Sarah Ganzer, Cheerleader
December 16, 2006 by Kristina Chew, PhD
Filed under Health
“I like to go up in the air…..I just like it.”
So says 13-year-old Sarah Ganzer, who has autism and who is on an adaptive cheerleading team in the Twin Cities, Minnesota. An article in today’s Minneapolis-St. Paul Pioneer Press tells about how, after thinking that her older sister Rachel’s cheerleading was a “‘lame thing to do,’” Sarah has embraced the sport.
At a team practice last week, Sarah carefully ran on the blue mat and leaped into a split jump. A gleeful Sarah high-fived a teammate.
………
‘I can’t even get them to take a water break,’ [coach Allison] Pankratz said. ‘They’re always saying, ‘Let’s do it again. Let’s do it again.’ They don’t take it for granted.‘You can tell the difference when someone just enjoys the sport versus being pressured into it,’ she said. ‘They love it.’
Sarah has been practicing with five other students with disabilities since October and will compete in the Upper Midwest Cheer Championship to be held Sunday at the University of Minnesota.
More than three cheers for Sarah and her team.
Wow. Looks like Special Olympics isn’t the only game in town anymore…
Come spring, we get Charlie an outdoor trampoline!
Uh oh.
Now I need an excuse to come visit and teach him tricks…before he outweighs me! It’s scary when kids SEE stuff and TRY it and try it WRONG *covers eyes*.
Tuck jump, straddle jump, pike jump, butt drops, belly drops, and full and half turns are all pre-reqs for even THINKING about flipping *nods*.
Bet he’ll have a BLAST on it. Trampolines are just so much…FUN.
I’m trying to convince Johny (my partner) that getting a large outdoor trampoline for Sammie and me is a good idea. He won’t though
We’re getting the Bear (3yrs 6 mos) a mini-trampoline for Christmas. Once she gets used to that, we too may get an outdoor trampoline (our neighbours have one and think its a blast!).
Wait for the spring for Charlie jumping high photos!