sport, such as playcalling and designing plays with X’s and O’s.

She especially enjoyed the clap cadence drill, with the coaches trying to get the women to clap at the same time like in a huddle.

“They got all the moms, grandmoms, sisters, aunts, neighbors — all the women and gave us a run down on all the positions,” Campbell said. “They showed us that football is great and that they love it, but they love also developing the man, the full student, the full player — to become a good man. I think we were all very impressed.

“Many of the women were pretty comfortable in their knowledge of football coming in, but they then saw what we were trying to do on both sides of the ball,” Goodspeed added. “They’re very sharp and picked it up and understood it all very quickly, but still had plenty of questions. … As parents, when (the kids) get to high school, I think they know time is running out, and they’re going to go out on their own lives, so this really lets them still be a part of their lives, just on the football field.”

And that is important to Campbell, a bookkeeper at Sanders Elementary, who knows full well how quickly time at school can go. To her, she feels every team should have its own version of the Women of Blue.

“I don’t know if everyone could do it, but it is a real bonus,” Campbell said. “We’re appreciative of it and had a great time with it and learned why our boys are passionate about football. It gave us a real look of what happens behind the face mask.”

The Women of Blue listen in as Gators coaches go over the X’s and O’s of football play calling.

Land O’ Lakes High Football 2023 Schedule
Aug. 18 at Lakeland Victory Christian (preseason, 7 p.m.)
Aug. 25 at River Ridge
Sept. 1 vs. Anclote
Sept. 8 at Williston
Sept. 15 vs. Zephyrhills
Sept. 29 at Mitchell
Oct. 6 vs. Nature Coast
Oct. 13 vs. Springstead
Oct. 20 at Sunlake
Oct. 27 vs Wiregrass Ranch
Nov. 3 at Pasco

* All games start at 7:30 p.m.

Published August 16, 2023

The wheel deal

By

Some might have had to switch chairs.

That was totally fine.

Shun Takashima works on his dribbling skills on July 29 during a Wheelchair Basketball Clinic at Rushe Middle School, in Land O’ Lakes. Takashima was one of nearly 20 wheelchair athletes taking part in the six hour-clinic held by the Pasco County Parks, Recreation, & Natural Resources Department. Paul Schulte, a Summer Paralympics medalist, ran the clinic. Athletes learned the fundamentals of not just wheelchair basketball, but the importance of keeping active when facing a sedentary lifestyle.
(Mike Camunas)

At the Wheelchair Basketball Clinic, held July 29 at Rushe Middle School in Land O’ Lakes, nearly 20 wheelchair and special-needs athletes had the chance to learn, first hand, the ins and outs of the sport and benefits of keeping active.

“Some of the people who came out today — it was their first time with the sport or even in a sports chair,” said Paul Schulte, two-time Paralympics wheelchair basketball medalist and point guard.

“(It) can be very special to watch, as they take the court, because their eyes light up as they realize it’s very different from a regular chair. They sit in it and it just starts moving, so it’s a very different experience.

“To do (sports) in your everyday chair is okay, but in a sports chair is way more fun, which is what many got to do today for the first time,” Schulte said.

The Pasco County Parks, Recreation, & Natural Resources Department and its Adaptive & Inclusive Recreation (P.A.I.R) program hosted the event. Scarlett Lawhorn, recreation leader at the Wesley Chapel District Park, organized it.

Schulte, along with fellow Team USA player Correy Rozzi and former collegiate player Lynn Pagano, coached the athletes of varying ages through drills, scrimmages and scenarios.

Schulte said the clinic was to teach participants about wheelchair basketball, but also adaptive sports equipment and the benefits of keeping active while living life from a wheelchair.

“We talk to them and tell them our stories (of how we ended up as para-athletes),” he said. “We also reinforce in them independence and the importance of staying active in what is essentially a sedentary lifestyle.

“Because a lot of times, honestly, parents or people can be wary of this because of injury by stubbing a finger or falling over, but really not doing this could be more damaging than that little injury.

“Getting in some cardio really is important.”

Published August 09, 2023

Rebecca Di Giorgio takes a big shot during downtime of the Wheelchair Basketball Clinic at Rushe Middle School, in Land O’ Lakes, on July 29. The Pasco County Parks, Recreation, & Natural Resources Department hosted the event.
Griffin Cloyd takes a shot during the Wheelchair Basketball Clinic at Rushe Middle School in Land O’ Lakes on July 29.
Nearly 20 wheelchair athletes attended the Wheelchair Basketball Clinic at Rushe Middle School in Land O’ Lakes on July 29, hosted by the Pasco County Parks, Recreation, & Natural Resources Department. The clinic was led by Paul Schulte, a Summer Paralympics medalist. Schulte is from Top End Wheelchairs, a sporting wheelchair company in Pinellas Park.
Joey Thurman, center, and Jacob Paul, right, run the court during a Wheelchair Basketball Clinic at Rushe Middle School in Land O’ Lakes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Matthew Alverez decides on his next move during the Wheelchair Basketball Clinic at Rushe Middle School in Land O’ Lakes.
Blake Nester heads down the court with the ball during a scrimmage at the Wheelchair Basketball Clinic.
Paul Schulte, a Summer Paralympics medalist, talks to nearly 20 special-needs athletes during the Wheelchair Basketball Clinic at Rushe Middle School in Land O’ Lakes on July 29.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chance Kern watches as drills are run during the Wheelchair Basketball Clinic on July 29.
Aston Knowles makes a high pass during the Wheelchair Basketball Clinic on July 29.
Nearly 20 wheelchair athletes attended the Wheelchair Basketball Clinic at Rushe Middle School in Land O’ Lakes on July 29, hosted by the Pasco County Parks, Recreation, & Natural Resources Department.

