All Star Abilities Expands to Chicago: Transforming Teens’ Lives Through Fitness and Friendship

Photo caption: Reid (far left) and Kaden (center) standing working with two All Star Abilities participants on the row machine.

Written by: By Reid Pearsall & Kaden Uddin

All Star Abilities has been transforming teens lives since 2017. It’s aimed to close the fitness gap by pairing teens with and without disabilities together for a weekly peer-to-peer fitness program and foster a community of support and encouragement. Over the years, countless teens have been able to strengthen their muscles and build friendships and now JCC Chicago is proud to announce this program is expanding to reach more Chicagoland teens.

Starting January 2025, All Star Abilities will now offer a city cohort for teens in the Chicago area. The idea came from the minds of Reid Pearsall and Kaden Uddin, both All Star Abilities peer partners over the last four years at Bernard Weinger JCC in Northbrook. Kaden shares their motive behind bringing the program to the city and why it’s near and dear to their hearts.

Reid and I have been attending All Star Abilities for almost four years now. During our time in the program, we’ve not only seen others grow as individuals but have had the benefit of growing ourselves, too.

I initially heard of the All Star Abilities program through a friend and was eager to get involved since my cousin has Autism and was aware of how small interactions and friendships can make a world of difference. At All Star Abilities, we’ve been privy to some of our newfound friend’s milestones, such as conquering the Stairmaster or making ten basketball shots in a row. Although we may have just been words of support during the process, it’s a wonderful feeling to witness these accomplishments. 

I introduced Reid to the program during his sophomore year of high school. He was immediately eager to join and set off to contact the program head, Rena Rosen. Reid’s grandfather was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s several years ago and, due to the extent of the disease, recently moved in with his family. Reid mentioned that his day-to-day life was crowded with stress, worry, and unpredictability, as his grandfather was merely a shell of his former self. The opportunity to engage with disabled kids was very exciting for Reid because he felt that through his own experience and the insights he developed, he owed it to the community and his grandfather to help as many people as possible. 

Through each of our individual experiences, we’ve needed to learn how to treat our relatives in a nurturing, friendly, and positive manner. All Star Abilities is a quintessential program to provide the loving and friendly care that many kids may not get enough of, and we are thrilled to be a part of it. 

As we made the hour-long drive to Northbrook each week, we became aware that there’s an entire demographic of city folk who may not be able to make it to Northbrook each Sunday. To help spread All Star Abilities’ message and engage Chicagoans in this fantastic program, we thought: why not bring All Star Abilities to the city?! While we’ve had a fantastic experience meeting kids at the Northbrook location, we know that bringing this program to the city could benefit the lives of hundreds of teens in Chicago.

All Star Abilities is a program that shouldn’t just be limited to the suburbs, and Reid and I are determined to give every kid a chance to get involved, meet new people, form friendships, increase physical fitness, and, most importantly, have fun. Every kid deserves the chance to make a friend, and if bringing the program to the city creates even just one substantial friendship, then all of it is worth it. 

 

If you’re interested in signing up, the NEW! city cohort runs:

Sundays, Jan 5-Feb 9  |  1-2:15pm
Choyokan Kendo Dojo
3900 N. Elston Ave, Chicago, IL 60618

Register to become a participant
Register to become a peer partner

 

Bios:

Kaden Uddin is a 17-year-old student who has lived in Chicago his entire life. He connected with the All Star Abilities program during his freshman year of high school and has loved every minute of it since. He has many goals for All Star Abilities in Chicago and is eager to engage a new cohort of teens!

Reid Pearsall is a 17-year-old student who has lived in Chicago his entire life. He started attending All Star Abilities during his sophomore year of high school when his lifelong friend, Kaden, introduced him to it. Since then, he has witnessed the growth of the program and his peers and is extremely excited to see the program expand!