Tag: Olivia Stacey

Pickled for Parkinson’s tournament in Pinellas to raise awareness and funds
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TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. — Dawn MacLaughin loves to play pickleball.

She discovered the sport as an outlet after her husband, Wayne, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s.

Through her caregiving experience, she noticed there was a void in the Parkinson’s community.

“The medication cost is prohibitive. We have had people come to us where their monthly medication bill is $900 to $2,000 a month,” she said.

Dawn realized the financial hardship that comes with a neurodegenerative, un-curable disease.

“One day we got our heads together and said, ‘You know, there’s no other nonprofit in Florida that will help people in this way — provide any kind of financial assistance.’ And so we said, ‘Well, why don’t we do that?’”
What You Need To Know

Pickleball is increasing in popularity across the United States. It has also become a sport for those with Parkinson’s, with some studies showing it can slow the progression, while improving cognitive function and promoting socialization

A local nonprofit, Rise Above Parkinson’s, has created the “Pickled for Parkinson’s” tournament to raise funds and create awareness
In 2020, Dawn and Wayne MacLaughlin founded a nonprofit called “Rise above Parkinson’s.”

“I’m the chief vision officer for ‘Rise above Parkinson’s,’ and I was diagnosed in 2011. One of the beauties of our foundations is the fact that I actually am a patient and that really resonates with many clients,” Wayne said.

Over the past four years, their nonprofit has awarded $100,000 in grants to Floridians struggling with the disease.

“It’s an amazingly fulfilling journey, but unfortunately, we haven’t been able to meet the need. We are currently putting people on a waitlist due to lack of funds to meet that need and that’s why we need to have an event like this, a fundraiser like this.”

“Rise above Parkinson’s” is hosting “Pickled for Parkinson’s” at the Tarpon Tennis Club in November.

“This is how we can reach the community. If you introduce people to people who have Parkinson’s at the early stages to pickleball because it is a way that it allows you to engage physically and emotionally and socially — it can be such a benefit and at the same time. I think this tournament, we can help raise awareness of what Parkinson’s really is about.”

Lisa Baldino was diagnosed with Parkinson’s 16 years ago and has recently taken up pickleball.

“Most important things a person with Parkinson’s can do is exercise. It’s been proven scientifically, and it’s sort of to me, it was kind of a no-brainer.”

She’s also helping raise awareness for the tournament.

“The number one non-motor symptom of Parkinson’s is apathy so people I think don’t want to be seen with this disease. This is it something that is very visible. If you’re in public, people look at you,” Baldino said.

They hope the pickleball tournament will also create a social outlet, something Wayne knows is a lifeline.

“It’s really a connection. It’s so important because there’s a big social aspect. There’s a big emotional aspect, having a disease like this,” Wayne said.

They’re playing for awareness, fundraising, and above all, support.

“We have their back.”
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Olivia Stacey

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September 19, 2024
Lakewood Ranch High School’s CJ McRae primed for big season with the Mustangs
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BRADENTON, Fla. — There are many ways an athlete can inspire.

Lakewood Ranch High School senior CJ McRae leads his team by example.

“CJ is a special young man. He attacks each day with fortitude. He attacks each day with grace,” head coach Scott Paravicini said. “He lights up the room when he comes in the room. His teammates respond to him, and he leads in a really positive way.”
What You Need To Know

Lakewood Ranch High’s CJ McRae plans to put up impressive numbers on the ground, but his presence on the team makes an even bigger impact

The senior running back has been a crucial part of the Mustangs’ offense, averaging five yards per carry in 2023

McRae says he hopes to lead his team to an undefeated season
The running back has been a crucial part of the Mustangs’ offense, averaging five yards per carry in 2023. But this year, he’s setting the bar higher.

“I want to rush for 100 yards a game, so toward the end of the season I can have 1,000 yards. And the team goal is to go undefeated,” McRae said.

Fans notice his speed and agility on the field.

