HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026 07 13 Public Input - Written Input Received from Susan WalkerWritten Public Input received 7/13/2026 from Ms. Susan Walker.
Requested to be read into the record at the City of Winter Springs
Budget Workshop held July 13, 2026 at 4:30 PM during public input.
Good evening, Mayor McCann and City Commissioners.
My name is Susan Walker.
I live in unincorporated Winter Springs, and I have been using our city's therapy
pool three times a week for the last eighteen years.
Truly, this pool is the reason I am still moving today.
I recently learned that our therapy pool is facing financial difficulties.
I am here tonight simply to share how much this wonderful pool means to our
community.
On dry land, our seniors face all kinds of painful physical limitations.
I live with cervical dystonia, which makes moving and speaking a daily struggle.
Others live with severe arthritis, joint replacements, or rely on walkers just to get
through the door.
Gravity can be a very isolating force. But when we step into that warm water, something
extraordinary happens.
Because we exercise vertically —standing upright, working on our balance, and moving
our joints without the heavy pressure of gravity, the water becomes a place of complete
comfort.
Inside that pool, everyone's limitations seem to dissolve.
You cannot tell who struggled to walk across the parking lot or who is living with chronic
pain.
We are all standing tall, moving safely, and working together.
When you are in that water, you truly feel as one.
It is a place of pure belonging, where physical differences disappear and a
deep sense of community takes their place.
This pool does more than just strengthen our bodies; it lifts our spirits.
It has kept me active and independent for nearly two decades,
and it does the same for countless others.
It is a haven of wellness that Winter Springs should be incredibly proud of.
As you look for ways to navigate these financial challenges, I gently ask you to consider
the immense human value of this special place.
Please help us preserve this beautiful space of unity and health so seniors
like me can keep standing tall.
Thank you so much for your time and for listening to our hearts tonight.