North Hanover resident Michelle Maginnis, 13, competed in gymnastics at the New Jersey Special Olympics.
By: Kyle Moylan
EWING The competition is good.
The gold medals are great.
For 13-year-old autistic gymnast Michelle Maginnis and her family, however, it’s the sense of belonging that makes the Special Olympics experience so irreplaceable.
"When she (Michelle) joined the Will-Moor United Team (for gymnastics), she saw kids with different disorders than hers," recalled Cynthia Maginnis, Michelle’s mother. "She saw kids with worse disorders than hers. She saw that she could do this, be part of a team. She felt like she was part of the world. Her being able to come to that realization on her own is the best part of all this."
Michelle, who lives in North Hanover, competed in the vault, floor exercise, balance beam and uneven bars at the Special Olympics New Jersey Summer Games this past weekend at The College of New Jersey.
This was Michelle’s second year of competition. Last year she won gold medals in the vault and floor exercise and a bronze on the balance beam.
"I’m way better on the floor (than the other events)," Michelle said. "That’s what I get golds in. When something’s slower, I need to practice it more. When it’s faster, I can just go do it."
Under the guidance of the Will-Moor Gymnastics United Team, Michelle said she believes she’s ready for all the events now.
"I’m good at whatever you give me," she said in an interview during the competition. "I’m going to try and get gold in everything"
Erin Riley, Michelle’s coach, has seen the improvement.
"She’s very good for her level," Ms. Riley said. "We might move her up to the next level next year. We just started new routines, so that’s why we’ll probably wait. She picks things up very quickly, though."
Michelle, considered a high functioning individual with autism, is a student at the Y.A.L.E. School in Medford Lakes. It was there that she was first introduced to gymnastics.
"They have the regular gymnastics classes and they also do auxiliary programs," Ms. Maginnis noted. "They did a rotation of gymnastics and Michelle loved it. She loved it so much, we continued at it.
"We had tried other activities. We had never tried through a special needs team. This is the first time she found really understanding coaches."
From October until June, Michelle trains every Wednesday night at Will-Moor Gymnastics in Medford.
"It gives me something to do," Michelle said. "There are lessons to build self confidence. When my mom heard about it, she offered me a chance to be part of the team."
And for Michelle, the "team" also includes a very supportive family. In addition to her mother, her father, Nelson; her brother, Tyler; grandparents, Carol and Tony Camardella; and cousin, Carol Rogers were all at The College of New Jersey to cheer her on.
"It’s very inspirational," Ms. Maginnis said. "Every year I’m staggered by the number of people who support the event."
Every year thousands of athletes and volunteers stage Special Olympics New Jersey Summer Games the first weekend in June. Every year thousands of athletes train for months to be at their best.
Michelle has been active in gymnastics for less than two years and is already a gold medalist. She doesn’t have any plans to stop competing anytime soon.
"She’s a fast learner," noted Ms. Riley. "She picks up everything. Her cartwheels and everything are better."
Watching her daughter compete, Mr. and Ms. Maginnis couldn’t help but smile. Knowing Michelle had a place where she not only belonged but excelled was so much more meaningful.
"A lot of the athletes here are in their 20s or 30s," Ms. Maginnis noted. "This is something she’ll be able to do for a long time. Michelle knows she belongs."