When Thanh Smith started taking gymnastics, she could barely do a handstand and couldn’t do a cartwheel
But Smith figured that it wasn’t too late to learn — even though she is 67. When she heard about an adult gymnastics class at the Victory Family YMCA in York County, Va., she jumped right in.
“The first day, it was a disaster,” said the Yorktown, Va., woman, who teaches yoga and tai chi at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Va. “I had the flexibility, but this was much more about speed and momentum. I fell all over, but then I got more confidence. I’ve had to get my brain moving at a faster speed.”
While most gymnastics classes are packed with little kids, the weekly adult class at the York County YMCA — one of a growing number of programs nationwide — draws a different crowd. In addition to Smith, participants include Sam Parrucci, 61, of Newport News, a former college gymnast who never learned the flips of floor routines, and Kathy Childs, 34, of Yorktown, a mother of three who regrets not taking gymnastics as a girl.
“I just never had the opportunity,” Childs said. “I guess I’m living out a childhood dream.” …
original – flickr – brookenovak
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