EFFINGHAM – Jordynn Kinkelaar couldn’t wait to get to the Richard E. Workman Sports and Wellness Complex Saturday.
“She’s been so excited all morning for it,” said mother Jennifer Smalls.
It was Kinkelaar’s second year in the “Meet Me at the Finish Line” Youth Adaptive Try-Athlon. The event, hosted by HSHS St. Anthony’s Physical Rehab and Wellness, is for athletes 18 and younger with mobility or physical challenges. Athletes swim, bike and run with a buddy by their side for every splash, pedal and step.
Kinkelaar’s favorite event this year was swimming.
“Last year, she enjoyed the walking,” said Smalls.
Even though Kinkelaar, who has Rett syndrome, has lost a lot of her ability to walk, Smalls said her daughter is still able to do so with help and still loves doing it.
Four-year-old Eric Bobbett participated for the first time Saturday. Tierra Bobbett said her son, who is nonverbal autistic, didn’t understand what the event was about going into it.
“He’s all about it now,” said Tierra Bobbett after her son crossed the finish line, so much so that he wanted to cross it again.
Tierra Bobbett said having such an event in the community means a lot to her.
“There’s not a lot in our community that really supports the disabled child. So, for them to be able to come out here and have some support, to be able to go through everything and still have that feeling of victory, it means a lot,” she said.
Nathan Dill also participated for the first time. His parents could tell he loved it right away.
“Sometimes, you don’t get a smile out of Nathan. We’ve seen them a lot today,” said Donnie Dill.
“Big smiles,” added Laura Dill.
Laura Dill noted Nathan has spent a lot of years cheering his brother on in baseball and other activities. The Try-Athlon marked the first time Nathan got to be the one doing the event while people cheered him on.
“It was exciting to be able to have him have that experience. You can tell that he loved it,” she said.
Donnie Dill was thankful for the many volunteers it took to run the event.
“To see the people out here volunteering is a big deal. People with special needs don’t get a lot of opportunities like this,” he said.
Try-Athlon coordinator and HSHS physical therapist Alex Kastl said the event is super fulfilling for the kids and the family and friends who come to cheer them on.
“These kids put a lot of hard work into being able to do their daily activities and move, and this is a great event that lets them really show off how the work is paying off,” he said. “It’s a day full of smiles and laughter and joy and cheers.”
Kastl said several kids he works with get excited leading up to the annual event.
“They’re always talking about it, and even through January, February, March and April after the event is over, they’re still talking about it,” he said.
Tony Feeler has volunteered every year since the Try-Athlon started three years ago.
“I would never miss it. It’s a joy just to see the kids’ faces when they get on the bike,” he said.
Feeler is a member of AMBUCS of Sullivan, which supplies adaptive tricycles for the event. The Amtrykes come in a variety of sizes and accommodate a variety of abilities. The organization donates the “trykes,” which some participants receive after the event.
“It’s amazing to see what the kids can do on the bikes,” he said.
Jake Newburn, 11, had ridden bikes before. But, he had never tried an adaptive bike. He tested one for the first time Saturday.
“He was able to sit back and hold on to the handlebars and pedal, and he just took right off,” said mother Samantha Newburn.
It was his favorite part of the Try-Athlon.
The family decided to attend the event after hearing about it. Samantha Newburn admits they didn’t know what to expect.
“Jake is not a sports kid but when he started doing everything and having so much support and so much help and everything adapted to him, he was just zooming. He was running full force, biking full force,” she said.
It was an emotional experience for Samantha, who appreciated how welcoming and supportive everyone was.
“It’s so nice, because normally in school those kids are always picked last. But today they were first in line,” she said.