Special Olympics of Florida youth ambassadors host inclusive Valrico fitness workouts
VALRICO, Fla. - A pair of Special Olympics of Florida youth ambassadors spread inclusion through "Unified Music and Motion" classes.
"It feels very important to get our minds going, our moves strengthened and getting our heart rate up," Special Olympics ambassador Tyler Downs said.
A fitness initiative
The backstory:
Three-hour-long classes are funded through youth innovation grants.
The purpose was to address a missing space for inclusive programming in their local community.
Downs partnered with long-time friend and fellow youth ambassador Brianna Cheshire. The pair combined their grants to pay for the classes, which include resistance training, yoga and interactive drumming sessions to build community connections.
"Music really does unite people all over the world, and I think it’s kind of a no-brainer that he was going to do something with music," Cheshire explained.
Downs, who is a self-taught drummer, designed the program, which takes place at the Mini Friends Farm in Valrico.
An instructor in a blue Special Olympics Florida shirt enthusiastically demonstrates a rhythm exercise using a pair of wooden drumsticks
Community fellowship goals
What they're saying:
"Music goes to my heart and my soul," Downs said. "The funnest part is seeing people have good fellowship and have good thoughts about themselves, praying that they do good together."
Cheshire noted that combining physical activity with music was a natural choice to help bring diverse groups of people together.
"I hope they found a place that for at least part of the day they felt included, that they felt happy and welcomed," Cheshire said.
A large group of campers and instructors participate in an outdoor stretching exercise on an athletic court.
Free class registration
What's next:
The final "Unified Music and Motion" class of the series is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, June 17 at 9 a.m.
Registration for the remaining session is free.
Click here for more information.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered through interviews with Special Olympics' youth ambassadors Tyler Downs and Brianna Cheshire.