The adaptive Mini-milers program has begun! Saturday we had eight children ages 7-13 with special needs and nine incredible mentors from South Burlington High School and Rice Memorial High School participate in Kayla’s Directory’s first program. The session began with a group stretch and was followed by breaking into stations; running/walking around track, an obstacle course, and tic-tac-toe. It closed with a relay race, group stretch and a healthy snack (along with a discussion regarding other types of healthy snacks we could have in the future).
How did it go? It was a resounding success. Last week Run Vermont actually closed registration for the program because we had reached our cap of fifteen children signing up. I capped participation because I felt that it was critical that each child registered to be paired with a mentor in order to make sure they are engaging in activities, having a fun time, and are being safe and I recognized that getting enough mentors could be a challenge. (Indeed, it has been since not only is this school vacation week but many of the area high school students are engaged with spring sports and could not commit.)
To me, however, the success was not measured in numbers but in actions. During the first adaptive Mini-Milers program, I saw:
– A couple of children with mobility issues such that walking itself can be challenging, participated for the entire session and made multiple laps around the track.
– A child who was only “going to watch” quickly changed his mind when he saw the others and actually participated in the full session, circling the track over four times.
– Another child continually assist other children and motivated them to go around the track and participate in the activities.
– All the children participate in a relay race, cheering one another on regardless of their speed, and giving each other and the mentors high fives.
There is something magical about watching a group of children with special needs come participate in an activity together. The determination and resiliency of some of these children regardless of their diagnosis is remarkable, and the support they offer each other, along with the laughter, high fives, and cheering are truly unforgettable. Next week will be our second session and I anticipate not only will we have more participants but even more fun. I cannot thank all the volunteers and others who have made this possible enough and look forward to seeing many of you next week.