Written by DIEGO JESUS BARTESAGHI MENA
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When Montclair resident Pilar McKenna needed a personal trainer for her daughter, she was unable to find a gym that catered to her disability.
She said her daughter, who is autistic, has needs that aren’t as involved as those of some other children with special needs, but that she still needs some accommodations. For example, her daughter needed to be trained in a small place, she said.
My daughter was struggling to gain weight. She used food as a coping mechanism. Because the way we were raising it, it didn’t feel any different. “She felt that being different was a part of her life,” McKenna said. And then the kids started noticing [her disability]. She wasn’t invited to hang out with certain kids because they thought it was weird.”
McKenna said the children’s version of “Stranger” is her version of “Private.”
McKenna searched for places that could accommodate children with disabilities, such as autism, but found only places in California or upstate New York—none in the area.
“It was almost impossible,” McKenna said. “What are the odds of that? [when] My nanny was going to the supermarket, and she was looking for a gym herself, [she] I saw this ad posted on a window that read “Program for Children with Special Needs”. If not, I don’t think I would have met Yumi and know the programme, because they are not available.”
Yumi Karadi started her holistic fitness program at Embracing Fitness in Little Falls because her 20-year-old son, Kofi, who has autism, albinism, visual impairment and several food allergies, couldn’t find a personal trainer he could work with. disabilities.
Karadi, who is originally from England and now lives in Caldwell, works with clients with autism spectrum disorders, cerebral palsy, brain injuries, strokes, anxiety issues and various physical disabilities.
She wanted to reach more people who couldn’t find programs to meet their family’s needs. This month, it launchedFitness magazine for people with special needs“To help inform, connect and empower more people.
“The aim of the journal is to promote healthy lifestyles for adults and children with disabilities, and for their parents and caregivers,” said Karady. It looks at the whole picture: mental health, physical health, and emotional health. And also, to realize that they are not alone.”
The magazine, published in its first issue on October 18 and available in both print and online, was written by individuals with disabilities, parents, clinicians, therapists, comprehensive rehabilitation and personal trainers.
“We have people who talk about their experiences like moms. We have dads who talk about their experience because dads aren’t as involved as moms and they tell their side how they feel,” Karadi said.
Sarah Girardeau, a Montclair resident, has known Carradi for over 10 years. They had one thing in common: they both had autism. They became friends and saw how underserved the autistic population was, especially when it came to fitness.
Gerardo’s son, Max Burns, a 19-year-old Montclair resident with autism, began training with Karade in 2019. While training, Karade and Byrnes do strength training, cardio toning and boxing kicks. Girardeau said the training not only helped Burns with his stance, agility and flexibility, but also helped his self-esteem.
“He loves it because especially with people like Max, they have to feel comfortable with those they work with. He is very focused with my day because he feels comfortable with her,” Gerardo said. “He has reached a point where he feels the gym is a safe place for him. And he is able to follow it.”
Burns will appear in “Fitness Magazine for Special Needs” with daughter McKenna.
Girardeau said she is excited to have a magazine geared towards children with disabilities, including autism.
“I always see parent magazines, and it’s very generalized to everyone. It’s a struggle, especially when you’re looking at summer programs and extracurricular programs. It’s really geared toward this community,” Gerardo said.
McKenna said the magazine is important because it brings awareness to the special needs of families who feel isolated.
“I think a magazine can give you a sense of being at home,” McKenna said. “The magazine is roughly organized, is from the children’s and parents’ point of view and links them to the resources.”
McKenna said the magazine is also a way for the larger community to learn about disabilities from people who already have them, or from their parents.
“I want to take the article and show it to my in-laws,” McKenna said. “This is something they don’t understand from generation to generation. Because my child has a disability, they don’t necessarily understand the effect. Sometimes you need to read it from a different point of view. It’s like looking through a kaleidoscope. There are so many little details about it.”
Girardeau also said she hopes the magazine will open up people’s ideas about autism — expanding their understanding of what they’ve seen on TV shows like “The Good Doctor” or movies like “Rain Man.”
“There are children outside who are nonverbal or children who have been off all day. Or a child who you might talk to for four hours and not respond to you, or look in your eyes, but they totally understand what you’re saying,” Gerardo said. “I think it’s important for people to see the other side of cookie-cutter personalities so they really understand what this is all about.”
Despite the magazine’s release this month, Karadi is still researching stories from families with special needs. She said she wanted the magazine to be a community experience, where people somewhere could submit stories and resources that could help make people with disabilities visible.
“I hope everyone realizes that this community exists and we just need to get our head out of the water to show everyone: ‘Listen, we exist,'” Karadi said. “We’re not going anywhere.”
The “Fitness Magazine for the Disabled” will be available online at specialneedsfitnessmagazine.comand Karade has plans to make it available in schools, doctors’ offices, day programs and gyms locally, as well as in some parts of the UK, Canada, Dubai and Ghana, where it knows people who can help distribute it.
