Running Beyond Their Challenges: Spencer and Eli Pardee Story

Spencer and Eli Pardee are adopted brothers from Guatemala, currently living in a small Michigan town. Spencer, now 13, and Eli, 11, were each adopted at 8 months of age. Both boys have overcome substantial physical challenges. Their mother, Dr. Terri Pardee, credits Mileage Club®, combined with a quality physical education program, with a good deal of their success.

Dr. Pardee (Terri), a Professor of Psychology at Spring Arbor University, is particularly interested in Childhood Development including high-functioning autism, the effects of trauma on children, and physiological psychology. 

Terri explains that the brain stem of a child develops from the bottom up. When progressive physical activity is not available to children, their brain stem doesn’t develop in a typical fashion, often resulting in a delay of gross motor skills. Stunted brain stem development also affects the brain’s cognitive and emotional development. 

Adopted children often experience physical and psychological delays due to this lack of brain stem development. Constantly swaddling babies, which is a common practice in third-world countries because of environmental health concerns, can also limit opportunities to strengthen core muscles.  

Spencer and Eli both experienced gross motor skill delays. Terri recognized the importance of early intervention and enrolled the boys in the Jackson County ISD Lyle A. Torrant Center’s Early Childhood Program where they received Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, and Physical Therapy. These provided the boys with a great assessment of their abilities and challenges, as well as a foundation for improvement.

Spencer struggled with weak core muscles. As a first grader, he was unable to lie on his back and roll to his stomach. He also dealt with twisted tibias, which resulted in him being extremely pigeon-toed. Spencer wore leg braces as a young child and often tripped when he walked.

When Spencer entered 1^st grade, he met Physical Education teacher, Debbie Drake. Debbie taught Physical Education at Jackson Christian Elementary School for 17 years ending in 2016. She has also worked at Fitness Finders, Inc. since 1977, and helped develop and write the Mileage Club® program alongside company founders, Dr. Charles and Beth Kuntzleman.

Terri remembers telling Debbie, 

“My son has pretty significant gross motor delays. Spencer may not be able to run. He’s not being lazy, he just not physically able to.”

Unfazed, Debbie responded, “We can work with him.”

Terri noticed Spencer began growing stronger. Motor control was a challenge for him, but suddenly he was improving. Five years later, Spencer was running comfortably as a 5^th grader due in part to Mileage Club®. He earned awards in his Physical Education class for push-ups (which require strong core muscles), and he ultimately reached the top 10 in his 5th-grade class for physical fitness testing.

The Pardees offered Spencer a variety of opportunities to be active. They enrolled him as a young child in baseball and soccer, but he struggled with organized sports. Spencer has a reserved personality, and the sensory overload that accompanied many such activities made it difficult for him to master the physical skills necessary.

However, Mileage Club® was a perfect fit for Spencer. Mileage Club® gave Spencer a framework in which to practice running while encouraging him to improve his performance and meet goals – all while having fun!

“The kids had a ball with Mileage Club®,” Terri told us in our interview.

Now a middle schooler, Spencer has joined his school’s cross-country team and is thoroughly enjoying the experience. At his first cross-country meet, Terri felt nervous and asked Spencer if he was sure he could run that far. Spencer breezily replied, “Oh, yeah. We ran that far at lunch every day for Mileage Club®.”

Spencer’s younger brother Eli experienced similar physical challenges. In addition, Eli is currently prescribed some medications that can affect fitness levels and may cause weight gain. Terri is delighted that Eli has expressed the same enjoyment of running and Mileage Club® as his brother. Eli has completed two 5K races and is proud of his accomplishments in each.

Terri expresses gratitude for her sons’ early exposure to Mileage Club®, and the interest and joy in running that it helped cultivate in them. As the boys enter adolescence, running seems to help them manage their emotions.

“Running has made the boys physically healthier, provided them an outlet for stress, and has taught them fitness skills that they will be able to use throughout their entire lives.” 

- Terri Pardee

Mileage Club Challenge Series: Build Community with School Fun Runs

Have you considered organizing a Fun Run for your school? These events build community spirit, enhance physical activity, and can even serve as school fundraisers.

 
Fun Runs are completely customizable to fit the needs of each school. You may choose to limit participation to only students or you may choose to have students, parents, and school faculty lace up their running shoes together. You can let participants walk, run, jog, or grapevine during Fun Runs – you’re limited only by imagination! Fun Runs can be themed, competitive 5k events, or shorter, more collaborative Mile Runs.

 
Webster Central School District in Webster, NY has been hosting an annual Fun Run for over 50 years. According to www.democratandchronicle.com, the annual Webster Fun Run has become a tradition, as well as a rite of passage, for the students of their community.

 
Kevin Sayers, a physical education teacher at Plank Road North Elementary, has coordinated the event for the past decade. The mile run kick-starts the academic year by bringing 700 students together. 

“The idea is to encourage children to be active, how to be a competitor and spectator, and to encourage good sportsmanship, empathy, and camaraderie among students.” 

