Calendine Proving Gymnastics is for All

ZANESVILLE, OH – She might be well-known within the Zanesville community, but this young gymnast is ready to take her skills to the next level on a national and perhaps global scale, as she aims to inspire and teach others about never saying never.

She’s already an inspiration to many, both in and out of the world of gymnastics. She’s incredibly passionate and strong-willed. Her name is Paige Calendine, a young gymnast in Zanesville who is looking to make a difference for others.

“If there’s kids like me out in the world that want to do gymnastics, they should be passionate about it and they should do it,” said Calendine.

Paige was born without legs, but that never stopped her from wanting to achieve her dreams of not only being a gymnast but doing so on a global stage.

“When I was younger and I started gymnastics, I wanted to be in the Olympics. We got a text from our gym that they want me to be the face of Paralympics gymnastics, and they want me to go to Olympic tryouts to see how they can judge me. It makes me feel honored that I’m the new face of it and that I did all this hard work for it,” said Calendine.

“She was invited by a group called ‘Gymnastics for All’ to perform at National Congress in the Olympic trials. So every year they have a big congress for all the coaches and the athletes to learn, and so she’s been invited to perform at that congress. And also help teach some of the coaches and other athletes how to adapt gymnastics to anybody, and anybody’s body,” said Esther Weibel Calendine’s gymnastics coach.

Since day one when she started gymnastics she has certainly been an inspiration amongst per peers, which continues to amaze those close to her.

“I think the inspiration is more that it doesn’t matter whether you got the limbs or don’t have the limbs, or some of the abilities that some of these girls have,” explained Heidi Calendine Paige’s mother. “It’s, ‘you can do it’, I mean that has been Paige’s biggest thing, and me and my husband have already told her since she was little that ‘can’t don’t exist’, you figure it out, try different things, and you know, there’s always a way.”

Paige and her family are calling on the community support of her journey, something they know has always been there for them.

“We’re going to do some fundraisers, I have a friend that I’m working with on shirts and sweatshirts. The community, as far as when it comes to Paige are very supportive, I mean they always want to work with us and help out. They can always contact me on social media, or they can call here at the gym and speak with Monty about it,” said Heidi Calendine.

It wasn’t always easy, but Paige has managed to keep her head up and smile on her face to overcome anything.

“Because I just wanted to do the sport for fun, you know. Just like, have fun with it, and it’s just a fun sport to do. We had a lot of practices and a lot of challenges, but I fixed them, and I’m actually doing a lot better now,” said Paige Calendine.

Paige heads to Minneapolis from June 26 to the 30th to compete and perform in the Gymnastics for All Event.