“I feel my strengths are speed. I’m not the biggest guy out here, but I feel like I play like I’m the biggest,” McRae said. “I have speed, and I’m shifty. There’s always ways to push through.”

He also brings power.

“When CJ gets the ball, he’s patient. He waits, and then he explodes,” Paravicini said. “I think that change of pace where he’s patient, following his blockers, and then when he sees that crease, he explodes, (that) separates him from a lot of other guys who just have pure speed.”

As McRae sets out on a new season, he hasn’t lost sight of his love for the game.

“The feeling is just unmatched, going out here, talking a big talk throughout school and then performing, people from your school, your family just watching you. Out here, I just feel free,” McRae said.

Paravicini said his positive attitude is infectious.

“You can just see him having fun. He enjoys himself,” Paravicini said. “He’s like that at school. He’s like that in the classroom. He’s like that in the weight room. He’s like that on the field. He’s just a fun kid to be around.”

And that joy uplifts all around him.
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Olivia Stacey

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August 28, 2024
Seminole pastor served Team USA in Paris Olympics
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SEMINOLE, Fla. — Asif Shaikh is part of Team USA. But you won’t see him in any highlights.
What You Need To Know

Asif Shaikh helped American athletes perform their best in Paris by serving as Team USA’s Olympic chaplain

The Paris games were the fifth Olympics he has served in this role, sharing the Christian faith with some of the world’s greatest athletes

Shaikh helps athletes overcome anxiety before their event, and sometimes heartache after — especially with family members not allowed inside the Olympic village
His work is behind the scenes.

“Coming alongside them, encourage them. Anxiety is really high, especially when you’re dealing with high-level athletes that have the weight of their country on their shoulders, but they also have their brand, their sponsor. All of that just takes a toll,” Shaikh explained.

He’s an Olympic chaplain for Team USA.

The Paris games were the fifth Olympics he has served in this role, sharing the Christian faith with some of the world’s greatest athletes.

“What I try to help the athletes do is understand that God has a really amazing plan for their life, and that plan is different than maybe what they had or maybe what the world has for them,” he reflected.

We first connected with Shaikh four years ago, ahead of the Tokyo Olympics. Some of the athletes he was ministering then, like Grant Holloway, returned for the Paris games.

Holloway won a gold in the 110-meter hurdles.

“I wouldn’t say that it’s like a good luck charm or a rabbit’s foot type of thing, but it’s someone I’ve built a relationship with and I think that’s the key,” he said.

Shaikh helps athletes overcome anxiety before their event, and sometimes heartache after — especially with family members not allowed inside the Olympic village.

“Here’s the thing. We have some athletes who have no family here, so someone like myself being able to be here in their corner is massive. This is huge,” Shaikh said.

His duties depend on the situation and the athlete who seeks guidance. But developing relationships is at the core of his work.

“I feel very honored to be in this role. I feel very honored to have these opportunities. To meet these parents, to work with my athletes, people who actually give me an open door to be with them,” Shaikh said.

You won’t see him on the podium, but this Seminole pastor continues to be an important part of Team USA.
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Olivia Stacey

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August 14, 2024
Stephen ‘Pommel Horse Guy’ Nedoroscik trains in Bay area

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BRADENTON, Fla. — Stephen Nedoroscik was not a household name going into the summer Olympics in Paris.

But he became a hero overnight and has captured two bronze medals as the internet has dubbed him the “pommel horse guy” and “Clark Kent” because of the glasses he takes off before competing.

Nedoroscik trains in the Bay area and shared his journey with Spectrum Sports 360 before he left for the Games.

He said his love for gymnastics began at an early age.

“I started gymnastics when I was 4-and-a-half,” he said. “It didn’t take long for that Olympic dream to blossom. A lot of role models, a lot of people I looked up to that I wanted to be in their shoes one day.

But he later realized his path to get there may look a little different.

He won the Junior Olympic national title in 2015 on the pommel horse. By the time he got to college at Penn State, he made that his focus.