A blast from the fast(est)

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Seth Williamson does everything fast.

Run. Walk. Talk. Even learn.

These are some of the reasons this 7-year-old has earned the title of “Fastest Kid in the Nation.”

That, and he’s also the back-to-back winner of the 100m dash at the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Track and Field National Championships.

Wesley Chapel 7-year-old Seth Williamson sprints down the track at Cypress Creek High during practice for Speed Starz Track/Running Club. (Mike Camunas)

“It’s pretty cool being (the Fastest Kid in the Nation),” the tiny Wesley Chapel speedster said, humbly. “I do like telling people that, sometimes, but I like running fast — faster than my friends, but I don’t like beating them. I want to run with my friends sometimes.”

Williamson held onto his 100-meter dash, and Fastest Kid in the Nation, title when, on July 10 at the AAU Primary National Championships at Doctor Phillips High in Orlando, he left his competition in the dust with a 15-second finish time. He would also finish fifth in the 200 meter (31.93) and second in the long jump (3.59 meters).

“It was a lot of fun to compete (in the championships) again,” Williamson said. “It was fun to go over there and go all over (the place) to run track. I was really happy to win again.”

Williamson, for nearly two years now, trains with Speed Starz Track/Running Club — a Wesley Chapel-based program that teaches athletes of all ages the basic fundamentals of running. The club uses professional and advanced running techniques and drills. BeBe Roberts leads the club that has worked with numerous elementary, middle and high school athletes in Pasco County who excel in track and field and other sports.

However, when Williamson showed up on his first day, Roberts — a former track star himself — saw the raw talent and potential.

“When he came to me at 6, during the practice sessions, I put him with the 8- and 9-year-olds, and he was beating some of them! This kid is only 6 and on the track for nearly the first time and beating kids that are much older than him, so I knew this kid is going to be something serious in track and field.

“He is way ahead of the game right now.”

Williamson is ahead of the game — and a lot of other runners.

Roberts calls this little blur  — whose nickname is The Flash, just like the comic book superhero — a quick study that’s on a whole other level.

“He picks up on everything real fast,” Roberts added. “I mean, some of the high school kids can’t pick up this stuff that fast, but not Seth. I tell him one thing, and he picks it up like that, and we’re talking about some advanced stuff.

Seven-year-old Seth Williamson, of Wesley Chapel, is the ‘Fastest Kid in the Nation,’ a title he earned by winning multiple championships last and this year during AAU Track and Field National Championships. On July 10 and July 11, Williamson defended his 100-meter dash title, this time finishing his run in 15 seconds. He also came in fifth in the 200 meter and second in the long jump in the 7-year-old division.

“At his age, he’s on a Level 10 when other kids his age are at a Level 1. … It makes coaching him easy because even at the track meet (during the National Championships), I told him, at the 65-meter mark, ‘Stay high (with your head), keep your posture up, and he did — you can see it in the video, and he won. 

“It (looks) like a professional (running).”

Williamson says he loves working with coach Roberts at Speed Starz.

“Coach BeBe is a good coach,” he said. “I like him a lot. He’s taught me how to have a fast start and how to have good form.”

Williamson showed his ability to learn quickly when he took on the long jump. Roberts said the young athlete didn’t practice the long jump much since “he’s a straight sprinter,” but still went out and placed well.

“He just went out there and got second in the nation,” Roberts said. “I mean, we get to the meet and then all of sudden, people are pointing him out and saying, ‘That kid right there — he’s the one to beat,’ and he was only fifth in the preliminaries (for the 100 meter). Everyone thought they had a shot on him, but then he surprised everyone.

“He’s a remarkable athlete — a fast learner and fast on the track, which is a great combo.”

Roberts said he’s “never seen someone this talented, this smart at (track), not at (Seth’s) age,” but also feels privileged to coach such a talented athlete at such a young age.

For Williamson, he’ll try to prove he’s not a flash in the pan — as fast as he can.

“Track is more easy (of a sport), since you can’t get hurt as often or as easily,” he said. “I like football and soccer, too, but I don’t play them. I just want to be on the track.

“I run everywhere, pretty fast, and I like running a lot.”

