April 29, 2024
This paid production is sponsored by GreatLIFE Golf & Fitness.
In the coming weeks, School Resource Officer Matt Vander Velde will transition from his duties at Achtel Park to a night shift patrolling the Sioux Falls area.
But when his shift ends and the sun starts to rise, there's probably a round of golf waiting for him.
“After work, I always go straight to the golf course,” said Vander Velde, a member of GreatLIFE, which started more than 10 years ago.
So he usually arrives at Willow Run Golf Course before 7 a.m., he says, and you'll be surprised at how many company he has.
“There are quite a few people trying to get out of it,” he says. “People will play nine holes at 6:30 a.m. and be at work by 8 a.m. People like me will have different hours and some people will work all-nighters.”
Vander Velde admits he takes his game seriously. And thanks to GreatLIFE's unlimited model, he can play as many rounds as he wants.
“Overwhelmingly positive results,” he said. “I'm probably out seven days a week. Sometimes I'll go to Bucker Crossing, sometimes I'll go to Hartford. I've been to Worthington and Vermilion, but mostly I'm going to do Willow Run.”
From time to time, I also include a workout at Willow Run's attached fitness center.
But perhaps he and his wife, Teresa, a longtime special education teacher at Anne Sullivan Elementary School, will end up attending the GreatLIFE gym on 26th Street together, near their home on Sioux Falls' east side. .
“I like the gym because it’s close to home,” she said. “When the weather is nice, I walk up there and work out and walk some more and walk home. And we love the people who work there. They're just friendly and have been for years. I have done so.”
Vander Veldes works out almost every day, combining cardio and strength training.
“It’s been really good for us,” she said. “We both feel healthier and it's a good way to de-stress. When you don't exercise for a few days, you know your stress levels are in need of exercise, so you have to exercise.” And it's the people that make all the difference. It's like a small community where you can talk and ask questions.”
Their lifestyle is a great example of what GreatLIFE can offer its members, said Randall Hill, vice president of fitness.
“There are many benefits to staying active when you have a job like being a police officer or a teacher. “It’s important to be able to train and play golf whenever you want,” he said. “We are grateful to Vander Veldes for his many years of service to our community and for being a part of the GreatLIFE community.”
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