Going for Gold

By: Mina Mortezaie

The qualifiers for the Gymnastics Special Olympics Summer Games were held on Sunday April 20^th at Broadway Gymnastics School in Los Angeles. Twenty-nine gymnasts from the Westside Special Olympics region competed for their chance to qualify in the Southern California Special Olympics Summer Games held in Long Beach June 13-14^th. The boys and girls competing live with conditions such as deafness, autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, physical handicap, learning disabilities, and mental retardation. Gymnastics has provided an outlet for these gymnasts to keep their bodies limber and their minds engaged.

The Special Olympics athletes had determination written on their faces as they patiently awaited their turn on each apparatus. Competitor Ksenia Miretski was all smiles as she talked about her love for gymnastics and her coaches. Learning disability, scoliosis, and autism do not stop her from training hard and enjoying her sport. In fact Ksenia says she likes getting calluses on her hands from the uneven bars apparatus. Ksenia’s coach Natasha Burgos has been volunteering for the special needs program for 5 years. “There is no other program like this one in all of California. I did gymnastics for over 13 years and it had a huge impact on my life, this is my way of giving back. Seeing the smiles on my students faces makes this all worth it.”

Broadway Gymnastic School donates their facility for the Special Olympics program and the coaches volunteer their time to train the gymnasts for the event. Gym Owner Mary Cates explains how the special needs program was a result of community involvement. The program keeps the participants active and teaches nutrition and discipline.  Broadway Gym also integrates the special needs population with the rest of their gymnastics program. “We host a boy’s meet called the Peter Vidmar Invitational in which we have a session for the Special Olympics athletes. The event is a place where all the boys can find a common interest regardless of their abilities and skill levels.” Not only is Broadway Gym’s special needs program one of the largest in Southern California, but is also unique in the sense that it provides scholarships to families in financial need and teaches socialization and sensory integration for the participants. “Some of our students who start in the special needs program eventually migrate to our regular gymnastics program after showing great improvement.”

Mother and gymnastics coach Patty Russi explains how gymnastics helps these children stay physically fit while also teaching them to be well rounded. They form relationships with other students and their coaches, they learn to perform in front of an audience, and they take pride in the accomplishments they achieve. “One of the children in the program was not able to walk until age 6 and now balances on a 4 inch wide beam. Some of these participants would still be in a wheelchair if it were not for the flexibility and muscle strength that gymnastics has provided them.” Patty Russi hopes that USA Gymnastics will develop a special needs category that will integrate the Special Olympics with non-Special Olympic events. This integration can benefit athletes from both programs to appreciate and inspire each other. “They work so hard and they deserve national recognition. They are living proof that determination can take you anywhere.” Needless to say, the Special Olympics gymnastics program has achieved leaps and bounds for those living with special needs and serves as an inspiration to gymnasts everywhere.

For more information about the Special Olympics and Broadway Gymnastics school you can visit http://broadwaygym.com/.