Whole-Body Learning #185

Niles Parker:

The process of learning and discovery is something that sticks with you, that you have that, and it ignites a spark and makes you want to keep exploring and keep discovering. And that learning is a lifelong process that's at the heart of what we're all about.

Kim DeMado:

Number one thing I hear so often is I can't. You know, the first thing they'll do when they go across the balance is I can't do it. It's been a great opportunity for kids to explore their bodies, not just physically, but also just from their mindset.

Tim DeMado:

One of the biggest things is you have to be consistent. Well, you have to have some goals initially and then you have to be consistent in trying to reach those goals. From the standpoint of self confidence and feeling better about yourself, you're able to physically do something that maybe three months down the road you never thought possible. There's something that's very, very rewarding for people with that.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

This is Dr. Lisa Belisle and you are listening to Love Maine radio show number 185, Whole Body Learning, airing for the first time on Sunday, March 29, 2015. Most of us associate the word learning with school or books. We have increasingly become aware that learning takes place in multiple settings and that it can be visual, auditory, kinesthetic and sensory. Today we speak with Niles Parker, executive director of the Maine Discovery Museum in Bangor, and Kim and Tim d' Amato of Triple Jump Fitness about the ways in which they are helping children and adults learn. Thank you for joining us. Having myself spent a considerable amount of time in the greater Bangor Orono region, I'm always happy to have an individual who's willing to drive down here and and take the time to talk to us about what's going on in that area? Niles Parker is the Executive director of the Maine Discovery Museum in Bangor. Prior to that, he was the executive director at the Penobscot Marine Museum in Searsport. He is a resident of Hamden with his wife and three children and currently serves on the boards of the RSU 22 school system, the American Folk Festival, and the Maine Science Festival. He is a graduate of the Bangor Region Leadership Institute. Niles, thanks for coming down.

Niles Parker:

Thanks for having me here. Lisa. Great to be here.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So Bangor is what couple, two and a half hours from Portland?

Tim DeMado:

Yep.

Niles Parker:

Yeah. In the snow it's about two and a half hours. Yeah, two hours on a nice day.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

But you spend a lot of time traveling around the state is my understanding.

Niles Parker:

I do, yeah. Getting to know 95 and 295 pretty well. But down in this area, a lot have family in this area and then as we were talking about earlier, kids playing soccer, work related things as well.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And you're originally from the Boston area?

Niles Parker:

I am. I grew up just outside of Boston.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So this for you is a little bit different, the driving and the main driving thing, that's a little different than what you were used to.

Niles Parker:

It is, though. I don't miss the traffic. It's pretty nice being able to commute to work in about 10 minutes and not have to wait in line or pull my hair out in a traffic jam. So I wouldn't trade it.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Yeah, I can see that. I remember when I was in Boston for living there just for the summer and I would drive up and go over the Piscataqua River Bridge and that I would like all of a sudden start to breathe again. Things just opened up and I was back home.

Niles Parker:

There's a decompression factor when you cross that bridge, I think coming into Maine and it's like, okay, I still get that. It's nice.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

That's good. So you have been, when I say you grew up outside of Boston, you've been all over the place. I mean, you actually have worked for the, in addition to working for the, you were the acting director and chief curator of the Nantucket Historical Association. You also were the curator and director of exhibitions at the New York State Historical association and also the editor of Heritage magazine and coordinator of the seminars on American culture and worked for the Smithsonian. So you just. Quite a resume.

Niles Parker:

Been a lot of fun. I kind of just fell into museums in a way, never thinking that's what I'd be doing. And 25 years later, I'm still doing it. Loving it.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And you started with a BA in American Studies from Colby and then went on to get an MA in Museum Studies from suny, correct?

Niles Parker:

Yeah, at the Cooperstown program that is affiliated with the SUNY system.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So tell me about that, because I think I've been to many museums and I've never really thought about the education that's involved in working with a museum, aside from maybe working with an art museum. I have some knowledge of that. But tell me about your background.

Niles Parker:

Sure. So it actually started my interest in museums. Well, I guess it started when I was a kid, but at Colby, I took a course in material culture with the then director of the Colby Art Museum, Hugh Gourley, and really connected with it. I really liked the idea that object, what an object made by a person or a culture, told us about that culture, how design impacted decisions, and again, what it said about the making and the culture behind it. That idea kind of stuck with me. And Hugh Gourley helped me get an internship at the Smithsonian. That turned into a great experience there and again, really kind of liked it. Got the chance to work with artifacts there, got the chance to work on some exhibits there. And that whole notion of teaching through the use of objects and what it could tell you in ways that you couldn't in a classroom necessarily was really appealing to me. I always thought I'd be a teacher or maybe a teacher and a coach at a prep school or something like that. And then this idea of teaching through the use of artifacts really kind of connected with me. So stuck with that and went to grad school. And that idea of teaching with artifacts is something that was sort of part and parcel of the curriculum and what they taught you. And then there were certainly things like, you know, education theory, fundraising, working with nonprofits, marketing, things like that that went along with that. But I think at its heart it's all about education and working with objects, a hands on approach to learning.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

I like that because I think that there are. That we all learn in different ways and you know, you can. I like to read, but I also like to listen to music. I like to see art. I like the idea of something tangible that you can look at a piece and you can say this actually had a place in someone's, you know, a thousand years ago, 100 years ago, 50 years ago. And it actually means something. You know, there's something very real about that.

