 "Photo: Samuel Oksner, Chief Photographer | Valley Star")
Valley College held a ribbon-cutting ceremony recently to formally introduce one of its newest facilities, the Adapted Physical Education Center. The center serves elderly, disabled or otherwise incapacitated students in conjunction with the Disabled Students Programs and Services program (DSPS).
"I know through personal experience if a gym such as this wasn't made available to disabled people such as myself, or elderly people, my daily function would be impossible," said Kimberly Horton, a disabled Valley student who has been an active participant in the Adapted P.E and spoke at the event.
The gym currently serves more than 100 Valley students, with a wide range of physical and mental disabilities. Some of the students attend with a goal to make their disability more bearable, others to shape up, and a few to keep up with their physical therapy that is no longer covered by insurance.
"This isn't a job. You help people and it's very rewarding," said Cynthia Garcia, assistant at the gym. "I don't ever want to leave, it's the best job I have ever had."
The program for the gym is currently run by Dave Mallas, who has his masters in physical education and has taken several classes in adapted physical education. Mallas and his four assistants enthusiastically take on daily challenges of running the program. The staff adapts to each person's disability and need. Whether it's the use of a soothing voice, or physically moving a person from wheelchair to machine, the P.E center does it all.
"Safety is number one in our gym, there is a lot of potential for injury if you are not careful," Mallas said. "But I love what I do, every day is new great experience."
The staff and students at the gym have an upbeat can-do attitude, but they are hopeful that they can add a few more students or volunteers. When asked what could be done to improve the gym, the only answer that was given by many, including staffer Robert Ninfo was to "get more people in."
If you are interested in attending or learning more about the Adapted Physical Education Center, contact the DSPS office at (818) 947-2581.
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