Speed Starz Track/Running Club
Details: Speed Starz Track/Running Club is a Christian-based track club in Wesley Chapel. It is designed to teach athletes of all ages the basic fundamentals of running, by using professional and advanced running techniques and drills. To see highlights of Seth Williamson accomplishments, visit his official Instagram account at @seth2flash.
Info: SpeedStarz.webflow.io/about

Published August 02, 2023

Local club soccer team one of best in nation

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They’re just teenagers.

But they are some of the best teenage soccer players in the nation.

Hailing from the likes of Lutz, Trinity and Wesley Chapel, the Florida Premier 2010 Under 13 girls soccer team is developing a stellar reputation.

The team — made up of all 13-year-olds — has amassed a record of 78-1-5 in the past two years, is champion in the region, in the state and even ranked fourth nationally. And, this comes after playing the past year in the Elite Club National League (ECNL).

Florida Premier 2010 Under 13 ECNL Girls team competed in the national playoffs in San Diego, California, in late June and advanced as far as the Sweet 16 round. Team members include, top row, left to right: Kallie Bliestein, Nola Eagle, Kenza Mikou, Eve Douglass, Nora Gulliford, Ava Ortiz, Kourtney Weber, Jaeda Russell, Maria Kartes and Tori Carapazza. Bottom row left to right: Estel Heimann, Aziza Symmonds, Ariana Dos Santos, Addison Jericho, Madison Starkey, Makenna Lawler and Jenah Amireh. (Courtesy of Scott Lawler)

Additionally, the team played in the national playoffs in San Diego, California, in late June, finishing in that tournament’s Sweet 16.

“Even before I started working with them, the chemistry was already there, so my goal was to maintain that,” said the team’s coach, Leo Martini.

“We, as a club, and in the first season in the ECNL, we were facing the highest competition in the country,” he added. “We really didn’t know what to expect at first, but the 2010 team is very special. We had great starts in the season, so it made us recalibrate the goals. Once we knew we were going to qualify for the champion’s league (playoffs), we had to create bigger goals.

“And making the (national) Sweet 16 was a great accomplishment.”

According to its website, the ECNL, which was founded in 2009, “represents the epitome of excellence in youth soccer, for boys and girls, as the league and its clubs, players, coaches and everyone involved seeks to constantly ‘Raise the Game’ for the future.

This FP girls team is made of the best of the best from that age group. All the players were born in 2010, but still need to try out — yet many had been playing together for years, either in recreational or travel competitive leagues.

That’s true for Makenna Lawler — one of the team’s defensive backs that helps keep opponents at bay on offense.

“In ECNL, that’s the highest league you play, so you’re competing against some of the best players and teams across the country,” the Cypress Creek Middle eighth-grader said. “It’s been a great experience because we’ve also never experienced anything like this or ever got to see what it was like out there or to be there (in the national playoffs).

“There’s five or six core players that have been playing together since rec (league) or Happy Feet, but we’ve won a lot, which makes the experience even better — especially going from playing locally or in Florida to then going to play in South Carolina and now California.

“It was like a dream — barely felt real.” 

Makenna Lawler, center, and Madison Starkey, right, defend against an opponent during a recent soccer match. (Courtesy of Jim Schlett)

The team had won previous tournaments — the Jefferson Cup in Richmond, Virginia, and the Disney Showcase in Orlando — and while excited about the playoffs in San Diego, its run ended at the hands of the top-seeded San Diego Surf in the round of 16.

“Obviously, the quality of the player definitely makes it so special,” Martini said. “It’s a whole team of very good players that are very versatile and they work really well together — and have for a long time, meaning they’re really well coached, which just makes my job that much easier.

“They’re very committed and disciplined — and they’re all just 13, but not one of them is scared to train four times a week.

“They have a great mentality and love being pushed to that (next) level.”

That is exactly what the players wanted. They knew, and still know, that this highly competitive level will push them and be beneficial.

“When you think about it and compete with other teams around the country, it’s really fun and interesting to do that,” said Nora Eagle, a Martinez Middle eighth-grader who plays outside back. “It was really fun to be able to go to San Diego and compete with the top teams in the country. I feel very proud of the team and its accomplishments. It was a long, hard journey and worth it to come together as a team and realize what we’ve done.”

And the team realizes there is still more to be done.

“I think we can do way better next year,” Lawler said. “The elite eight or final four or finals — if we work together and train enough, we are capable of anything.

“It will take a lot of hard work and dedication for our team, but we’re very hungry for next season and to be national champs.”

Published July 26, 2023

Staying youthful, active — and all that jazz

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She never has a cheat day.

LaVerne Pace, who lives in Lutz, is easily the town’s most-active 100-year-old.

She can be found at the Jazzercise off Lutz Lake Fern Road up to five times a week, dancing away — or as much as she possibly can — during the high-energy exercise sessions.

Despite her age and varying operations over the years, she credits these classes to her excellent health, a desire to stay active and, of course, to developing dozens of friendships.

