abilities unlimited
At Team
Savannah, physical fitness is available to the general public without
restriction, regardless of physical or mental ability.
This program, headed by Rhonda Langford, is designed to target those individuals
from our community with physical or mental handicaps and/or disabilities. This
one of a kind program is much needed in our community and we believe that
everyone should be able to enjoy the mental, physical, and social benefits of
exercise.
The types of people now training in this program include patients with brain
injuries who are wheelchair bound, spinal cord injuries, and a diabetic amputee
who are all wheelchair bound. Some of these people have been in physical therapy
at our local hospitals and have been referred to us either because insurance
will no longer pay for therapy or they have stopped making progress in their
current programs. We also coach a group of mentally handicapped young adults
that are Chatham County School students or employees of the Chatham County
Center for Retarded Citizens.
For the past 2 years, Chatham County schools have requested that we train
classes of mentally handicapped and/or autistic middle and high school students.
Chatham County Public schools do not provide this type of physical education for
these students. Those with behavior problems, learning disabilities, stroke,
heart attack, diabetes and epilepsy are all involved.
As in any exercise or weight training program, you have those that come and go,
but over the past 3 years, this program has continued to grow. The participants
have a goal and are the most determined individuals I have ever coached. Could
you possibly put a monetary value on the benefits of social stimulus alone that
these individuals and our general population receive from this program ?
These people show us daily the thrill of victory. Defeat is not in their vocabulary. Do miracles happen?...........Everyday, just check us out!