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

Egyptian mission discovers rare rock-cut tombs dating to late New Kingdom in Nile Delta

This photo taken on April 9, 2026 shows the Giza Pyramids scenic spot in Giza, Egypt. The Giza Pyramids located southwest of Cairo, capital of Egypt, are one of the most representative sites of ancient Egyptian civilization. The complex includes the three pyramids known as the Great Pyramids, the massive sculpture known as the Great Sphinx, and several ancient cemeteries and smaller pyramids. The pyramids are part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed in 1979. (Xinhua via IANS)

Cairo, (IANS): An Egyptian archaeological mission has uncovered a number of rock-cut tombs dating to the late New Kingdom (1550-1069 BC) at the Tell el-Yahudiya archaeological site in Qalyubia province, north of Cairo, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said Saturday.

The tombs feature different architectural designs, shedding light on burial practices in the eastern Nile Delta, the ministry said in a statement.

The tombs fall into two main architectural types, the statement read, Xinhua News Agency reported.

The first consists of tombs with an entrance reached by a staircase leading to a hall containing burial niches, while the second features a rectangular shaft leading to two burial chambers, it said.

Such rock-cut tomb designs are rare in the Delta, where the region's clay-rich soil makes this type of burial uncommon, it added.

Hisham El-Leithy, secretary-general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, said the discovery provides valuable evidence for understanding burial practices and their development in the eastern Delta across different historical periods.

Last week, Egypt announced the discovery of an over 4,000-year-old tomb dating to the late Fifth Dynasty (2494-2345 BC) at the Mariette Cemetery north of Saqqara, Giza Province, west of Cairo.

According to a statement from Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the tomb, discovered by a joint Egyptian-Spanish archaeological mission, dates to the reign of King Djedkare Isesi.

The medium-sized mastaba contains two funerary chapels. One belonged to Yunmin, a senior official who served as judge, court director, and chief of scribes responsible for handling petitions and complaints.

Excavations in Yunmin's chapel uncovered a distinctive facade inscribed with funerary texts and an offering formula, alongside a depiction of the tomb owner in a formal pose.

The chapel's walls were decorated with high-quality raised reliefs depicting agricultural activities and processions carrying offerings to the tomb.

The second chapel belonged to Yunmin's father, Ity, a scribe involved in administering agricultural lands and offerings. It features a false door and colourful wall decorations of offering scenes, though much of the paint has faded.Hisham El-Leithy, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said the discovery provides new archaeological information about the Saqqara cemetery during the late Fifth Dynasty and sheds further light on the architectural and artistic styles of tombs from the period. Egyptian mission discovers rare rock-cut tombs dating to late New Kingdom in Nile Delta | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

Read More........→September 14, 2026