IN THE MIXTURE THE Magic IS

and I was not interested in starting TNT unless all children would be included. So I took a leap of faith to include all children of all abilities in our programs.” he magic is in the mixture,” said Kim Pladson, executive director of TNT Kid’s Fitness and Gymnastics Academy.

S.O.A.R. (Students of All Abilities Respected) is TNT’s afterschool program. It promotes healthy eating and includes a minimum of 60 minutes of physical activity a day. The nutrition program is aligned with the Fargo Public Schools wellness guidelines. Students are taught about healthy eating and given hands-on experience with fresh produce working in TNT’s garden. S.O.A.R. is a part of the overall fitness programs at TNT. The No Bummer Summer is an 11-week fitness camp for ages five and up that includes three hours of fitness/activity each day. The same program is offered through School Days Out on weekdays when school is not in session. The academy recently received a Carol M. White PEP federal grant of $703,000 awarded over the next three years. The grant’s goals are to improve the participating children’s Body Mass Index by 10% in those three years.

TNT’s competitive gymnastics teams compete at the highest levels. These athletes are in the gym practicing between four and twenty hours a week, year round. They have earned team, individual, and all-around titles. TNT is the only area gym that has a competitive boys’ program with 14 boys (ages 5-16) on that team.

“We serve the special needs child to the elite athlete. All children want to play and be active, we provide a place for that to happen.” TNT opened its doors in July of 2006. Since then, over 4,000 children have come through those doors, including 450 with special needs.

Kim is very proud that her gym is a community where all are welcomed and accepted. TNT is one of only two gyms in the United States that serve special needs children in an inclusive setting. Kim used the other such gym, located in California, as a model when designing the programs at TNT. Some special needs children come to the gym with their therapists and caretakers. Not only are the children moving and keeping active, but the caretakers are also learning how to adapt activities for the children. “This population needed a voice,” said Kim. “The parents wanted more

“Inspiration works both ways,” explained Kim. “When a child in a wheelchair struggling to bounce on the tramp sees an athlete struggling to stay on the balance beam, that child is inspired to work harder when he realizes everyone, at every level, struggles. The gymnast is also inspired and realizes if the special needs child can work that hard, she, too, can overcome her struggles.”

Kim, a former gymnast from Portland, N.D., was member of two May-Port High School teams that won state championships. She was working for the Moorhead Public Schools when she first became aware of the underserved special needs population. As a coach of three sports, she began to ask herself, “Why don’t all students have the opportunity to be in a gym?” From that question, the vision of TNT was born.

Kim’s vision and enthusiasm infuse every part of TNT’s space. She loves what she does and the people who work with her to bring that vision to reality. TNT employs a staff of thirty-five, nine of whom are fulltime. “We create a wonderful dynamic here,” stated Kim. “All staff members are also mentors. They take the time to teach and inspire. We know everything we do is for the kids. When I ask my employees who signs their checks, they better answer the children.” All staff members have extensive training. Three of the supervisors have degrees in physical education and one has an adaptive education degree.

Kim’s husband, Mike, is her greatest supporter. Kim has also inspired her daughter, Leslie, who is finishing her degree in occupational therapy. “She is a former club gymnast who went to school in Texas but stayed connected to TNT and its mission and fell in love with the children TNT serves. Combining her love of gymnastics with her desire to work with children of all abilities, felt exactly right to her,” explained Kim.

TNT is a non-profit organization with a ten-member board of directors. All programs are fee-based. An annual fundraiser, “In Their Shoes,” is held each February.

As Kim said, “We can never fully understand what it’s like until we walk a mile in their shoes, but we can show compassion and help pave the way.”

For more information about TNT Kid’s Fitness and Gymnastics Academy, visit www.tntkidsfitness.com. [AWM]

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