Sandy Ihlenfeld, senior physical director at the Butler County Family YMCA, traded in the snow and cold for two weeks of 70-degree weather and sun in Taiwan.

Ihlenfeld returned Jan. 26 from the Asian island nation where she spent two weeks teaching certification courses to Taiwanese physical education graduate students.

Ihlenfeld, in her capacity as an international trainer for YMCA of USA, spent 10-hour days conducting lectures and practical labs in strength training, Pilates and group exercise to groups of 40 to 100 students on college campuses in three different cities.

“I had trainings in Taipei, Taichung and Tainan,” said Ihlenfeld. “They were basically three major cities attached by high-speed rail. It only took an hour to get from city to city. It was pretty easy to get from one end of the island to the other lengthwise.

“The certification was under the auspices of the YUSA. All the Ys in the world reach out to us for assistance and support,” said Ihlenfeld.

“I am the faculty trainer for YUSA health and physical activity,” said Ihlenfeld.

“I teach certification courses,” she said. “On this trip the classes were on college campuses and I was certifying graduate students.

“The YMCA is the leading certifying body,” she said. “This certification is good for any venue that they choose: schools, fitness centers, physical therapy.

“They can go anywhere. The YMCA certification is the gold standard,” said Ihlenfeld

She said the Taiwanese students “have the science in their head; they just want to know how that works in the real word.”

She said the lessons were relayed by a translator to each co-ed class of 25- to 35-year-olds that covered lectures and time in the gym.

“Most of them had multiple degrees,” she said. “In Asia, I've noticed people strive for more and more education.”

Each class lasted three days.

“I teach in English. They translate into Mandarin. It works out slicker than you think,” said Ihlenfeld.

“The Taiwanese are much different,” she said. “They are far behind our system of how to apply exercise concepts, 10 years behind us.

“I do the movements and make them effective for different modalities: strength training, core training, group exercises,” said Ihlenfeld.

She said her time in Taiwan wasn't all work. She got to bicycle to Sun Moon Lake near Taichung on some of her down time.

Not that she had a lot during her trip to Taiwan.

Ihlenfeld is sought after for her extensive training experience not only here in the United States but internationally.

Boonchin Tan, the associate senior director of the international group of the Chicago-based YUSA, said, “One thing we encourage is the sharing of knowledge. There are Ys in 119 countries. We have to leverage this knowledge.”

Her Taiwan visit wasn't Ihlenfeld's first international trip. She said she has previously been to Tokyo, Hong Kong, Thailand, Bath in England and Edinburgh in Scotland. Her most recent previous international training mission was to Thailand and Taiwan, a three-week jaunt in 2010.

Tan said YUSA encourages partnerships between Ys in different countries.

“Some of these are on a need basis with long-term goals,” Tan said, adding Ihlenfeld's work will help the eight YMCAs in Taiwan establish their own health and wellness standards.

Ihlenfeld doesn't get paid for her teaching.

“I go on these trips with the support of the Butler YMCA,” said Ihlenfeld. “YUSA pays for the travel. The host country provides room and board.”

“This was my sixth trip to Taiwan,” said Ihlenfeld. “I even have favorite places to eat.”