A Very Special Visitor

At GiGi’s Playhouse, we are lucky to get the most amazing people walk through our doors on a daily basis. John Manley, who is a longtime friend of GiGi’s and was on the board for the Special Olympics, came to visit us. His son, Charlie, had Down syndrome, coined the term “Best of All” and was a talented gymnast. Being your best of all means to always be better than the day before and it’s something we live by at GiGi’s. Unfortunately, Charlie passed away at the age of 16, but John continues his legacy every day by advocating for physical activity for individuals with Down syndrome and by living Generation G.

Our intern, Brian, interviewed John to get some wisdom about his life experiences. Here’s how it went:

Brian: What is your favorite thing about GiGi’s Playhouse?

John: All of you.

Brian: What does “best of all” mean to you?

John: It means you can always beat yesterday.

Brian: How do you show you’re Generation G every day?

John: I try to be generous to everyone I meet. I try not to spend too much time talking about what I do. I’d rather just do it.

Brian: What is something new you’ve learned today?

John: I knew about the new space, but I hadn’t seen it except in videos. I also knew about some of the new programs here, but I hadn’t seen them in action. That was so fun. I didn’t realize you were in eight locations with GiGiFIT. That was really cool.

Brian: Do you have any advice for new families?

John: You can’t even imagine what a gift it is.

Brian: With the holidays around the corner, what message would you like to share?

John: Just to be kind, be generous, and be accepting!

John thought about each of his answers very carefully and it was clear that he lives the best of all every day. His humility and strength is motivation to keep us going. Let’s all make sure to be the best of all this holiday season.

-Hurain Jaffry