LaVerne Pace, a 100-year-old Lutz resident, works out up to five times a week at the Jazzercise studio in Lutz, as a way to stay active and healthy. The centenarian has been trying to stay active as much as she can, but also uses Jazzercise as a social outing and has dozens of friends, all of whom helped her ring in her 100th birthday on July 3 with a packed workout session. (Mike Camunas)

“I believe in keeping moving,” Pace said. “I march (in place) as much as I can and can’t (move my) arms and legs at the same time, but as long as I keep both moving when I can, then I know it’s a good workout.

“I just keep going (to class and in life),” she added. “All my friends are gone, but now these are my new friends! I attribute Jazzercise to reaching 100. I really do.”

Originally from Salida, Colorado, Pace moved to Miami at age 5. She grew up and attended school in Miami, visited the Everglades, occasionally, and became a junior high math teacher for 20 years.

She and her husband lived in Miami until 1989, before moving to Lutz. Her husband passed in 2001, after nearly 55 years of marriage.

But nothing — including having both her hips and a knee replaced and gallbladder removed — slowed her down.

She went to a Curves studio for years until it closed, took a few years off exercising and then took up Jazzercise in 2012. In doing so, she made dozens of friends, including more than 50 who showed up to her birthday workout class on July 3.

LaVerne Pace, who is 100 years old, can be found at Jazzercise up to five times a week. Besides helping her to stay fit, the Lutz resident uses Jazzercise as a social outing.

“I don’t have the words to explain how she motivates other people,” said Colleen Pedersen, co-owner of the Lutz Jazzercise. “To see anyone complain about an ache or pain, but then they turn and look at her — they say, ‘Well, if she can do it, I can!’

“She attributes coming (to Jazzercise) five times a week to her longevity and her health — she’s healthy as a horse!” Pedersen added. “She does what she can, and that’s more than people half her age that don’t exercise like her — they’re on oxygen tanks or have diabetes and because they’ve been sedentary for so long, they can’t do what LaVerne does.

“She’s always been moving and she still can move at her age.”

Despite being in great shape, there are some things that Pace cannot do on her own. She uses the aid of a walker, but also the aid of Jazzercise friends, who drive her to the classes.

“We’re Team Daisy!” said Pace’s daughter, Carolyn Sterger, who also works out at Jazzercise. “Like (the movie), ‘Driving Ms. Daisy.’ So we’re her tribe here. That’s why there were 65 or more people at Stonewater Grill (in Land O’ Lakes) for her birthday (lunch).

“When she goes to her physical, the doctor is like, ‘Can you raise your hands above your head?’ and she’s doing this (waving her arms like in class) and the doctor is like, ‘I’ve got people half your age who can’t do that right there!’

“Jazzercise has definitely helped her all these years,” Sterger added.

There might be another reason this great-grandmother has plenty of friends at Jazzercise. She’s also known as the “Boozy Baker.” Even though she doesn’t drink, she’ll make cakes with alcohol and give them to her friends at Jazzercise.

“Everyone does love those cakes,” Pace said. “Maybe that’s why I have so many friends!”

“No,” Pederson added. “This is her family, these are her friends, now, because she’ll tell you all her friends are dead — but they’re really here at Jazzercise. She’s like a grandma to my 12-year-old daughter.

“And it’s her upbeat personality. Who knows how much longer she has, but she doesn’t look 100 because when most people think of a 100-year-old, they don’t think of LaVerne.

“With her longevity, it makes you want to experience life the same way she has.”

Sterger agrees.

“I have more (surgical) hardware than she does and something is going to break on me — so, not sure I’ll make it to 100, but maybe genetics will help!” Sterger said. “She definitely keeps me going!”

According to Boston University centenarian statistics, only .27% of the 330 million U.S. population reaches age 100. That makes Pace a rarity — one who reached her goal to have 150 Jazzercise classes this year before her birthday.

Because she never took a day off.

“Oh yeah, I’m going to keep coming, probably until I drop dead here at Jazzercise (laughs). I’ve been very blessed with good health and family and friends,” Pace said. “I really never thought I’d reach 100 and I don’t know anyone else who has!”

Jazzercise
Where: 19012 First St., S.W., in Lutz
When: Open seven days a week for morning and afternoon sessions
Details: With locations all over the country, Jazzercise uses high-energy dance cardio, such as Cardio or Power Sculpt, to help participants get in shape.
For more information on the Lutz location, call 813-406-4707, or visit Jazzercise.com.

Published July 19, 2023

Pooling together their elite talent

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These swimmers are off the deep end.

For competitive swimming, that is.

The Florida Elite Warriors swimming team, based out of the pool complex at Land O’ Lakes Recreation Center, has, for years, been producing some of the top swimmers in the area — with athletes being locally and nationally ranked.

Florida Elite Swimming member Hailey McArdle works on her breast stroke technique during a June 23 practice at Land O’ Lakes Swimming Pool, 3032 Collier Parkway, in Land O’ Lakes. McArdle is one of several swimmers with the longtime program that has produced state and nationally ranked athletes that compete all over the country, as well as go on to become some of the best high school swimmers in the area and state. (Mike Camunas)

It looks to continue doing just that, especially with Guerby Ruuska, the team’s second-year head coach.

