Morin hopes to complete the project - including a fitness walking trail around the senior center and benches for weight exercises - once rebuilding the town center is finished.
Stephanie D. Morin, of Monson, earns a Girl Scout Gold Award for her project, "Senior Fitness Trails."
MONSON - Stephanie Morin didn't let the June 2011 tornado that ripped through her hometown stop her from earning Girl Scouts' highest honor.
Morin, 19, earned her Gold Award in the spring for her project, a senior fitness trail in town, despite setbacks that have stalled its official completion.
Morin, who graduated from Monson High School in 2011 and is starting her sophomore year at Boston's Suffolk University this fall, has always been involved in sports and fitness.
"I wanted to include seniors in (my project) because I think sometimes seniors can be overlooked in the community," Morin said. "It was my way of giving back to the community, and especially to the seniors."
Morin, who played soccer and softball at Monson High, decided to build the fitness trail so that it would be easily accessible to the town's elderly population.
"I wanted it to be close by to the Senior Center and senior housing, and the perfect spot was Veterans Field because it's literally steps away from both of those areas," she said. "I wanted it to be outside because I think nature is a huge part of being fit and getting away from stress and everyday life."
Morin started the project about 21/2 years ago. Although she said she knew a lot about fitness, she didn't know much about fitness pertaining specifically to seniors. She did research online and also spoke with a local fitness instructor.
"She gave me a better insight into what exercises were good and wouldn't necessarily cause injuries," Morin said.
Morin had benches donated from Home Depot and Lowe's. She said the benches were essential to the project.
"They can be used for chair exercises so people of all fitness levels could use the trail," she said. "And some people may not be able to walk the whole way.
"Because the tornado happened right before I finished my project, I had to make a lot of alterations," she said. "I didn't want to give up this project, even with the tornado causing a lot of trouble."
She mapped out walking routes around the Senior Center and developed weight exercises for three levels of fitness. She also donated weights to the Senior Center.
Once the rebuilding in the town center is done, Morin hopes to complete her project.
"The plan is to open it eventually," she said. "It's still being discussed as to when we can install the benches."
Despite the setbacks, Morin said her many years in Girl Scouts helped her prepare for adversity.
"(It has taught me) to be very persistent," she said. "I definitely feel stronger to get through different challenges. Growing up in a pretty small town, you can be very close to other people. You get a lot from the community, and I felt it was time to give back."