HomeMy WebLinkAboutSPP-21-000227 05.16.23 J. ELLIS TESTIMONY From: iacouelynn ellis
To: LPCtestimonv
Subject: Kona aerials gymnastics
Date: Tuesday,May 16,2023 7:11:24 PM
I am 16 years old and have been doing gymnastics for over 11 years. I have grown from doing
gymnastics just as a plant grows in an agricultural setting. To me the building is more than a
gym, it's a lifestyle. One that has taught me so much: Integrity, self-esteem, communication
skills, a positive mindset, goal setting and reaching, and applying what I know to larger
movements or circumstances. Gymnastics has a special way of teaching these lifelong skills to
someone, in a way nothing else can. By not letting this business continue you are also not
allowing these important life lessons to be passed on, stripping future generations from the
opportunity to experience what I have. To me, this place is like a second mother, raising me to
be who I am today. Not only have I been through this place as a gymnast, I've also seen it
from a coaching perspective and I will tell you now I have seen the potential of these little
girls, and believe me, they could have a future in gymnastics. But not without a gym. Possible
scholarships, Olympians, and job opportunities are all gone once the doors to that gym close.
Now, I understand that these are all just hypotheticals, what you can rely on are facts. There is
scientific evidence to support that doing gymnastics can improve the quality of your sleep and
encourage weight loss along with fighting mental illnesses such as depression. It's not just
closing up a building, it's blocking off an entire community. This gym has changed my life in
more ways than I can even fathom. As a hiapo of this `6hana, I wish that you would show
some aloha and consider all of these benefits and changed lives before making your final
decision.