- Details
- Category: Past Issues
Former Husky
brings program
to Putnam
By Ron P. Coderre
Putnam has witnessed vast revitalization in the past couple decades bringing a new energy and vitality to the community. On any given day it’s difficult to find a convenient parking spot downtown because of the variety of eating establishments and businesses that are flourishing in the area.
This upsurge has also brought a new and diverse group of individuals to the community making it a destination to visit and for services. One of the little known services being offered in Putnam is therapeutic massage, located in Midtown Fitness Center. As unique as the service is, the person who owns and runs the program is as interesting.
Shannon Saunders is the person behind the service that is aimed at helping athletes and non-athletes improve their health and flexibility through her program, WEMA Therapies. Saunders, who originally hails from the Pottstown, Penn.,area, is a licensed massage therapist.
But there’s another side and story to Shannon Saunders that most people in Putnam don’t know. Saunders is a former UConn women’s basketball player. The humble Saunders’ story goes back to 1988 when she was playing at Pottstown High School. As a high school athlete, the 5-foot, 7-inch Saunders was not only a dynamo on court but also played softball, track and field hockey.
“Basketball was my love. I played the game since I was 7 years old. I didn’t have all the fanfare that others had as a high school athlete but there were some schools looking at me although UConn wasn’t one of them,” said Saunders.
In fact, as Saunders tells it two schools, Syracuse and Seton Hall were showing interest in her but Saunders met UConn Assistant Chris Daley who was scouting another player from her area. Although the Huskies weren’t “on my radar” as Saunders describes it, when she found out that coach Geno Auriemma was from Norristown and another young lady from Pennsylvania, Wendy Davis was going to UConn, she also took the leap.
As it turned out, Saunders became a part of the saga of probably the greatest program in the history of women’s college basketball. The UConn basketball program at that time was in its infancy. Saunders played with the likes of Laura Lishness, Kerry Bascomb and Megan Pattison, who today is Megan Culmo, TV commentator for UConn women’s basketball on CPTV.
The early teams that Saunders played on achieved on the court beyond expectations. They reached the NCAA Tournament in her freshman and sophomore seasons and went to the Final Four in her junior year. The changes from high school to college were immense for Saunders, who soon realized she was a role model for younger people. Moving from the old Fieldhouse into Gampel Pavilion brought on more notoriety and recognition for the players.
Although she admits she struggled as a student, Saunders graduated with a degree in sociology, which eventually led her to her role in life today. On the court she was not a big time scorer but her defense and rebounding made her a valuable asset to the team. In life her degree led her to a career working with less fortunate people in settings such as schools teaching remedial subjects or as a job coach or in group homes rehabilitating residents.
“These jobs helped me take a look at myself and helped me to grow as a person. It was at that point when I decided that although I liked what I was doing it was time to make a career change,” said Saunders.
She enrolled and graduated in a two-year program at the Connecticut Center for Massage Therapy in Newington. She studied under a person named Lee Stang, who became her mentor and guide. This eventually led Saunders “to grow up” and establish herself where she is today.
She coined her business WEMA Therapies, which translated means goodness or wellness in Swahali. WEMA therapies assists individuals achieve relaxation, increase range of motion and flexibility and reduce pain.
Saunders brought her program to Putnam when she heard through her friend Kerry Methot of the Eastern Connecticut Rehab Center that she could set up as an independent contractor at Midtown Fitness Center. Today she sees clients by appointment all day on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
Although she lives outside the area, she plans on moving her residence to Putnam in the near future. She spends her free time coaching youngsters in S. Windsor in the sport that made her into the person she is today, basketball.
“Kids need role models. I’ve been fortunate and I want to help others. The things I do in life and work are important because I want young people to see you can succeed if you have goals,’ said Saunders.
Through WEMA and the way she leads her life, Shannon Saunders has parlayed success as a college basketball player, hard work on a daily basis and providing “goodness and wellness” to others into a mantra of success in Putnam.