It is with great sadness that we say so long to a beloved and vibrant member of the Urban Poling community, Ron Kennedy, who passed away on April 13, 2020.  Although he will be dearly missed, he will always be fondly remembered not only by his Urban Poling family, but by the many seniors whose lives he enriched through his popular and ever growing “polercise” classes which he led alongside his cherished partner in life, Dee.

We were very fortunate to have Ron, a certified instructor and Urban Poling ambassador, with our company from its very onset.  Being a senior himself, Ron dedicated most of his retirement years sharing his passion about urban poling with the vibrant senior community in his hometown of Waterloo.  An extremely dedicated instructor, he was always eager to embrace new initiatives which undoubtedly led to the creation of his famous “polercise” classes- using Activator poles while listening to great tunes from back in the day.   Ron and Dee, our “dynamic duo”, as we fondly called them, always went the extra mile by tailoring their urban poling classes for seniors and making them as inclusive as possible for those with more restricted mobility. They made sure that their classes not only offered an easy way to exercise but one that was safe and fun too! Ron’s enthusiasm was all encompassing and the success of his unique way of teaching kept him and Dee busy educating seniors in retirement homes, day programs, Community Service 50 plus in the Kitchener/Waterloo, the City of Kitchener and in the YMCA Live Smart Program.

We salute Ron and his commitment to making such a positive and unforgettable impact not only on the Urban Poling family but on the lives of the many seniors in his own community who always looked forward to his lively and upbeat “polercise” classes.  Thank you for being such an inspiration to all of us and for making everyone he met feel empowered and forever young!