In the penultimate portion of Wednesday’s SoMARise unified fitness class, families, coaches, and community members gathered around participants to witness a gripping game of musical medicine balls
One by one, the field whittled, until eventually it was down to Seamus Coogan and Jake Bromley. The music stopped, both darted toward the ball, and they landed on it at the same time. Then, they tied once more, before Coogan eventually emerged as the victor in double overtime
As soon as Coogan prevailed, Bromley turned to offer him a high-five, then turned to the crowd and started dancing. When he wasn’t dancing, Bromley was flexing. When he wasn’t flexing, he was grinding, sporting a “Red, White, and Inclusive” tank top while powering through a rigorous hourlong workout at SoMAFit
“All day long,” said his mother, Nikki Bromley, when asked about his dancing. “He wakes up like that, goes to bed like that. He seems to be a little mayor around school. Everybody knows who Jake is. They look up to him.”
Bromley, an 18-year-old senior at Bridgewater-Raynham High, embodied the essence of Donna Faucher’s vision when she launched the SoMARise program this summer
Faucher, the unified basketball and track coach at Bridgewater-Raynham, created a space for athletes with intellectual and physical challenges to stay active in the offseason. She joined forces with Southern Mass. Functional Fitness co-owners Maria Packard and Shellie Brickle and has watched with pride as the free program has evolved from seven participants to 23
“It’s just a heck of a class,” Jake Bromley said. “I enjoy all the games. I like getting nice and strong. Donna is amazing. She’s at my school. She does every sports program for me and I like her.”
Dancing comes naturally to Bromley, but he also does so for a larger purpose. He likes to keep the mood light to honor his friend, Jason Saccocia, a local barber who died in a snowstorm accident at age 45 in 2022
This experience has provided an outlet to show his true colors — and array of dynamic dance moves — amid a supportive and team-oriented community
“It’s amazing,” Nikki Bromley said. “You could see it here, the energy that comes through, the camaraderie they have. Everybody is included. Donna welcomes everybody.”
The class, which met every Monday and Wednesday this summer and will resume in mid-September, features a lengthy list of exercises
Even Faucher, who works with unified athletes regularly, has been amazed by how much they have collectively accomplished
“We just kept challenging them, and they just kept showing up,” Faucher said. “It’s a feel-good kind of class.”
Wednesday’s session began with a full-floor warmup that included air squats, jumping jacks, high knees, butt kicks, and skips. Then came a particularly entertaining portion, as athletes pushed weighted sleds and eventually added humans to the sleds for an additional challenge
When athletes need an extra push, literally and figuratively, volunteer coaches are there to provide it
Stations came next, including pull-ups, bench press, a fast-paced dice game, and more, followed by an awards ceremony. Then it was time for musical medicine balls and a pizza game where athletes knock pads off one another’s hands
For 16-year-old Bridgewater-Raynham junior Avery Amorello, the class provides a safe space
“I really enjoy it,” Amorello said. “Donna is amazing and really sweet. Everyone is kind. I’ve gotten stronger muscles.”
One class included a ropes challenge that pushed athletes to their limits
Another featured a “Hard Work Pays Off” program spearheaded by five-time CrossFit Games champion Mat Fraser. They sent in a video with their own version of the workout and received a reply from Fraser’s team letting them know that they were extremely proud
The program has allowed participants to find their voice and a group to help them savor each milestone
“It’s one thing to talk about, and it’s another to be in here and experiencing it,” said Packard, the gym’s co-owner. “It’s no other feeling that I’ve ever felt. This is the most exciting thing we’ve done in a long time.”
Trevor Hass can be reached at trevor.hass@globe.com. Follow him on X @TrevorHass
