TAMPA, Fla. — Regan O’Brian likes to see her gymnastics college students conquer a brand new ability.

“Oh it’s so gratifying, being able to see them make those improvements, it’s so exciting,” O’Brian stated.

She began teaching for CAN-DO Sports a few yr in the past.

The non-profit makes gymnastics extra reasonably priced for households who could not be capable to afford it in any other case. 

O’Brian is now giving again, teaching the following era.

“It means so much to me because I used to do it so being able to share the love with that and be able to build it up to what I used to love it as.”

As a senior, O’Brian is in her ultimate yr competing. 

She began with CAN-DO at six years previous and its taught her expertise far past gymnastics.

“I always want to keep going, I always want to do this and I think, CAN-DO and the sport of gymnastics helped me with that — you can stick with it, you can do it, no matter what happens, you got it,” O’Brian stated.

CAN-DO’s government director, Mary Campanello has seen numerous athletes like O’Brian profit from this system, which started in 1993. 

“We’re really able to help scholarship kids, we never turn a child away that can’t afford it, we find a way to help them, we have lots of volunteers that help make our program successful,” Campanello stated.

She is aware of first-hand how life-changing it may be, Campanello was as soon as a pupil herself. 

“Growing up, I’m the oldest of five siblings so finding a competitive and affordable program was very difficult at the time, our programming with our collaboration with the city of Tampa allows us to offer competitive and quality programs for a third of the cost,” Campanello defined.

CAN-DO now consists of two amenities and several other sports activities, together with a dance program. 

“We grew from one gym over at Wayne Papy to another gym over here at New Tampa and now we offer other sports with our Team Tampa family with gymnastics, softball, basketball and rowing,” Campanello stated.

Making sports activities accessible to many households throughout Tampa Bay, and for a lot of athletes like O’Brian, it turns into part of their life perpetually. 

Through teaching, she desires to verify everybody has the possibility she had.

“I hope that they always remain in love with gymnastics no matter where their journey takes them, I hope they always find their love with it, I hope they leave with having the best teammates in the world, and having the best experience they can because I know that’s what I’m leaving with,” O’Brian stated.

As the title suggests, CAN-DO is giving athletes confidence they will obtain their goals.