Special athlete

For the past nine years, Michelle Chrisman has quietly created quite a niche for herself in the world of Special Olympics gymnastics.
The home-schooled 18-year-old from Blue Springs has won 37 medals – and that just counts the hardware she has taken home from competing on the uneven bars, the beam, the vault and floor exercise.
She also competes in swimming, basketball, bowling, volleyball, snow shoes (where competitors march through snow wearing snow shoes), track and field, bocce ball and has just taken up golf.
“Let’s just say, she likes to keep busy,” said Michelle’s mother, Diane Chrisman, as she watches her daughter work out with coach Edie Sundvold at Rebound Gymnastics.
Michelle was born with Down Syndrome and around the age of 10, lost much of her hearing.
But that didn’t stop the always-smiling young dynamo who seems to enjoy performing in front of an audience.
“She’s a big ham,” joked mom. “With your photographer here, she’s really going to ham it up.”
Whether she is kicking a plastic water noodle as she walks across the beam or using a soft barrel designed to take some of the strain off her back as she works on her floor routine, Michelle sports a perpetual smile.
She recently returned from a district Special Olympics competition, where she won two gold and silver medals and one bronze.
“There are days when I don’t feel like I teach her as much as she teaches me,” Sundvold said. “She loves meets because she loves to be around people.
“And Michelle is fearless. She will try anything and she will work until she can do a new skill.”
After her weekly half-hour training session, Michelle isn’t in much of a mood to talk.
She wants to go back out on the mat and train – as long as the camera is taking her picture.
When asked about gymnastics, Michelle grins and says, “Edie is mean!”
She laughs at the stunned look on her coach’s face.
“No, no – I’m just kidding,” Michelle said, chuckling. “She’s a good coach.”
When Michelle spots her mom’s new purse, which is made of photos of Kansas City Royals players, she talks about her love of baseball.
“I love Royals,” she said. “Baseball.”
She gives a thumb’s up.
Michelle’s proudest moment as a gymnast came four years ago when she took part in the T.J. Maxx Tour that brought the men’s and women’s Olympic gymnastic teams to Kemper Arena. Former Great American Gymnastic Express gymnasts Terin Humphrey and Courtney McCool were part of that tour stop in Kansas City.
Diane has a scrapbook filled with photos of Michelle performing and mingling with the gymnasts.
“That was fun,” Michelle said.
Sundvold nods in agreement.
“You know, I really enjoy watching Michelle’s development and growth,” the coach said. “And I love to watch the progress of the other gymnasts. There are some who could barely walk when they started, and now, they can do routines.
“Until you asked me earlier, I didn’t realize we’d been working with Michelle for the past nine years.
“She has grown so much, and she’s helped us grow, too.”