“We always talk about quality over quantity,” Ruuska said. “There’s a place for kicking kids’ butts — but what they need to do here, and what we try to do, is really focus on technique. … We have a lot of kids who come from other clubs and say the same thing — they didn’t get the teaching techniques they get here, and we, and they, just want (the team) culture to be really fun and light.

“On deck, coaches won’t be screaming at kids, so our lessons work, because they’re on how to swim and how to be good people out of the pool.

“They don’t get that somewhere else.”

Ruuska, while a relatively young coach, brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the pool deck.

Originally from Haiti, he swam for Manchester University in Indiana and was even slated to swim for his home country in the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020 before those were postponed by COVID.

“After that, I put my suit and goggles away and started coaching,” Ruuska said. “I mean, yeah, I still get in, but the kids are kicking my butt now.”

Jayden Rodriguez comes up for air during a practice lap for Florida Elite Swimming at Land O’ Lakes Swimming Pool.

Ruuska also coaches at Sunlake High, which is a perfect transition for both him as a coach and the swimmers. Florida Elite works as a “feeder system” to local high schools, such as Sunlake, Land O’ Lakes, Wiregrass Ranch and Cypress Creek.

Florida Elite has been doing this for years, and its swimmers are very competitive for both the club and their schools.

“We’ve kind of become the aquatic hub for Pasco County, so we just want to provide something for all the kids in the area,” Ruuska said. “We also want to be the competitive place for the swimmers who want to take it to the next level.

“We just want to be a home for all the swimmers, wherever they come from and wherever they want to go,” he added. “Of course, we get all the locals and national-level kids. So, for us, when the swimmers are here, high school is seen as the cherry on top.

“It may be a big goal, but it’s not the end goal for this club.”

Coach Guerby Ruuska, with Florida Elite Swimming, who has been with the team for two years now, gives pacing and timing instructions to his swimmers during practice.

The Warriors compete in swimming events and competitions consistently — they also have a synchronized swimming team — but they also can start a new swimmer from the kiddie pool. The team doesn’t just take already polished swimmers — it develops the new, young talent as soon as they dive on in.

It’s why the athletes come to Florida Elite in the first place — for proven results.

“There’s not a team like this anywhere,” said Owen Kerrigan, an incoming freshman at Land O’ Lakes High that excels in the 50-meter freestyle. “The coaches are awesome, the swimmers are fabulous, and we work a lot on technique and don’t just jump in the pool and count strokes.

“I’ve been with other teams, and this one is just better. … The last place I was at, he was an Olympic swimmer, but he didn’t even really swim and wasn’t really paying attention to detail.

“Here, I’m dropping time and that’s huge.”

Warriors teammate Hisrusha Idippili-Pathiranage, who returned to the team three years ago and excels in the 50-meter butterfly, agrees.

“(My old) team wasn’t really fixing my technique,” she said. “They thought I was fine, but I came back here, and (Elite) fixed it, and I got better. I saw that as soon as I got back here. They knew exactly what I needed to do, what drills I needed, and I see improvement here.”

Idippili-Pathiranage added that swimming also helps her with other sports, which is a bonus, as she looks to expand her athletic portfolio.

“The more we work together, the more it pays off,” she said. “(Swimming here) gives me improvement, but it also helps me with other sports, because I’m probably going to do track. That’s a lot of running, so here swimming (at Elite) is going to help me with that, too.”

Florida Elite Swimming

Where: Land O’ Lakes Swimming Pool, 3032 Collier Parkway, in Land O’ Lakes

Details: Florida Elite Aquatics is an inclusive, fun and instructive aquatics program that teaches its members to love aquatic sports from lessons to national level competition, with both a swimming team and a synchro team. The club strives to show the value of hard work, dedication and determination in and out of the water by providing a safe, healthy and positive environment.

Info: Visit SwimElite.org or the team’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/FloridaEliteSwimming, or call 813-279-5443.

Published July 12, 2023

Cameron Dunn takes a deep breath before her next stroke at Land O’ Lakes Swimming Pool.
Lucy McKenzie grabs onto the wall at Land O’ Lakes Swimming Pool to catch her breath during a practice session.
including 8-year-olds through high-schoolers.

Hitting the big time

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Brady North was on the phone, sitting in a bus in the Dominican Republic.

He was speechless, so much so the person on the other line thought the call had been disconnected. The person was none other than Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash.

North had just been called up to the big leagues — as the Rays’ assistant hitting coaches.

“I was speechless,” the 2010 Gaither High grad said. “(Cash) kind of took a long way to tell me, but after he did, he was like, ‘Hey, are you there?’ … It all happened so fast, and I’m not saying it wasn’t expected, but when my playing days were done, my mind immediately switched to being a coach, to how can I get (to the Major Leagues) this way.

“And, I’m very grateful for this opportunity and this organization, because the Rays are all I’ve known and they’ve treated me so great.”

A majorly quick road
The Rays promoted North on Nov. 18, 2021 after he spent that season as the hitting coach with the team’s Class-A affiliate, Bowling Green. That team won the league championship and led the league in runs, homers, walks, on-base percentage and slugging percentage.

