Samantha Morin & the Pioneer Valley Skipping Club

“Not only is it a form of exercise and therefore good for the mind and body, it helps me and my skippers feel happy!” –Pioneer Valley Skipping Club founder Samantha Morin

It takes a special kind of person to organize and lead a skipping club.  Skip leaders are fun loving, positive energy people who love to bring people together in the name of fun and frivolity, and 24-year old Samantha Morin is no exception! We are excited to add her to the Skipping Hall of Fame and hope you enjoy this interview about the inspiration for her skipping club that meets on a monthly basis in the Pioneer Valley area of Western Massachusetts!

When was the first time you skipped as an adult?

Luckily as an early childhood educator, I skip a lot! I like to join in with what my students are doing. My first time skipping as an adult was probably in college during a movement class where we learned how to incorporate movement into the classroom. I remember our professor making us skip, hop, and gallop in class and thinking it was so fun! I’m also a Jazzercise instructor and a move we often do is a skip, sometimes in place, and sometimes moving. I guess you can say I’ve had a lot of skip-perience.

What made you decide to start a skipping club?

I saw an article on Michelle Joni’s adult preschool and was so interested in all of the things she was doing. I went to her website and saw “skipping club” and thought, “is this what it sounds like?” and sure enough, it was! I wanted to do it in my hometown. I love organizing things and bringing groups of people together. I knew it would put smiles on the faces of the people watching, too.

Tell us about your skipping club and what you do at your events.

Pioneer Valley Skipping Club meets monthly and in different parts of the Pioneer Valley in Western Massachusetts. As of right now, the club consists of my friends and I and is typically a small group, so we meet in a designated area and update each other on our lives and talk while we skip – which is great because we know we’re breathing while working out instead holding our breath.  During the skips we stop at selected places of interest and pose for a few pictures. At the end of the skip, we sometimes grab a snack and cool down.

How do the people you encounter during your skipping events usually react?

Do you think skipping makes the world a better place? If so how?

Oh definitely! Not only is it a form of exercise and therefore good for the mind and body, it helps me and my skippers feel happy! If you think of the definition of “happy” and imagine a picture, it might be someone skipping through flowers. It’s just a happy thing! I feel like I don’t have anything to worry about, except the fact that my quads might be sore tomorrow!

What would you say to someone who is feeling too self-conscious to skip?

To someone feeling self-conscious to skip, I would wonder what is making them feel self-conscious? What other people think? Life is too short, my friend! Do what makes you happy and try new things!

How can people find out more about the Pioneer Valley Skipping Club?

All of our information is on our Facebook page. Each event we do, I create an event page where the skip details will be (where to meet, our route, the theme, etc.)