Gymnastics academy in Joliet holds Push-Up Challenge fundraiser for military families

JOLIET – Some battalions might have done fewer push-ups than the girls at Aspire Gymnastics Academy in Joliet did Saturday. It’s likely Mikayla Conwell, 9, could take on a company by herself.

Several dozen gymnasts, ages 6 to 18, took the Push-Up Challenge to raise funds to benefit Operation Homefront, a nonprofit that supports military families.

Academy owner Nick Becker; his wife, Erin Becker; and Casey Charlebois conceived the event after a social media post of gymnasts doing handstands in front of an American flag got a large response, Becker said.

“We decided Operation Homefront could benefit and had everyone get sponsors on how many push-ups [they] can do,” Becker said. “It’s a way to challenge yourself and the younger girls can see a way they can make a difference.”

When members of the military are away, Operation Homefront provides financial help to their families for unforeseen expenses.

“If you’re deployed and the refrigerator dies, we can give assistance,” Regional Director Darcy Clardy said. “We also set up backpacks for military kids to help with back-to-school expenses and holiday meals.”

With flag streamers on the uneven bars and bunting decorating the pommel horse, students stretched, danced and batted red, white and blue balloons in the air before Riley Traverso sang the national anthem.

The 6-, 7- and 8-year-olds went first – doing 25 push-ups, taking a 10-second break to “roll out their wrists” and going again.

Before the challenge, Becker promised to do one more push-up than the winner. Within the first minute, he had his work cut out for him.

Most girls got to 100, and some hit 150 and 200.

“These girls don’t have any weight on them,” said Hanna Bergeson, 17, who was spotting the younger students. “I’m going to go for maybe 100. I’ve no chance to do that many.”

Bergeson, however, did win a debate last week in her history class at Joliet Catholic Academy with her triceps. Although her explanation of Warren G. Harding’s policies was judged equal to that of a boy portraying another president, she took the tiebreaker by doing more push-ups in 15 seconds.

Bella Ristau, 7, and Sophia Burchiaga, 8, had parents’ jaws dropping as they dropped No. 300. Sophia added one more for good measure and ran to hug her mother, Stephanie Burchiaga.

“That was my first time doing that many,” Sophia said. “It was fun. I hadn’t practiced, I just kept on going.”

“I already pledged, but I think I’m going to have to get out the checkbook again,” Stephanie said. “Me and my husband were both in the military, so this is pretty awesome.”

Sophia ran back to the mat where Bella’s classmates were chanting her name as she reached push-up No. 350.

The expectation the youngest girls would have the most energy was shattered within minutes as spotters kept shouting out “500” throughout the gym. What began for some onlookers as a joke about 1,000 turned into a goal.

Cameron Banach, 9, would blast through 25 reps as quickly as possible then go limp and roll her shoulders for the full length of the break and repeat the process.

Although each series began taking longer and longer, Cameron, Mikayla and Sabina Charlebois, 8, put on a three-way push-up battle for the ages as each girl crossed the four-digit threshold.

“I sponsored her for 50 cents a push-up,” Mikayla’s grandmother, Joanne LaRocca, lamented with pride.

Cameron and Sabina each called it a day at 1,225, while Mikayla gave no indication of stopping.

“I wasn’t expecting to do that many,” Cameron said. “It was fun.”

Mikayla was still going as the oldest students started their push-ups and hadn’t stopped by the time most of them finished. Bergeson was proud she did 125 push-ups, noting she beat Becker, who could only muster 113.

“I’m dying already,” Becker shouted on his 100th push-up.

Becker and Bergeson finished in time to see Mikayla approaching 2,000 push-ups. Mikayla’s mother, Jessica Conwell, noted her daughter is the push-up champ at Aux Sable Elementary School in Minooka.

“She did 88 in P.E. They stop the kids at 86 but she did two more,” she said.

“Mikayla lives on her hands. She walks around the house on a handstand all the time,” LaRocca said.

Kneeling at the edge of the mat, Todd Conwell told his daughter to keep her form from “getting sloppy” as a dozen girls surrounded her to count reps. After reaching 2,010 push-ups, Mikayla bounced up and smiled for pictures before going off in search of a drink of water.

“That was good ... It was painful,” she said. “My goal was 88. Nobody will believe I did this many.”