By Kimberlie Haner, Assistant Director of Media Relations
TEMPE, Ariz. – Months before the 2019 season even began, the Arizona State gymnastics team began interacting with people who have cystic fibrosis. Those opportunities and the spirit of a young gymnast has led to planning the cystic fibrosis awareness meet for this Saturday, January 26.
This journey to get involved began when the Gym Devils started working with Karli Newman and Dr. Carole Griego, who are both ASU gymnastics alumni. Both of them are involved with cystic fibrosis and worked with the current gymnastics team to plan several community service opportunities. The more that they served, the more they knew that they wanted to continue to get involved and to plan a meet to raise awareness.
The service opportunities led to Arizona State meeting 6-year-old Aria and her mom, Casey. Aria is a gymnast, which made her connect with the team immediately. The spirit and fight of Aria has inspired the Gym Devils ever since.
"It means a lot that we get to host this (cystic fibrosis awareness) meet this year," Ashley Szafranski said. "We have really learned a lot by meeting people with cystic fibrosis, like Aria."
Aria's journey with cystic fibrosis started as a young child. She was diagnosed when she was three, later than normal patients because she was born prematurely. Cystic fibrosis is a hereditary disorder that affects the lungs and creates abnormally thick mucus.
"It's been a learning curve as a parent to learn what's best to take care of her," Casey, Aria's mom, said. "Cystic fibrosis affects everybody differently depending on the types of mutations that you have."
One way that Aria deals with cystic fibrosis is through gymnastics. Not only does she get to participate in a sport that she has grown to love, but that same sport helps her live a better life.
"Through gymnastics we are able to improve her lung function because as she's working out it's causing her lungs to work," Casey said. "With cystic fibrosis affecting the mucous membranes of your body, better lung function allows her to breath better. The exercising, jumping around, and the pounding on the trampolines and the floor allows the mucus to loosen up in her body so she will cough it out during practice. It keeps everything moving and keeps her healthy, building up her lung function."
With Aria's connection to gymnastics already there, it was a no-brainer for Arizona State to work with her to put together a cystic fibrosis meet. The disease is not widely known and the Gym Devils are hoping to change that.
"I want to raise as much awareness as we can so people will get more involved and we can get more people to help," Morgan Hart said. "It means a lot that we get to help the CF community and Aria in this way."
For Casey and Aria, this meet is a chance to explain the trials they have gone through and bring awareness to the disease that they deal with every day. Many people do not know how to associate with those with cystic fibrosis. This meet will hopefully open peoples' eyes.
"This meet means so much to us because just being able to meet people in the gym outside of our bubble brings awareness to CF," Casey said. "Looking at her (Aria), she doesn't look sick. Just because someone is healthy or looks healthy doesn't mean they're not struggling."
ASU has learned a lot from working with Aria and planning this meet. Not only have they been taught what cystic fibrosis is, but they have learned from the patients as well.
"They've taught us perseverance, determination and what that looks like," Szafranski said. "It's amazing because they are some of the happiest people in the world, so it really inspires us to live more fully."
Casey and Aria have been through a lot, but by participating in events like this, their life could become better in the future.
"This meet allows us the opportunity to continue to make CF stand for, 'Cure Found' because even though there is a lot of research, medication and drugs coming out for the most common mutations, we also have people like Aria who have the rarest version in the world," Casey said. "So to continue to raise awareness and to bring knowledge to people means a lot to us."
The Gym Devils will host Aria this Saturday in the meet against No. 4 Utah in Wells Fargo Arena. The meet will begin at 6:30 p.m. and will be televised live on the Pac-12 Network. With great gymnastics on display and a young girl to help support, this meet will be one for the ages.
TEMPE, Ariz. – Months before the 2019 season even began, the Arizona State gymnastics team began interacting with people who have cystic fibrosis. Those opportunities and the spirit of a young gymnast has led to planning the cystic fibrosis awareness meet for this Saturday, January 26.
This journey to get involved began when the Gym Devils started working with Karli Newman and Dr. Carole Griego, who are both ASU gymnastics alumni. Both of them are involved with cystic fibrosis and worked with the current gymnastics team to plan several community service opportunities. The more that they served, the more they knew that they wanted to continue to get involved and to plan a meet to raise awareness.
The service opportunities led to Arizona State meeting 6-year-old Aria and her mom, Casey. Aria is a gymnast, which made her connect with the team immediately. The spirit and fight of Aria has inspired the Gym Devils ever since.
"It means a lot that we get to host this (cystic fibrosis awareness) meet this year," Ashley Szafranski said. "We have really learned a lot by meeting people with cystic fibrosis, like Aria."
Aria's journey with cystic fibrosis started as a young child. She was diagnosed when she was three, later than normal patients because she was born prematurely. Cystic fibrosis is a hereditary disorder that affects the lungs and creates abnormally thick mucus.
"It's been a learning curve as a parent to learn what's best to take care of her," Casey, Aria's mom, said. "Cystic fibrosis affects everybody differently depending on the types of mutations that you have."
One way that Aria deals with cystic fibrosis is through gymnastics. Not only does she get to participate in a sport that she has grown to love, but that same sport helps her live a better life.
"Through gymnastics we are able to improve her lung function because as she's working out it's causing her lungs to work," Casey said. "With cystic fibrosis affecting the mucous membranes of your body, better lung function allows her to breath better. The exercising, jumping around, and the pounding on the trampolines and the floor allows the mucus to loosen up in her body so she will cough it out during practice. It keeps everything moving and keeps her healthy, building up her lung function."
With Aria's connection to gymnastics already there, it was a no-brainer for Arizona State to work with her to put together a cystic fibrosis meet. The disease is not widely known and the Gym Devils are hoping to change that.
"I want to raise as much awareness as we can so people will get more involved and we can get more people to help," Morgan Hart said. "It means a lot that we get to help the CF community and Aria in this way."
For Casey and Aria, this meet is a chance to explain the trials they have gone through and bring awareness to the disease that they deal with every day. Many people do not know how to associate with those with cystic fibrosis. This meet will hopefully open peoples' eyes.
"This meet means so much to us because just being able to meet people in the gym outside of our bubble brings awareness to CF," Casey said. "Looking at her (Aria), she doesn't look sick. Just because someone is healthy or looks healthy doesn't mean they're not struggling."
ASU has learned a lot from working with Aria and planning this meet. Not only have they been taught what cystic fibrosis is, but they have learned from the patients as well.
"They've taught us perseverance, determination and what that looks like," Szafranski said. "It's amazing because they are some of the happiest people in the world, so it really inspires us to live more fully."
Casey and Aria have been through a lot, but by participating in events like this, their life could become better in the future.
"This meet allows us the opportunity to continue to make CF stand for, 'Cure Found' because even though there is a lot of research, medication and drugs coming out for the most common mutations, we also have people like Aria who have the rarest version in the world," Casey said. "So to continue to raise awareness and to bring knowledge to people means a lot to us."
The Gym Devils will host Aria this Saturday in the meet against No. 4 Utah in Wells Fargo Arena. The meet will begin at 6:30 p.m. and will be televised live on the Pac-12 Network. With great gymnastics on display and a young girl to help support, this meet will be one for the ages.