Brady North, a 2010 Gaither High graduate, stands behind fellow Gaither graduate, and longtime Tampa Bay Rays manager, Kevin Cash, in the dugout at Tropicana Field during a game vs. the Kansas City Royals on June 22. North, 32, is now an assistant hitting coach for the Rays, after a meteoric rise through the organization’s coaching ranks. He joined the Rays in 2019. (Mike Camunas)

North has risen the ranks in the Rays’ organization since joining the team in 2019, with the rookie-level team, and then the COVID-canceled 2020 season with the Charlotte Single-A team.

The Rays added North to the coaching staff after he spent two seasons as a graduate assistant for his alum, Cumberland University in Tennessee, from 2017-2018. He also spent time coaching in the Cape Cod League for the Cotuit Kettleers.

As a first baseman at Cumberland, North helped the team win the 2014 NAIA National Championship, then would go on to play independent ball for two years: in 2015 for the Washington Wild Things and in 2016 for the Lake Erie Crushers.

But his baseball career started in Lutz, playing Little League and then in high school at Gaither for the late, legendary coach, Frank Permuy.

In four varsity seasons, North batted .356 with 101 hits, 17 doubles and 13 homers, including batting over .400 as a freshman and a senior. These stats earned him the honor of getting his number (35) retired, right there next to his former coach, Permuy, and his current one, Cash.

“It’s a weird thing, you know,” North said. “You look at that wall at Gaither (that shows former players that made the majors) and (we) talked about that we’re going to get (to the majors) or be up there (on the wall) one day and the aspirations to be a (MLB) player. … I just took a different route to get here.”

Cash says North’s short time as an assistant has been nothing but remarkable.

“Brady has had a real fast track of getting into pro ball and being a part of player development and then working with big-league hitters as assistant hitting coach,” said Cash, who graduated from Gaither in 1996. “As someone who lacks reps and experience, he has shown the ability to learn and grow in a very challenging setting here at the major league level.”

Cash said North was probably a better player than he was.

Cash noted: “With his dad (Nelson) as (Gaither’s) coach, who followed (our) coach, Frank — the North Family, in general, is well respected in the baseball world here (in Tampa) so you know (Brady’s) going to bring a lot to the table.”

Cash also was quick to point out that, despite the lack of experience, North is bilingual, “a unique skill set” which has helped with the Latino players in the Rays’ organization, including the major leaguers, such as Yandy Diaz and Randy Arozarena.

Nelson North, who took over coaching Gaither in 2015 after stints as an assistant coach at the University of Tampa and the University of South Florida, knew his son would get to the major-league level — thanks to his work ethic.

“I still think he doesn’t believe it sometimes, but we put on the game and there he is on TV,” said Nelson, who helped out coaching Gaither during Brady’s senior season in 2010.
“I’ve coached a long time,” Nelson added. “In the NAIA, Division 2, Division 1 and high school — and in all those years of coaching players — and I’m not just saying this because Brady’s my son — he’s always worked the hardest. … He’d come home after practice, shower, eat, do homework and go back out to the garage and use the Swing Away until he’d need another shower. He was always a great self- motivator.”

Brady North, a 2010 Gaither High graduate, goes over hitting techniques with Yandy Diaz, the first baseman for the Tampa Bay Rays. They’re in the club’s hitting cages in the tunnels of Tropicana Field. (Courtesy of Will Vragovic, Tampa Bay Rays)

All the right hits
Nelson says Brady loves to coach hitting, which has come in handy not just with the Rays, but also when Brady has helped coaching at Gaither.

He’ll come back to Gaither and talk to Nelson’s current players and also was involved when the Cowboys won a state championship in 2016.

“I’m very proud of his baseball career and the proudest I am of my son is if struck out or hit a home run, he always looked the same,” Nelson said. “He had the great ability to play the game one pitch at a time.

“Brady loves hitting — talk it, teach it, analyze it,” he added. “He’ll come back to Gaither and talk to the team about approach and he’ll jump in the cage and change my approach, but that’s okay, I’ll let him.

“Brady thought of something my team needed, and we changed it because of him — not the Rays or a MLB team, but because of Brady.”

As Brady’s coaching career continues as the youngest coach on the Rays staff, he says he loves his job as assistant hitting coach. Though he’s unsure whether he would want to be a future MLB manager.

For now, he’ll continue to learn, as he’s always done — one hit at a time.

“You can never get complacent with things,” Brady said. “You always have something to learn, no matter what environment it is. You never know everything and right now, I’m just trying to be the best assistant hitting coach I can be and learn everything I can.”

Published July 04, 2023

The Black Belt Bunch

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Here’s the story — of a karate family.

James Stevens and his blended family, featuring six kids, operate West Coast Karate, in Lutz. Four of the kids are black-belt instructors. Since opening during the midst of the pandemic, in 2020, the dojo that features martial arts and homeschool classes has flourished, with a roster of more than 100 students, including individuals who are nationally recognized and ranked. Pictured here in their dojo, back row, from left: James Stevens, Samuel Stoddard, Richard Stoddard, Leia Stoddard, Benjamin Stoddard and Sabrina Stevens, and front row, from left: William Stevens and Emily Stevens. (MIKE CAMUNAS)

Two parents, six kids and plenty of black belts. And, somehow, this blended family formed a dojo in Lutz.

