Gymnastics, Builder, Inducted 2017 |
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In a sport where much of the glory belongs to teenagers, Coquitlam’s Vivien Symington has played a role in making gymnastics inclusive and empowering for all levels of participants.
Exposed to the role and science of sports rehabilitation through her father’s studies, Symington obtained degrees in Physical and Health Education at Queen’s and Dalhousie universities, specializing in adapting physical education and gymnastics.
She in turn applied that knowledge, as well as her many years of experience and passion for helping others, by making the sport more accessible. With 40 years of coaching experience and as owner of one of Coquitlam’s largest gymnastics centres, Symington opened her gym and has offered programs for recreational, competitive and non-traditional users.
In 2002, she established a program for children living with Autism Spectrum Disorder, that has grown into the Empowering Steps Movement Therapy Program. It serves 120 children and youth every year who are living with neurodevelopmental delay issues.
The program has produced significant results in improvements that benefit students at home, school and in the community. Her club has also produced numerous provincial and national-level competitors. In her pursuit of helping others, she created the Symington Endowment Fund, held in trust at the Coquitlam Foundation, to financially support children with neurodevelopmental delays, youth at risk, and high performance gymnasts. In 2013 Gymnastics BC awarded Symington with the Member of Distinction honour.