By Alexa Taylor, Cronkite PR Lab
TEMPE – Since 2018, the Sun Devil Gymnastics team has been supporting individuals with cystic fibrosis. One young girl, Berlynn, has been working with the gymnasts for two seasons now, and this past Tuesday, February 14, she officially got her own spot on the team.
At the signing ceremony, you could spot 6-year-old Berlynn’s gold curls from across the gym, bouncing on the trampoline and running around with the older athletes. Her mom, Lindsay Jensen, said that although Berlynn does not exactly grasp the idea of what signing day means, she definitely feels a part of the team.
“She thinks that she’s been officially on the team the last year and a half she's been there," Lindsay said. "So I don't think she understands what the signing day is because she already thinks, ‘This is what I do.’ She proudly tells people, ‘I'm on the ASU gymnastics team.’”
Berlynn was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis as a newborn. In her six years, she already has faced more than 20 surgeries, takes over 30 types of medicines and at one point spent seven months in the ICU. It’s easy to notice that she is a true fighter with a kind heart.
“She's just a sweet, caring girl. She's super shy. It takes her a while to open up just because of everything she's been through. But she's the first one to help anybody," said Lindsay about her daughter. ”We put her in soccer, and she's worried about the kid that fell down.”
Despite her diagnosis, Berlynn has progressed tremendously and has been able to keep on weight and the gymnastics exercises has strengthened her immune system. Lindsay has also noticed other positive outcomes from her daughter since “joining” the team.
“She's more open. She'll now go to gymnastics because she knows it's not a scary place," Lindsay said. "She wanted to for so long, but (before her association with ASU) she was just scared to do it.”
The Gym Devils initially started working with cystic fibrosis because Karli Newman and Dr. Carole Griego, ASU gymnastics alumni, were closely involved with cystic fibrosis and planned community service opportunities for the gymnasts.
These opportunities led ASU gymnastics to meet many young girls with cystic fibrosis, including Berlynn. The team has formed a strong bond with Berlynn and learn from her in many ways.
Teammates Hannah Scharf and Cassi Barbanente described Berlynn as their “little sister” and that they each have a special bond with her.
“Berlin has been a real inspiration for me," Scharf said. "She comes into the gym whenever she can. She's fought more battles than I ever have and she still comes out smiling. She's a real inspiration.”
Barbanente also said that not only has she learned from Berlynn, but has learned a lot about cystic fibrosis since meeting her.
“I've learned a lot about it just because I'm curious," Barbanente said. "So I asked her parents about the things that she does. I learned that her running around the gym is actually really good for her and her jumping in and out of the pit and getting all of that exercise isn actually good for cystic fibrosis. I also learned that cystic fibrosis is a lot more common than we realize.”
Head coach Jay Santos said that having Berlynn in the gym truly makes everyone’s day and that seeing his athletes grow their relationships with her is a true testament to Berlynn’s strength and perseverance.
”They just jump right in with their whole hearts and just embrace her," Santos said. "I think it's such a natural thing for them that it just feels so right. They really take it to heart. She's really special. It's just hard not to smile when she's around.”
You can catch Berlynn and her Sun Devil sisters at their next gymnastics meet on Monday, February 20 against Utah at 1 p.m. in Desert Financial Arena.