Sam Zhang sleepily hung over his father’s shoulder as he arrived for his Saturday gymnastic class at Balance 180 Gymnastics and Sports Academy.
Seconds later he sprang into action, smiling broadly and jumping on a mini trampoline with the help of volunteer Andy Lopez.
Sam soon joined the other participants in a circle to stretch, sing and cheer.
“He didn’t use to be able to sit in a circle,” said Lei Zhang, whose son has autism.
Balance 180’s adaptive gymnastic classes at the Florida Team Cheer gym are lively sessions with one or two volunteers – many of them University of Florida students – for every child.
The sessions are adaptive in the sense that the exercises are adjusted to the needs of participants, but they are typical gymnastics classes in terms of the equipment used, which includes balance beams, bars and springboards.
The adaptive gymnastic classes are based on the principles of the Special Olympics’ Young Athletes Program, said Balance 180 co-founder Krista Vandenborne, Ph.D.
“With our adaptive classes, we go farther than any program I know about in helping athletes master important motor, cognitive and social skills in a fun way using principles of gymnastics,” she said. “Often, children with disabilities such as autism or cerebral palsy have limited motor skills, and participating in gymnastics can provide tremendous benefits.”
Parents appreciate the impact.
“It’s amazing,” said Misty McCauley as she watched her daughter, Georgia, excitedly go through different stations. “It’s wonderful to have something fun to do besides her regular therapy.”
Georgia, who has impaired function of the right side of her brain, becomes stronger and more comfortable every time she comes to Balance 180.
“The first time she came, she screamed,” McCauley said.
Vandenborne and co-founder Carsten Schmalfuss, M.D., envisioned a program like Balance 180 three years ago when both of their daughters were competitive gymnasts.
“We believed there had to be another way to make gymnastics available so everyone could reach his or her full potential,” Schmalfuss said.
Vandenborne, chair of UF’s department of physical therapy, and Schmalfuss, a UF cardiologist, started Balance 180 with the vision of providing all children with a nurturing, healthy environment that recognizes each child’s unique potential.
During the summer of 2012, Balance 180 began offering the Special Olympics’ Young Athletes Program in Alachua County for the first time. In February 2013, it added recreational gymnastics and adaptive gymnastics classes.
The programs now teach more than 100 athletes, and the adaptive gymnastics class has about 17 students.
“I’m excited that four kids with disabilities have already transitioned from the adaptive class to the recreational classes and are participating along with the children without disabilities,” Vandenborne said.
Volunteering for Balance 180 has been eye-opening for Alexis Santos, a UF student majoring in applied physiology and kinesiology who aspires to become a pediatrician specializing in child development.
“It’s amazing to see the personalities,” she said. “These are sweet kids. I’m now able to see the whole individual, not just the diagnosis.”
The program strives to help participants make friends. That’s exactly what happened with Becca Quirk and Courtney Crown, who both have Down’s syndrome and work side-by-side smiling and laughing during their classes.
Balance 180 is a nonprofit organization that operates through donations and volunteers.
Julie Foster, a recent UF graduate in business administration, serves as the administrative coordinator for Balance 180.
“Julie is the heart and soul of Balance 180 both on the administrative and the gymnastics side,” Schmalfuss said.
“She is amazing; she makes it all happen,” Vandenborne said. “Balance 180 wouldn’t be where it is today without all of her hard work.”
The organization is an incubating company at Santa Fe College’s Center for Innovation and Economic Development.
“CIED has provided us a great place to hold training sessions and meetings,” Foster said. “I enjoy attending the weekly peer group meetings and learning from the successes and challenges of other people who are starting companies.”
Despite years of leading programs at UF, running the adaptive gymnastics classes has been a learning experience for Vandenborne.
“Every time I come out to the gym, I feel grateful for the opportunity to make a difference in a child’s life. I’ve learned that every child can learn and enjoy the pleasure that comes with achievement,” Vandenborne said. “I’ve also been amazed at how generous this generation of college students is and how they can energize a community. The students and kids are the heroes of our programs.”
As he looked across the gym, Schmalfuss said, “When I see the smiles on the faces of our athletes and volunteers, I see that our vision has become reality.”
To raise funds for future growth, Balance 180 plans to launch a web-based crowdfunding campaign through Indiegogo.com.