“When I went to college, I won NCAA’s my freshman year and sophomore year and said, ‘You know what? Specialists don’t really get on the national team, but I’m making a pretty good argument for myself,’” he said. “And pretty soon, I did make that as well.”

U.S. men’s gymnastics switched up their strategy for this Olympic Games.

Rather than assign all five spots to “all-around gymnasts,” the U.S. gave one spot on the team to Nedoroscik.

The pommel horse is a notoriously difficult apparatus and a weak spot for many teams.

“It takes 10 years to get to the point where you can just do a perfect circle,” Nedoroscik said. “And, you know, not a lot of people can get to that point because it’s an extremely difficult event.”

“This is kind of like the women’s balance beam where (if) you’re off by a millimeter, you’re on the ground,” he added. “Luckily for me, it was something that came almost naturally, and I really just liked the grind.”

During the team competition, Nedoroscik executed flawlessly, helping the U.S. men’s team win a medal for the first time in 16 years.

Nedoroscik moved to Bradenton to train with EVO Gymnastics in 2023, where he trains alongside national teammates including two-time Olympian Brody Malone.

“An opportunity came around here at EVO Gymnastics where I could train with a couple of my national team friends, and become actual teammates with them,” he said. “And it was kind of an opportunity that I couldn’t turn down.

“The coaching staff that we have has really helped me grow as a person and an athlete, and it’s gotten me where I am right now.”

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Olivia Stacey

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August 7, 2024
Hudson artistic roller skater vies for World Championship
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HUDSON, Fla. — Most days you will find Kieu Simms at the roller-skating rink.

Not to hang out with friends, but to train as a competitive figure roller skater.
What You Need To Know

Kieu Simms has traveled the United States and the world competing in figure roller skating

Last season, Simms won three national medals, now has her sights set on the world championship in Italy

The high school sophomore started roller skating at four years old
“I love it because I feel like you can express yourself through your routines,” Simms said.

She spends 20 to 30 hours per week perfecting her craft.

“It’s almost like my canvas and I’m making art on it,” Simms explains.

She started at four years old. She was inspired by a show at her local rink in Hudson, and there was no looking back.

“When she started this, we didn’t know where it was going to go. We just sort of got into it. Once she won that first medal, though, we pretty much knew it was going to be a forever thing,” said her father, Ronald Simms.

Now at 16, she specializes in figures as well as solo dance.

Each discipline requires a different set of wheels.

The Hudson native travels to Kissimmee to train with renowned coach Karyn Cormier.

“I’ve been teaching for 46 years. And Kieu is one of the most dedicated students that I’ve had,” Cormier said. “She travels two hours to get to me in Kissimmee, Florida. She is there no matter what time practice is, four in the morning or five in the morning.”

Cormier says sims is a true student of the sport, one who embraces technicality.

In the past three years, Sims has gone from a local standout to representing the United States on the international stage.

“She grew from a local little skater doing well at local competitions and then doing well on the national level,” Cormier said. “And then actually qualifying for the World Figure Cup when we went to Germany last year.”

With one look at her medal collection, you can see her drive has paid off.

“Looking at the first medal I’ve ever gotten — since I saw that one, I knew I wanted more of them, so I’ve always been hungry for medals,” Sims reflected.

Her goal is to qualify for the world figure championship in Italy later this year.

For Sims, it’s not only about her individual accolades, she also wants to impact the future of the sport.

“She’s always working with the younger skaters. She always wants to inspire them to try a little harder and to make them better as well,” Cormier said.

A true student of skating, whose ultimate goal is to keep the dream alive for herself and others.
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Olivia Stacey

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June 2, 2024
St. Pete Shuffleboard celebrates 100 years of community
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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — For 100 years, the St. Petersburg Shuffleboard club has been a staple of St. Petersburg.

“We have been a really important cultural part of St. Petersburg starting from the 1920s,” said executive director Christine Page.

The game rose to prominence here as an activity for snowbirds, but has turned into year-round fun for residents.

