Phil Livingston, 73, of Guilderland, rarely exercised until a couple of years ago. That all changed when he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

Scores of contestants woke up early to face the bracing February air on Thompson's Lake on Feb. 1. The ice-fishing contest was less about competition or comfort than it was for the camaraderie and relaxation of sitting on an otherwise barren sheet of ice.

Ryan Venter, the new YMCA director, hopes more of Guilderland's 10,000 members will use programs besides fitness — its more than "a gym and a swim," he said.