Many years ago, a mother gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. When she went to the hospital nursery, she saw that all the baby girls had on pink hats: all but one, her daughter, because her daughter has Down Syndrome. That baby, Mandy, grew up to be an athlete. She competed ice skating in Special Olympics and even represented the US at the World Games in Japan. Mandy's dream was to be on a team and participate in sports with her friends. When she moved to Atlanta and started taking gymnastics, that dream became a reality. I have been privileged to coach Mandy and her friends for many years, and I want to share their journey toward INCLUSION. Eight girls with various disabilities formed Chattooga Galaxy, and their love of gymnastics and the courage of their parents has grown into a mission to show the world the abilities of people with disABILITIES.
Team Galaxy began participating in Gymnastics for All. I remember going to one of their first big events, GFA Nationals in Indianapolis, and reassuring the parents that their gymnasts were welcome, even though they were the only ones with disabilities. The Danish National Team taught a TeamGym workshop and one mom was reluctant to let her daughter join in. I told her she was just like everyone else and to her mom's surprise, her daughter did all the tumbling and mini tramp passes – just like everyone else!
Team Galaxy became the only team of gymnasts with disabilities competing in Aesthetic Group Gymnastics. The team competed in Canada and as the parents saw the acceptance of the AGG community, they wanted to spread the word around the world. Our first overseas competition was the Pader Cup in Germany. There was no category for gymnasts with disabilities, so Team Galaxy was entered against the national teams of all the eastern European countries. They stole the show! Next, we travelled to Estonia for Miss Valentine. When I paid the entry fee, the meet director said, "I'm so glad you brought your team here. In our country, children like that are usually hidden away." We noticed that many people were staring at the girls, but not with malice, just curiosity, because they probably had never seen anyone with Down Syndrome before.
Back at home, Team Galaxy continued Gymnastics for All, performing exhibition routines with typical gymnasts and even with their parents. Then, we learned about the World Gymnaestrada and our mission began in earnest. We first attended in 2003 and saw that even though there were several teams of gymnasts with disabilities, there weren't any other teams who included gymnasts with and without disabilities in their performance. Fast forward to 2019, where we saw many inclusive teams! At the first Gym for Life World Challenge, my team was composed of three gymnasts with disabilities and their parents. The comment from the feedbackers was that we shouldn't always have the girls with disabilities standing in the front. What they didn't know was that the girls had to stand in front so their parents could remember the choreography. USA Gymnastics has led the way toward INCLUSION and it is impossible to explain the impact on not only the gymnasts with disabilities, but also on their families, who never dreamed they would have the opportunity to represent their country in international events, participating with their children who had often been excluded from things typical children take for granted.
In addition to Special Olympics, many national federations have programs for gymnasts with disabilities and hold competitions, just like they do for typical gymnasts. Close your eyes and imagine seeing gymnasts with disabilities at all competitions. That's what the USA Gymnastics HUGS program has made possible! In addition to GFA, Mandy and her teammates on Team Galaxy have pioneered the HUGS disciplines of artistic and rhythmic gymnastics, and most recently, Trampoline and Tumbling. The first year they competed in artistic mega meets, the HUGS competitors drew a lot of attention. Coaches and athletes from other teams cheered them on and the judges were all smiles during the routines. It brought tears to my eyes to see the girls out there on the floor – just like everybody else. The next year, I noticed that people were still supportive, but they weren't paying as much attention to the HUGS gymnasts. That's because it wasn't a novelty anymore. INCLUSION was accepted!
To all athletes with disabilities – learn from Mandy. Dare to dream and find a place to make your dreams come true. To all parents of children with disabilities, be brave and value your children for the ABILITIES they have. To all coaches who teach students with disabilities, know that you may help those students learn gymnastics, but they will make you a better coach and a better person just by having them in your life. To USA Gymnastics – thanks for the acceptance and opportunities you provide gymnasts with disabilities. INCLUSION lives!
As for me, sometimes I wonder if all the babies in the nursery who were given pink hats grew up to accomplish as much in life as Mandy has.