“We’re the mecca for shuffleboard in the world,” said Page. “Everybody around the world that plays shuffleboard knows about St. Pete and knows about our club.”
What You Need To Know

This year, the St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club is celebrating its 100th anniversary.

The game rose to prominence here as an activity for snowbirds, but has turned into year-round fun for residents.

The St. Pete club is the largest in shuffleboard club in the world.
While bustling courts have become the norm now, that wasn’t always the case.

She’s seen the transition the club has gone through since she came on board as a volunteer in 2005.

“It was down to about 50 members at that point so I have seen it from a very small amount of people involved all the way up to now which we have 2,700 members,” Page said.

Crystal Zorich started playing here after double knee replacement a couple years ago.

“A sport that anyone can be pretty much equal in and what I love most about it is I think it’s the only sport where you can take points away from your opponent.”

As a former college softball player, Zorich was looking for a new challenge, and she found it.

“So much strategy to this game I’m actually tired when I get home and it’s not physical exertion, it’s mental.”

In just a couple of years, she’s risen quickly in the sport. She’s traveled the United States competing and has won two national tournaments.

“It’s the biggest accolade you can get — to get your national pin. You only get one in your lifetime so if you win multiple national titles or championships that first pin is the one you want to get,” Zorich explained.

Zorich loves the competition, but she also loves the camaraderie, and connecting with players of all ages.

“I can tell you there are people that are a hundred years old that will come out here and stick it to you on the courts and then go have coffee and a doughnut with you after, that’s the best part.”

It’s a big reason why the St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club has stood the test of time.

“You make friends that people that you would never have met anywhere else just because of this sport and it’s lifetime friends and people really love that,” Page said.

Whether you’re playing just for fun or a competitor like Zorich, there’s something for everyone.

“Right now what’s happening is the sport is growing. There’s a lot of good players out there that are up-and-coming…we’re facing them here in our home and when we travel as well,” Zorich said.

100 years of rich history, yet still looking to the future.

“In 100 years I hope they’ll look back at our centennial and be really proud of what we’ve done since then,” Page said.

The “St. Pete Shuffle” remains as relevant as ever.
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Olivia Stacey

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May 25, 2024
Countryside High graduate Rocco Simonelli makes big splash in college diving
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LARGO, Fla. — When Rocco Simonelli is diving, he says nothing else can compare to the thrill.

“You’re just in a free fall. You can’t do anything except do what you know. It’s a fun rush,” Simonelli said.

His mom, who’s a former collegiate diver and coach, introduced Simonelli to the sport at a young age.

But for Simonelli it was just for fun.

“When I started diving, I was actually little, you know, going to a local pool,” Simonelli said. “We had fun on the dive boards. My mom was a coach, so she always got me to try something new every time we went.”

It wasn’t until high school that he decided to pursue the sport.
What You Need To Know

As a youth, Rocco Simonelli was the national champion in taekwondo. He represented team USA at the Pan-American games

Simonelli started diving at a young age for fun, but didn’t pursue the sport competitively until high school

The Countryside High graduate recently added another accolade. He’s the National Junior College men’s champion in the 1 meter

This fall, he’ll continue his training at Florida Atlantic University
His first love was martial arts, where he racked up many medals and awards.

“As a youth, he was a national champion for taekwondo. He represented team USA at the Pan-American games in taekwondo,” Ann Simonelli said. “He’s been on USA national team, AAU national team and then he started with the diving and he’s won the county. He’s won districts.”

Although Simonelli got a later start competing in diving, he quickly found success, and decided it was the sport for him.

“It was tough to see him step away from some of the other sports that he was also really excelling in and continue with the diving, but because he said this is what he was loving, this is what I had to let him do and he’s proven to me that this was the right choice,” his mother said.

The Countryside High graduate recently added another accolade. He’s the National Junior College men’s champion in the 1 meter.

“It means a lot. It really shows to me that all the hard work really does pay off,” he said.

This fall, he’ll continue his training at Florida Atlantic University.

