22-yo with Down Syndrome Becomes Certified Fitness Instructor, Leads Class of 60 at Local Gym

– credit, Cindy Allbridge

A 22-year-old Utahan with Down Syndrome has just become a certified fitness instructor for the popular fitness program UpBeat Barre.

UpBeat Barre instructor and co-owner of VASA Fitness in Kaysville, Jane Johnson, said she had kept her eye on Aubry Allbridge for some years, noticing how the young woman was exceptionally gifted in remembering the various routines and choreography of the classes.

“She has an incredible brain. Aubry can learn choreography so fast, and she retains it. She also knows all the lyrics to the songs, so she can sing along with the best of them,” she told KSL.

Allbridge had been attending several classes, including UpBeat Pilates, Zumba, SilverSneakers, and HIGH Fitness, but her favorite was UpBeat Barre, which according to its website “combines strength training, Pilates, cardio, and yoga into a high-energy fusion of fun.”

Having been recently certified as an instructor, the classes combine Allbridge’s favorite things: friends and fitness.

“I had such a fun time,” said the new instructor after leading her debut class of 60 people. “I love to be on stage. I love exercise. I loved to wear my mic and say every cue, and I love to meet with people and collecting friends. I want to help everyone feel included.”

In a recent post on her Instagram, announcing her arrival as a certified instructor, she said her favorite part of the course was motivational cuing and giving options, “to make everyone feel included.”

Johnson said she’s now helping Allbridge to take that certification and turn it into a full-time job at the gym where she works. Gainful, autonomous employment can do wonders for the mentally-challenged, while fitness activities also has transformative powers for those with Down Syndrome.

36-year-old Dan MacGauley, has Down Syndrome, autism, and is deaf in his left ear. He underwent 2 rounds of open-heart surgery when he was a toddler, and was wheelchair bound as a teen when he started lifting weights as part of an urgent need to lose weight.

In 2023, GNN reported that MacGauley took first place in the European Bench Press Championship, posting 154 lbs. (70 kg) classic, and 198 lbs. (90 kg) equipped—meaning with a weight belt and gloves—which was a new personal best.“Loads of people have said to us that they go to work and come home after a long day and it’s an effort to go to the gym,” said his mother Judith, who’s also a powerlifter. “But that they see Dan there, smiling and laughing despite all his problems, and it gives them the motivation they need.” 22-yo with Down Syndrome Becomes Certified Fitness Instructor, Leads Class of 60 at Local Gym

Read More........→September 14, 2026

The New 7 Wonders of the World

The Pyramid at Chichén Itzá (before 800 A.D.) Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

MEXICO: Chichén Itzá, the most famous Mayan temple city, served as the political and economic center of the Mayan civilization. Its various structures - the pyramid of Kukulkan, the Temple of Chac Mool, the Hall of the Thousand Pillars, and the Playing Field of the Prisoners – can still be seen today and are demonstrative of an extraordinary commitment to architectural space and composition. The pyramid itself was the last, and arguably the greatest, of all Mayan temples.

Christ Redeemer (1931) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

BRAZIL: This statue of Jesus stands some 38 meters tall, atop the Corcovado mountain overlooking Rio de Janeiro. Designed by Brazilian Heitor da Silva Costa and created by French sculptor Paul Landowski, it is one of the world’s best-known monuments. The statue took five years to construct and was inaugurated on October 12, 1931. It has become a symbol of the city and of the warmth of the Brazilian people, who receive visitors with open arms.

The Roman Colosseum (70 - 82 A.D.) Rome, Italy

ITALY: This great amphitheater in the centre of Rome was built to give favors to successful legionnaires and to celebrate the glory of the Roman Empire. Its design concept still stands to this very day, and virtually every modern sports stadium some 2,000 years later still bears the irresistible imprint of the Colosseum's original design. Today, through films and history books, we are even more aware of the cruel fights and games that took place in this arena, all for the joy of the spectators.

The Taj Mahal (1630 A.D.) Agra, India

INDIA: This immense mausoleum was built on the orders of Shah Jahan, the fifth Muslim Mogul emperor, to honor the memory of his beloved late wife. Built out of white marble and standing in formally laid-out walled gardens, the Taj Mahal is regarded as the most perfect jewel of Muslim art in India. The emperor was consequently jailed and, it is said, could then only see the Taj Mahal out of his small cell window.

The Great Wall of China (220 B.C and 1368 - 1644 A.D.) China

CHINA: The Great Wall of China was built to link existing fortifications into a united defense system and better keep invading Mongol tribes out of China. It is the largest man-made monument ever to have been built and it is disputed that it is the only one visible from space. Many thousands of people must have given their lives to build this colossal construction.

Petra (9 B.C. - 40 A.D.), Jordan

JORDAN: On the edge of the Arabian Desert, Petra was the glittering capital of the Nabataean empire of King Aretas IV (9 B.C. to 40 A.D.). Masters of water technology, the Nabataeans provided their city with great tunnel constructions and water chambers. A theater, modelled on Greek-Roman prototypes, had space for an audience of 4,000. Today, the Palace Tombs of Petra, with the 42-meter-high Hellenistic temple facade on the El-Deir Monastery, are impressive examples of Middle Eastern culture.

Machu Picchu (1460-1470), Peru

PERU: In the 15th century, the Incan Emperor Pachacútec built a city in the clouds on the mountain known as Machu Picchu ("old mountain"). This extraordinary settlement lies halfway up the Andes Plateau, deep in the Amazon jungle and above the Urubamba River. It was probably abandoned by the Incas because of a smallpox outbreak and, after the Spanish defeated the Incan Empire, the city remained 'lost' for over three centuries. It was rediscovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911. Source: Article

Read More........→September 10, 2026