At West Coast Karate, it’s all hands, and fists and kicks, on deck. While patriarch James Stevens is the Sensei, he turns to his wife of nine years, Sabrina, to run the administrative side. Then, their six children, ages 20 to 5, either teach and or train at the dojo.

“We are, obviously, a blended family — a karate Brady Bunch!” Sabrina said. “We are a family owned and operated dojo, and people will be surprised by that. 

Usually, they’ll come in for a couple of classes and then be like, ‘You know, some of the instructors look alike’ and then they realize it’s all in the family.”

James added: “It is all in the family — we don’t ever miss the kids or what they do. Of all the jobs you can have, this is one you don’t dread or are glad you have because you’re here all day, doing something you love with the ones you love.

He relishes his dual role: “To them, I’m both! Sometimes I’m just Sensei, sometimes I’m just Dad and sometimes I’m Sensei Dad, and I love it.”

The rest of this karate clan includes Sabrina’s kids: Richard Stoddard, 20; Leia Stoddard, 19; Benjamin Stoddard, 16; and Samuel Stoddard, 13. Then there’s James’ two children — William, 7, and Emily, 5.

The four oldest children are black belt instructors, while the two youngest, as well as Sabrina, are working their way up to that level.

The Stoddard children help James with classes, especially the younger students.

“I definitely feel as though I’ve embraced that leadership role,” said Richard, who also is a youth pastor. “With karate, you get to turn around and help people up. It’s helping other people grow and get better and flourish in life, both on the mat and outside the dojo.

“And I love being around the family because it’s always a great time.”

Leia Stoddard, 19, works with a young karate student at the dojo her family owns in Lutz, West Coast Karate. (MIKE CAMUNAS)

“I really love what we do and that we do it as a family,” Leia added. “I love teaching and working with the kids — just to see what they’re capable of and build up that trust and relationship with them. I work with the children’s ministry at church, too, so I just like to be involved with the kids.”

Benjamin also chimed in: “I think we all work well together, especially when most, if not all of us, are here teaching and running the dojo. We’re definitely stronger as a family when we’re all here together.”

West Coast Karate just celebrated its third year since opening during the height of the COVID pandemic, in June 2020. It began with an enrollment of zero and grew to more than 100 in less than two years.

“We felt it was time to open a dojo, but we also took the mindset that let’s be ready when people can come back,” Sabrina said. “Everything was ready — mats were on the floors, doors open to the public — and it’s gone better than we could have imagined.”

That’s not just from a business standpoint — because the students are excelling.

The dojo has attended countless AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) tournaments, locally and nationally, as well as the Junior Olympics. In 2022, it produced a silver and three bronze medalists at the World United Karate Federations ’s International Tournament.

At the AAU national tournament, Benjamin took gold in 15-advanced male kumite (sparring), while Samuel took gold in age 12-advanced male kumite.

Last year, they also started the West Coast Competitive Martial Arts Foundation, which strives to provide funding for martial arts programs and competitions for at-risk youth.

Additionally, Sensei James was named the Positive Coaching Alliance’s regional coach for 2023.

West Coast Karate Sensei James Stevens, right, works on a hand drill with his daughter, Emily Stevens, 5, during a martial arts class in Lutz. Emily is one of his two kids, plus James’ four stepkids, all of whom train and work out of the Lutz-based dojo. (MIKE CAMUNAS)

“Every class I’m out there teaching, Emily and William, for example, will be out there, too,” James said. “They have a curriculum, from a sensei point of view, and it’s just like their siblings, that they got the curriculum and need to follow it for their belts.”

This year, Benjamin and Samuel, as well as fellow students Blake Kongmanichanh and Gabriel Coleman, were selected to represent the U.S. and travel with the AAU to Dundee, Scotland in July.

All of which has come through the hard work at the family-run dojo that has seen all the kids follow in the footsteps of James.

“There’s always the hope (your kids) follow what you do, and, sure, kids sometimes venture out and don’t, but my entire family ended up here at the dojo,” James said. “I started (when I was) 11 and some of them started even younger than me, like William and Emily, but everyone has a little something to do around the dojo — which cuts down on overhead having to hire outside instructors!”

Sabrina agrees.

“It doesn’t feel like work when you love what you do and, of course, get to see your family this much,” she added. “It’s a bit of an excuse to see my older son, who’s married and moved out, but I get to see him a lot at the dojo still. … We get to have our family here at the dojo all the time and it really doesn’t get better than that.”

West Coast Karate

Where: 23604 State Road 54, Lutz

Details: A family owned and operated martial arts school that offers traditional martial arts classes, sport karate, weapons classes, daytime homeschool classes and an

Leia Stoddard, left, watches with a smirk as her stepdad, James Stevens, instructs karate youngsters at West Coast Karate in Lutz. (MIKE CAMUNAS)

after-school pickup program. The dojo is a member of the World United Isshin-ryu Karate Association and has trained martial arts students who are nationally ranked and recognized.