- Kevin Sayers 

 
According to www.democratandchronicle.com (Part of the USA Today network), “The annual (Webster Fun Run, in Webster, NY), in its 52nd year, is as much a tradition among Webster Central School District students as it is a rite of passage.

 
Another veteran of Fun Runs, Stacey Brickman from West Bloomfield Hills, MI has organized several elementary and middle school Fun Run events. 

“A successful fun run accomplishes all the things a PTO tries to create all year. It builds school spirit, increases participation, raises school pride, and is a fabulous, fun whole-school event. We would have a fun run even if it didn’t raise money because it is a blast.” 

- Stacey Brickman

How Can You Get Started With School Fun Runs?

Fitness Finders® offers a Challenge Series® program that provides easy-to-implement fun-run templates and awards.


The Challenge Series® is a youth running or walking program combined with imaginative monthly events and accompanying awards. The Series may be conducted as often as once a month, for nine months, just once a year, or any number in between. 

The monthly challenges may be held during physical education classes, after school, at recess, as an active assembly, at a club/recreation setting, as a community Fun Run, or as part of an established community-wide run. The challenges permit young people to participate in a one-half to one-mile run/walk or, on occasion, longer distances.

With the Challenge Series®, participation and completion are the focus and are rewarded. Everyone is a winner! Upon completing the specified distance, each young person receives a special award for the event. 

For example, a shamrock is provided for a March Shamrock Shuffle, a pumpkin is awarded for an October Pumpkin Run, a Turkey is provided for a November Turkey Trot, and a Sled Dog Bundle is provided for a Winter Race with the Sled Dogs Challenge.

The Challenge Series is a powerful, event-driven activity that encourages young people to set a goal of walking/running a specified distance. 

How Could a Challenge Series® Fun Run Serve as a School Fundraiser?

We recommend organizing a Challenge Series® event monthly, with the September/October Fun Run functioning as a kick-off fundraiser, and the final Challenge Series® event in May as an End-of-the-Year fundraiser. 

Both of these Fun Runs could be opened to the public, and we recommend charging a moderate registration fee. Make sure you advertise these events as fundraisers, and if possible, specify your intended use for the money to generate excitement. Make it a fun, whole-school, community-wide affair!


You can also raise money by having people pledge dollar amounts per lap (or steps or miles), or you can have your Fun Run be part of a larger, carnival-type event that has a variety of onsite fundraising games and goodies to purchase. You are in charge, so your Fun Run can be anything you need it to be. But all Fun Runs are great at promoting physical activity and creating community spirit.


We would love to answer any questions you might have regarding Challenge Series® fun runs and pricing. Please don’t hesitate to call 800-789-9255 or email richf@fitnessfinders.net for more information. 

Fitness Finders, Inc. is committed to Shaping America's Future® by providing effective motivational programs and awards designed to develop the body, mind, and character of youth. We strive to provide practical and innovative solutions for physical educators, teachers, and youth leaders.

Zooper Safari: Manage Your Classroom While Meeting Common Core Standards

With Fitness Finders’® new curriculum, Zooper Safari™, your students will embark on an exciting trek around the world, learning about positive classroom behaviors while meeting CCSS and NGSS standards. 

By appealing to students’ natural curiosity and love of animals, Zooper Safari™ introduces unique Featured Creatures that display Zooper Behaviors students will be excited to investigate, and then emulate in their personal choices. By including CCSS and NGSS standards, Fitness Finders® is combining academic learning with classroom management to help teachers create a positive and successful learning environment.

Zooper Safari™ is all-inclusive!

The innovative Zooper Safari™ curriculum includes:

*9 Lesson Plans: Introductory Lesson, 1 Lesson covering each Zooper Behavior, and Review Lesson. Teachers who have a SMART Board or electronic whiteboard will love our online, interactive lesson plans, with links to videos of Featured Creatures displaying the Zooper Behaviors in their habitats. 

Prefer teaching from paper? You’ll appreciate our economically printable black-and-white lesson plans. They include the video links, as well, so you can prepare ahead of time to share the information from the videos with your students, as desired.

*Hands-on Reinforcement Activities: Includes large group games for reviewing, a multitude of activities for Learning Centers, cute crafts you’ll love to display, yummy snacks that incorporate counting and shape recognition, large group brainstorming exercises that include individual writing prompts, and more.

*Student Materials: Includes grade-appropriate student journals or coloring pages, activity templates, and review games. All of the student materials (except the Zooper Safari™ Adventure Game Board) are designed to be printed in color OR black and white. 

YOU choose which materials to use, as well as the style and the amount to print!

*Zooper Safari™ Map: Students love seeing this colorful, 12-page map come together piece-by-piece as they complete their Zooper adventure.

*Unique Awards: Fitness Finders® has decades of research and experience motivating kids to set goals, adopt positive behaviors, and achieve. We’ve included LaceLink™ Lanyards, cool tokens, and charming stickers to help you create excitement and desire in your students to learn the information, transfer the behaviors, and become Zooper Explorers!

