| WHF Gymnastics Programs for Seniors and Special Needs Participants |
In 2006, Wendy Hilliard was hired to develop and direct the gymnastics center at the multi-million dollar sports complex, Aviator Sports and Recreation in Brooklyn. This 15,000 sq ft gymnastics complex is the most state-of-the-art gymnastics center in NYC. Opened in the fall of 2006, this center provides gymnastics for all ages. During this time The Wendy Hilliard Foundation continued its youth gymnastics programs in Harlem and upper Manhattan. While Director of Gymnastics at Aviator Sports, Wendy implemented 2 innovative programs -- Senior Gymnastics (Slimnastics) and gymnastics classes for participants with a wide range of disabilities. WHF Board Member, Orli Himmelweit, and former gymnast and current physical therapist for special needs children in NYC public schools, helped design the programs and identify the proper staffing.
In the spring of 2007 Wendy invited the seniors who were taking traditional senior exercise classes at Aviator’s Seniors in Shape Program, to try gymnastics. The program Director, Susan Lavin suggested it be called Slimnastics so that they seniors would not be intimidated. After just 2 weeks this new class was a hit with the seniors and more than 50 were participating in this new class 3 days a week! Seniors aged 55 – 86 were doing gymnastics - trampoline, balance beam, tumble trak and floor exercise. Even seniors with walkers and those with low mobility were participating on some level – by doing the choreographed warm up routine Wendy designed to music.
In the summer of 2007, Mitch Goldstein, who coordinates special needs programs for Brooklyn and Queens, asked if there was a way from them to participate in gymnastics. Special classes were designed for all ranges of special needs, from autism, wheelchair bound participants and those with all levels of disabilities. By the fall, more and more of these classes were taking place and Wendy recruited gymnastics staff that also had a background in physical therapy and working with special needs population. This partner expanded to include participants from City Access NY “CANY’, an organization that also provide special needs programs.
In November 2007, Wendy became a consultant with Aviator Sports and Recreation, so that she could provide funding for these special programs. Both the Senior and Special needs population require additional funding to provide these gymnastics programs. Gymnastics has always been an expensive sport because of the specialized equipment and high qualifications of the instructors. The Wendy Hilliard Foundation has been providing quality gymnastics for youth for over 10 years. In the spring of 2008, the WHF Board of Directors voted to expand the foundation’s mission to include these new populations.
Wendy’s work for 6 years as the Director of Sports for NYC2012 also included overseeing the Paralympic Games for athletes with disabilities. Through the local Paralympic Committee she formed, Wendy found a local network of disabled sport providers. In the fall of 2007 she was recruited, by Olympians Bart Conner and Donna de Varona to join the Special Olympic Urban Initiative Board of Directors. She immediately began providing gymnastics opportunities for the local Special Olympic gymnastics programs and other sports.
After over 10 years of providing outstanding gymnastics programs for youth it is exciting that the WHF can now used its’ expertise in gymnastics programming to serve New Yorkers of all backgrounds, ages and abilities.
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