Info: Visit WestCoastKarateDojo.com, or call 813-469-8549.

Published on June 28, 2023.

Cycling through the movies

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Grab some popcorn — it’s time for a show.

But also grab a water bottle and a towel because at Cycle Cinema, there will be a show, but there will be sweating, too.

Cycle Cinema is a one-of-a-kind fitness studio that combines the energy of a traditional cycle class with the visual and sound experience of the big screen. Located inside Theater 5 at B&B Theatres Wesley Chapel – The Grove 16, owner and operator Nick Walton removed all movie theater seats and replaced them with stationary bikes to provide morning and evening spin classes.

A trainer runs a session of Cycle Cinema, a one-of-a-kind fitness studio that combines the energy of a traditional cycle class with the visual and sound experience of the big screen. Located inside Theater 5 at B&B Theatres Wesley Chapel – The Grove 16, 6333 Wesley Grove Blvd., Cycle Cinema removed all movie theater seats and replaced them with stationary bikes to provide morning and evening spin classes. (Mike Camunas)

Those stationary bikes sit in front of the big screen, include surround sound and participants can get a great workout with the help of a trainer and visuals on the screen that include trails, routes, motivational images and more.

“The visual aspect is a big thing,” said Walton, who also is executive director of the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis Foundation in Zephyrhills. “That’s the hook that gets them in the theater.

“We’re in that category of boutique studio fitness, but there are no other spin studios in Wesley Chapel, so maybe you can get spin classes at a gym like EōS, but there’s nothing else like this out there.

“Certainly not another cycle studio with a full-size movie screen in front of them,” he said.

Persuading people that there’s actually a studio inside a movie theater is the biggest challenge, he added.

Most expect a spin studio to be in a strip mall but, of course, those can’t provide the big screen.

“They also think we’re in here watching movies,” Walton said. “When people realize what we’re doing, that it’s actually cycling classes, then they’re even more interested — because it’s still an intensive spin class, and once people realize that then they’re less apprehensive to come to a movie theater to work out,” he said, with a laugh.

When Cycle Cinema isn’t using the screen to show routes or trails, it will hold movie-themed nights, tapping into current releases showing in theaters just next door to the fitness studio.

Cycle Cinema puts a new spin on going to the movies. Instead of munching on popcorn while watching a film, the people in this particular theater are burning off calories, while riding stationary bikes.

For example, there was a boxing-themed class to go with the showing of ‘Creed 3’ and the ‘Rocky’ franchise. Another was doing a Mario-themed class, in which the screen showed ‘Mario Kart’ tracks to riders.

“People really liked that,” Walton said. “Especially the Mario class.”

Walton says classes are, for now, mornings and evenings on weekdays, as well as classes on weekend mornings. However, if there were requests for more classes at specific times, Cycle Cinema would be amenable to changing its schedule.

But riders now like the convenience of a spin class before or after work.

Wesley Chapel resident Sasha Glover, who was the first person to join Cycle Cinema, said she enjoys that benefit, plus the aspect of going to a non-gym.

“I love the indoor cycling atmosphere, I love the screen, I love the people, I love what they show and I love it’s not really going to a gym,” Glover said. “I love that there’s the screen and the instructor in front of you, especially since it’s dark in there (laughs), and everyone can’t look at you. Sure, it’s a little self-conscious thing, but once that is gone, then you can just focus on working out and riding.

A trainer is silhouetted in front of the big screen in Theater 5 at B&B Theatres Wesley Chapel – The Grove 16 during an evening session of Cycle Cinema.

“At a gym, everyone is there looking at you and … ewww. Here, you’re in your own little world and just work out. That’s much better for me.”

As a mom of two, Glover says she attends up to four classes a week, which has resulted in getting in great shape and losing weight. She also appreciates being able to bring her two kids, both of whom enjoyed what was on the big screen.

“My son,” she said, “loved Mario night and he even jumped up on a bike and rode some.

“It’s just so totally and completely different and an amazing experience every time I come and ride,” she added.

Especially since the cyclists are there for a workout — not a popcorn flick.

“There’s no one else doing something like this in a movie theater, possibly in the world,” Walton said. “Exercise should be fun and engaging, and I don’t know what could be more fun and engaging than working out in front of a giant screen at a movie theater.”

Cycle Cinema
Where: Inside B&B Theatres Wesley Chapel – The Grove 16, 6333 Wesley Grove Blvd., Wesley Chapel
Details: A one-of-a-kind fitness studio that combines the energy of a traditional cycle class with the visual and sound experience of the big screen. The studio is located in Theater 5, where all movie theater seats have been removed and replaced with stationary bikes. Morning and evening classes are offered on most days. Cycle Cinema also offers a free trial for the first class as an introductory tryout.
For more information, visit TheCycleCinema.com.

Published June 21, 2023