Our Story

We were inspired by my sister, Zara, to create this Special Olympics gymnastics team to offer children with disabilities the opportunity to experience the joys and benefits of gymnastics. My sister and I both love gymnastics and started taking gymnastics classes as young children. I joined a team and started competing, but as she got older, there were no longer any opportunities for her to continue gymnastics lessons, much less be part of a team. The few Special Olympics gymnastics teams in the area were either an hour or more drive away or had long waiting lists. For years she has enthusiastically attended my gymnastics meets and cheered me on. My mother and I wanted to give her and others the chance to be on a gymnastics team as well. The Special Olympics has been an important part of our family for years. We have witnessed Zara grow stronger, gain confidence, and enjoy the camaraderie of teammates as she trained and competed in other sports.  

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We launched the program in 2022. We are immensely grateful to Tatiana Kamarskaya and Gary Leykin at Exxcel Gymnastics for allowing us to start this team at Exxcel, and for their unwavering support and faith in us. We are privileged to get to work with a remarkable group of athletes on our team, and we are tremendously thankful to have a dedicated group of volunteer coaches, the majority of whom are competitive gymnasts from Exxcel.

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The pinnacle of our season is the Special Olympics Summer Games of Massachusetts at which months of training culminate in a fun afternoon where the athletes showcase their skills and their team spirit, reveling in the excitement and spirit of competition.

                                                                                                                                                                   - Zoe