He’s following in his mom’s footsteps, while making a big splash of his own.
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Olivia Stacey

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April 19, 2024
Ellenton synchronized skating team grows in participation and success
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ELLENTON, Fla. — It’s another practice for Ellenton Epic Edge. Precision, speed and grace are perfected — every move in unison.

Head Coach Jade Fulton says it takes countless hours.

“The more bodies you’re moving, the more difficult it is,” Fulton explained. “The unison, the timing, the speed. They have definitely thrived off gaining speed this season specifically. They’ve never moved so quickly and I think they’re so proud.”
What You Need To Know

Synchronized skating is considered the fastest-growing discipline in U.S. Figure Skating

This sport isn’t going to be in the 2026 Olympic games, but it is under consideration for 2030

The Ellenton Epic Edge is a growing ‘synchro’ program in Tampa Bay and their preliminary team is making big strides this season
Their pride reached a new level this season, skating in seven different competitions and recently earning national recognition. The team placed fourth in U.S. Figure Skating’s Eastern Sectionals.

“For this level, that is their final, that’s their nationals, that’s their qualifying event, that’s their Olympics and so they came fourth in the East Coast,” Fulton said. “And for U.S. figure skating and for synchronized skating, the East Coast is the mecca.”

But before the medals, this team had to build a foundation. Figure skater Lucy Fulton says it’s a process, but a meaningful one.

“It’s hard work to trust one another, but it’s such a fun time meeting new people,” she said.

These moves may look effortless but can have serious consequences if not executed well, with trust being a major factor.

Coach Fulton is a former professional figure skater and founded Ellenton’s synchronized skating program four years ago.

“I grew up skating in a program in Canada that was thriving so when I first came to Florida and I had this intention of starting a program,” Fulton said.

The program has grown from nine skaters in its first year to four teams with 50 skaters.

It gives a unique opportunity in a sport that is widely known for its individual competition.

“The speed, the grace, the beauty of what synchronized skating has brought to maybe the kid that wasn’t going to thrive with a triple axel and it’s kept them in the sport,” Fulton said.

They found their edge and they’re already setting goals for next season. Their friendship makes the success even sweeter.
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Olivia Stacey

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March 13, 2024
FACEBOOK HEADLINE
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LECANTO, Fla. — The 352 Legends are creating more than good football players: they’re creating memories to last a lifetime.

Corey Edwards is the founder of 352 Legends, a flag football league in Citrus County.

“We always say it’s never too young. We start at three years old and go to 15 years old. These kids that you see out here today are all 5 and 6 years old,” Edwards said.
What You Need To Know

Corey Edwards is the founder of 352 Legends, a flag football league in Citrus County

Players range in age from three to 15 years old

Their 6U team recently competed in the world championship at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports
But don’t let their youth fool you — these kids are dedicated to the game.

“A lot of people will come out here and watch them practice and they’ll say, ‘I didn’t know it was possible for them to do something like that.’ Well, we’re here to show them that with hard work and practice, anything is possible,” Edwards said.

It’s a lesson these young athletes are already learning.

This season, the team put their skills to the test.

“They went undefeated for their regular season. Then, they went to Spring Hill and won a group B championship. And then after that they said, ‘Hey, do you think we could compete on a national level?’“ Edwards said. “So we put them to the test. We sent them off the Rumble at Raymond James Stadium. And they did an outstanding job.”

It led to a chance to compete in the world championship at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports.

“These kids have that opportunity to say, ‘We’re going to a World Championship.’ Playing against teams from China, Mexico, Canada — Teams from all over the nation,” Edwards said.

It’s not just about learning football drills and perfecting plays.

Edwards says they’re learning life lessons. “The skill of facing adversity. It’s so undervalued these days.”

At just five and six years old, they’re already learning resilience and having fun in the process.

“It warms my heart to see something like this. We don’t get many opportunities like this. When you see something like this happen, I don’t know if I’ll ever forget it,” Edwards said.

Edwards is making an impact in these young lives.

Regardless of their future in football, the 352 Legends are creating memories that will last.
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Olivia Stacey

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February 11, 2024