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With help from his coach, Special Olympics athlete Patrick Falls climbed
up the gymnastics blocks that formed a makeshift stage and lowered his
head so that Tallahassee Mayor John Marks could place two medals
around his neck.
The 12-year-old beamed with pride before the cheering crowd, and then
his volunteer gymnastics coach, Nikolai Korepanov, picked him up and
carried him off. Falls is one of several Special Olympics athletes who had
been practicing since June for Saturday’s first-annual fundraising show
at the Gym Force Athletic Training Center on Industrial Plaza Drive.
“I just think it’s a truly unique idea, and I hope every year, we’re able to
grow it,” said Terri Massa, who organizes the annual 5K/1K run Special
Olympics fundraiser in January.
up the gymnastics blocks that formed a makeshift stage and lowered his
head so that Tallahassee Mayor John Marks could place two medals
around his neck.
The 12-year-old beamed with pride before the cheering crowd, and then
his volunteer gymnastics coach, Nikolai Korepanov, picked him up and
carried him off. Falls is one of several Special Olympics athletes who had
been practicing since June for Saturday’s first-annual fundraising show
at the Gym Force Athletic Training Center on Industrial Plaza Drive.
“I just think it’s a truly unique idea, and I hope every year, we’re able to
grow it,” said Terri Massa, who organizes the annual 5K/1K run Special
Olympics fundraiser in January.
| Dec 20, 2008 by: Nic Corbett DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER |
| Photo courtesy TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT |
| Special Olympics gymnasts and their partners performed gymnastic routines on Saturday as part of the Special Olympics Benefit Showcase. The event was held at the Gym Force Athletic Training Center and featured several local celebrity judges. (Photos by Glenn Beil/Democrat) |
All the athletes were presented
with medals for the events they
competed in. A celebrity judges
panel, which included Marks,
former state Rep. Curtis
Richardson and three TV news
personalities, held up signs
that read “9.5” and “10.0” on
the front. Flipped over, they
read “awesome” and “make
some noise.”
Emcee and gym co-owner Kevin
Standriff narrated the high-
energy events. After each
with medals for the events they
competed in. A celebrity judges
panel, which included Marks,
former state Rep. Curtis
Richardson and three TV news
personalities, held up signs
that read “9.5” and “10.0” on
the front. Flipped over, they
read “awesome” and “make
some noise.”
Emcee and gym co-owner Kevin
Standriff narrated the high-
energy events. After each
athlete performed, two girls weaved through the audience with hats in hand to
collect dollar-bill donations for Special Olympics.
Korepanov, 20, a graduate of Lincoln High School and a junior at the University of
Illinois-Chicago, approached Special Olympics-Leon County this summer about
putting on the fundraiser. He said he got the idea from the gym where he trains in
Chicago, which has put on a similar event for more than a decade. The Special
Olympics chapter there has raised as much as $30,000 in a single night, he said.
Korepanov said he’s enjoyed working with Patrick, seeing how he’s improved in
the last six months.
“It’s a little bit challenging at times, but it’s a lot of fun,” he said. “I’ve had a great time doing it.”
Patrick performed a floor exercise to the music of “Mission Impossible,” showing off the candlestick move, where he
stood on the back of his shoulders with his feet in the air. He also participated in the rings event.
After the show was over, Patrick’s 12-year-old cousin came up to him to congratulate him. They did a fist bump, and
Patrick said “sweet milk,” a reference, his mother said, to the vanilla-flavored Horizon Organic milk at Starbucks,
where they were going to celebrate.
“That’s his treat afterward,” said his mom, Angela Falls.
Patrick can’t get enough of the sport since he began the one-hour training sessions Wednesdays, Falls said. He
adores his coach, Korepanov, too.
“He’ll ask me if it’s time for gymnastics every day of the week,” Falls said. “I know he loves Nikolai. I think he loves
being active. It’s the only sport he does.”
collect dollar-bill donations for Special Olympics.
Korepanov, 20, a graduate of Lincoln High School and a junior at the University of
Illinois-Chicago, approached Special Olympics-Leon County this summer about
putting on the fundraiser. He said he got the idea from the gym where he trains in
Chicago, which has put on a similar event for more than a decade. The Special
Olympics chapter there has raised as much as $30,000 in a single night, he said.
Korepanov said he’s enjoyed working with Patrick, seeing how he’s improved in
the last six months.
“It’s a little bit challenging at times, but it’s a lot of fun,” he said. “I’ve had a great time doing it.”
Patrick performed a floor exercise to the music of “Mission Impossible,” showing off the candlestick move, where he
stood on the back of his shoulders with his feet in the air. He also participated in the rings event.
After the show was over, Patrick’s 12-year-old cousin came up to him to congratulate him. They did a fist bump, and
Patrick said “sweet milk,” a reference, his mother said, to the vanilla-flavored Horizon Organic milk at Starbucks,
where they were going to celebrate.
“That’s his treat afterward,” said his mom, Angela Falls.
Patrick can’t get enough of the sport since he began the one-hour training sessions Wednesdays, Falls said. He
adores his coach, Korepanov, too.
“He’ll ask me if it’s time for gymnastics every day of the week,” Falls said. “I know he loves Nikolai. I think he loves
being active. It’s the only sport he does.”
