Episode #26: Cindy Bickman, Gymnastics and The Special Needs Community Coming Together Artwork

Tumbling Along With Betsy

Tumble Along With Betsy! Betsy McNally Laouar is a personal fitness trainer, nutritionist, professional body builder, gymnastics coach and best selling author of two books, Binges and Balance Beams and Gymnachef. She works exclusively with gymnasts, coaches, and families within the gymnastics community to teach about balance in nutrition and fitness through her world renown traveling Betsy Bootcamps. For so long, the gymnastics world has been centered on extreme nutrition and fitness practices. Betsy uses her experiences to connect lessons from both her life and other coaches, athletes, parents, experts and specialists to change the culture of the gymnastics community. Through education we can help to develop better understanding of what our athletes need. Betsy is also the mother of a nonverbal autistic child and will cover topics of mental wellness, positive body image and how the gymnastics community can come together. She's just trying to "figure it all out" and wants you to tumble along with her!

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Tumbling Along With Betsy

Episode #26: Cindy Bickman, Gymnastics and The Special Needs Community Coming Together

October 25, 2021 • Betsy • Season 2 • Episode 0

Cindy Bickman has been the owner of Chattoogta School of Gymnastics and Dance since 1976.She is the coordinator of the HUGS program, the Hope Unites Gymnastics with Special Athletes as well as the Special Olympics International Ambassador.

Cindy has been working with the special needs community in our sport for decades and is the “go to” for learning and understanding how our special needs community is THRIVING through our sport. For me, the podcast hit home, as I am the parent of special needs children, we discuss the issues facing families who may be tentative signing their children up for gymnastics, the amazing growth and joy that working with special needs children brings both athletes and coaches as well as specific stories of achievement from her athletes.

This episode was very personal for me as a mom, and I hope everyone can sit back and listen to two women discuss our communities, both gymnastics, and special needs. All children deserve to be given the chance to compete, and Cindy is seeing to it!