Zooper Safari™ is written BY teachers FOR teachers!

The Zooper Safari™ curriculum was written by teachers with decades of experience. The components of each lesson are consistent so that prep time may be simple and minimal. Each lesson is comprised of the following:

*Review: Information from the previous lesson is reviewed.

*Anticipatory Set and Lesson: Includes information about the Featured Creature, continent, and Zooper Behavior.

*Turn and Talk: Students reflect and share with one another something they’ve learned.

*Transfer and Reflect: Includes a read-aloud book recommendation with talking points to discuss the Zooper Behavior, as well as instructions on completing a grade-level-appropriate student journal or coloring page, designed to enhance learning and sharpen writing skills.

*Summary: A quick restatement of the Zooper Behavior.

*Assessment & Award: Easily evaluate student learning; then encourage student participation by awarding our integral, fun rewards.

*Hands-On Reinforcement Activities: A variety of creative activities that continue the fun and learning.

At the end of each section and activity, you will find CCSS and NGSS standards that are met by that segment of the lesson. You simply enter the date in the box provided to record when each standard has been covered, making inclusion and documentation of these standards quick and easy. (There’s also space for you to write in any standards we may have missed!)

Fitness Finders® has been working with, and advocating for, teachers since 1974. We have teachers on our staff, teachers as our family and friends, and teachers in our community with whom we consult and support. We’ve seen a lot of trends, policy mandates, and political debates about education come and go. 

But one thing remains consistent – the passionate dedication to students that teachers bring to the classroom. Our goal for Zooper Safari™ is to meet a need we’ve heard expressed by teachers to address behavioral issues and academic standards, at the same time incorporating technology and appealing to students. 

Running and Autism: How Mileage Club Impacted Colin Nichols

Colin Nichols attends Hanover-Horton Elementary in Hanover, Michigan. Colin loves participating in his school’s Mileage Club®, and he runs – a lot. Colin completed 30 miles during MileageClub® when he was in 1^st grade. He more than doubled his mileage and racked up a total of 70 miles in 2^nd grade. At the end of the season, when the school announced that he logged 70 miles (almost twice as many miles as the runner-up for the year), his classmates cheered wildly.

And that’s a big deal.

Colin has autism, and school has not always been an easy place for him. Colin’s mom, Carrie, commented that his classmates “have seen Colin at his worst.” Which made it even more meaningful that they witnessed his disciplined efforts, and celebrated that success with him. Carrie Nichols reflected that Colin showed signs of athleticism from a very young age, but PE class in school was stressful for him. Colin is easily overwhelmed by the chaos and activity of PE class and organized sports. But running gives Colin the physical release he needs, and gives him pride in his abilities. Colin’s mom also noted academic benefits from Mileage Club® for her son. Both she and Colin’s teacher observed that Colin would come back into the classroom from Mileage Club® much calmer and ready to learn, having released on the track his extra energy and pent up frustrations from the day.

Alison Wade wrote in an article published by runnersworld.com, “In running, social interaction is common, but it’s not required for success. Running does not require mastery of complex techniques, intricate rules, or the principles of teamwork—but it does offer the opportunity to be a part of a team.”

Russell Lang, Ph.D., the executive director of the Clinic for Autism Research, Evaluation and Support at Texas State University in San Marcos, said that “Running, in general, is a community sport and lifetime activity that de-emphasizes social communication and emphasizes repetitive behavior. That lends itself well to alignment with the characteristics of autism.”

Tommy Des Brisay of Ontario also has autism, and began running when he turned 14. He now has dreams of making the 2020 Paralympic Team.

According to runnersworld.com, “Within two years (of beginning road racing), he (Tommy) was near the front of the pack. He was confused about where everyone else was the first time he won a race, so he went back up the course to run with each subsequent finisher and cheer for them as they crossed the line.”

Des Brisay, now 25, has personal bests of 15:17 for 5K, 1:10:34 for the half marathon, and 2:38:50 in the marathon. It’s not unusual for him to blow by his competition while reciting lines or singing songs from his favorite movies.

But when people marvel at what Tommy Des Brisay has been able to accomplish despite his autism, his mother prefers to ask, “What if it’s because of his autism that he’s this successful?”

“You can choose to look at autism as a disability or you can choose to look at it as a collection of abilities that can be celebrated,” she said. “There’s no doubt that for Tommy, part of his success as a runner has always been his unfailing willingness or joy in training. He’s the kind of guy who doesn’t see it as a tedium of any kind to go forward and do the same workout. There’s a comfort for him in that. So I think for Tommy, his autistic tendencies are an advantage in a lot of things. One of those is his running.”

This leads us back to Hanover-Horton Elementary. When I asked Colin what his favorite thing about Mileage Club® was, he didn’t mention the many tokens he’s earned, the Mileage Club ®t-shirt he won, or the applause from his classmates. He simply answered, “Running.”