By Russell Ledbetter

Children at Woodland Heights Elementary participated in the world’s largest exercise class last week. 

Students at the elementary school engaged in one of three Project ACES (All Children Exercise Simultaneously) assemblies put on by Acrofitness gymnasts. The event culminated in children learning a new Acrofitness routine.

“The Project ACES program goes along with what our kids do for exercise in their classrooms and in P. E. classes,” said physical education teacher Pam Elliott, one of three P.E. instructors who teach kindergarten through fifth grade at Woodland Heights.

“They add a little twist to exercise and do it differently every year,” Elliott said. “This year it’s cross, V, fold, flip, down, picture, down, muscles — and then you move your feet back and forth while you’re doing it.”

Parents Todd and Robin Cates watched from the back of the elementary school gym while their 7-year-old daughter, Kristin, performed synchronized routines with the Acro Chicks, ages 5 to 9.

“(Kristin) had done dancing before and she didn’t like that as much, so this is something kind of unique here,” Todd said.

Len Saunders, a former P.E. teacher who launched Project ACES in 1989, established his personal goal of having at least one school in every state exercise at the same time, on the same day, once a year, every year.

The program is now worldwide and in all 50 states, with more than a million school children participating. Acrofitness teams from Mooresville have led Project ACES assemblies in Iredell County schools over the past several years.

“There is a huge mind-body connection,” Acrofitness owner-director Marie Severance said. “Acrofitness teams hope to inspire their peers to practice their newly learned routines they’ve witnessed in Project ACES assemblies during recess or while at home.”

Severance led Friday’s assemblies with a Shrek-inspired movie theme tie-in. Each Acrofitness member wore green- sprouted Shrek horns and performed to music from the popular films.

“If you exercise and study, you’ll do better on tests,” Severance said.
Jack Sherer, 9, volunteered from the student audience, demonstrating a chest to floor push-up before Acrofitness gymnasts utilized slides, hula-hoops and jump ropes.

“At Mooresville High School, P.E. is only a one-year elective,” said LuAnne Pate, mother of 15-year-old Caitlin, a 10-year Acrofitness member. “These kids on the Acrofitness All-Star team exercise six hours a week.”

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