The Role Of Aletha In Adaptive Gymnastics

Learning how to walk on a balance beam may seem like a breeze for the average gymnast, but for A.J. Kleinheksel’s daughter, Aletha, it was quite the challenge. Kleinheksel said she put Aletha in adaptive gymnastics at Balance 180, to help her deal with developmental delays and a physical disability. “Aletha has trouble with communication and gross motor skills and she is missing tendons in her thumbs, which has really challenged her self-confidence,” Kleinheksel said. These disabilities have made it very difficult for Aletha to do activities that involve balance and using a grip, but Kleinheksel said Balance 180 has helped to change that. Rebecca Thrift, Balance 180’s Special Olympics Young Athletes program coordinator, said children with …show more content…
“I can always see the impact I’ve made on their day just in that short amount of time, because they open up so quickly,” Kopka said. Gaining social skills and confidence is just one of the many benefits of adaptive gymnastics, Thrift said. “Children with special needs have a higher tendency to be overweight, so physical activity is very important for them,” Thrift said, “gymnastics in particular focuses on flexibility and core strength which is necessary for multiple skills in life.” Thrift said around 18 children are enrolled in adaptive gymnastics this semester. The group is split into a younger group and an older group. A.J. Kleinheksel’s daughter Aletha is in the younger group. Kleinheksel said Aletha has been taking gymnastics for a little over two and half years. “We stopped doing physical therapy and replaced it with gymnastics. She enjoys it more and we see much more improvement from this,” Kleinheksel said. Aletha started at Balance 180 unable to walk upstairs without assistance. Kleinheksel said she is now jumping off of trampolines without any signs of