Niles Parker:

Absolutely. Very tangible. I learn differently when I see something or when I get to get my hands on it and, you know, fool around with it. And it was A learning that let me soak something up in a way that I wouldn't have been able to just through a lecture in a class or a book necessarily. I think that was something that I also picked up and really liked about the American Studies program at Colby was it was very cross disciplinary. And so we would study the 1950s, for instance, and we'd look at it from the angle of sports and from literature and film and art and economics. And it was a really appealing way of tackling a subject. And I think that's always stuck with me.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So your interest in education has translated into your being actually on the board with your local school system, but you also are on the board with the Maine Science Festival and the American Folk Festival. So these are almost. The former is education, but the latter two. It's almost like kind of museums in action in a way.

Niles Parker:

Yeah.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

You know, bringing something to people in a more temporary basis, but could still have a really lasting impact.

Niles Parker:

I hope so. I think they do. I guess that's part of. I feel importantly about volunteering and working in your community and working on things that will make a difference in your community. And I think the Folk Festival has certainly been that. It started in 2001, the same year as the Discovery Museum opened in Bangor. And a lot of people credit the Folk Festival with really ushering in Bangor's renaissance and putting it down on the waterfront. The city intentionally invested in its waterfront and tried to bring the festival to Bangor and then after its two or three years day, invented this Folk festival, this iteration of it. And it's been great to see every August, hundreds of thousands of people coming into Bangor, Maine. Not something you would have seen 20 years ago. And as part of that, though, learning about different cultures from around the world, enjoying their music, enjoying the food, having a great time, meeting people, reconnecting. It's amazing what it's done for the community. The Science Festival is a new event. I'm really excited about that. The Discovery Museum has been one of the founding partners in helping to get it going. And much like the Folk Festival does, we hope that it's going to pull people from all walks of life, from all around the state to Bangor. Not as a way necessarily promoting Bangor, but promoting all of the science that's going on in the state. Whether a researcher at a university or a company doing something really cool. There are remarkable things being done here in the state of Maine that don't necessarily get a lot of attention. There's science all around us and we're trying to call Attention to that, remind people the importance of science and have some fun doing it. I think it's going to be a great festival that we think is going to be a very popular annual event.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Is this also being held in Bangor?

Niles Parker:

It is, yeah. It'll be at the new Cross center right downtown as the headquarters. But then it's going to come downtown through some of the new restaurants and bars and shops. And at the Discovery Museum. We're having a number of events there, really, the idea of something for everyone, for different learners, all ages. So there'll be things for kids at the Discovery Museum. And meanwhile, a couple doors down at one of the bars, there's going to be the science behind brewing, going on for the parents to enjoy. We're really excited. It's going to be a lot of fun.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And this is going to be an annual event. For people who are listening. This has already happened, so they'll be able to pick it up next year.

Niles Parker:

Yeah, we already have the dates for next year. It's going to be in March. Again, I think. I think it's March 18th, 20th in 2016. But the response we've had thus far for year one has been overwhelming. And I think it's really connected with people who see the promise, obviously, of science and teaching science, but again, the fun in it and just some of the programs that we're doing are really connecting.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Tell me about the Discovery Museum. I like the idea that it's called Discovery. You just start there, you don't know what's going to happen. You walk through the doors, there's something you're going to learn.

Niles Parker:

I'm glad you said that. I agree entirely. The museum was actually founded in 2001 as the Eastern Maine Children's Museum. And I think very quickly thereafter, the board made a smart decision and changed the name to the main Discovery Museum. It reflects, in part the reach of the organization in terms of statewide programs. But to your point. Exactly. The idea of Discovery, which is critical in the learning process, and there's something about that word that evokes fun, that evokes pleasure in that aha moment. And hopefully the idea that the process of learning and discovery is something that sticks with you, that you have that and it ignites a spark and makes you want to keep exploring and keep discovering, and that learning is a lifelong process. So we're all about starting young, getting kids as young as possible, and study after study will show you that that is the secret to success for an individual learner to our society as a whole. You got to start that process early. And if you can share that joy of discovery with a youngster and their family, odds are that he or she is going to continue to enjoy learning, try new things, explore, experiment with different learning styles, different classes, things like that. Really, really critical. So that's at the heart of what we're all about.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

What are some of the exhibits that have been more popular with people who are coming through your doors?

Niles Parker:

So the exhibits again, the museum opened in 2001, and we haven't changed out the exhibits too, too much. We have a number of new exhibits planned, but they did, in about 2008, 2009, renovate their second floor with an exhibit called Tradewinds. The idea was it was an interactive exhibit that talked about some of Maine's trading partners from around the world and what the product is that Maine ships out, or in some cases, what we bring back here to Maine. But the bigger picture, of course, was that it was a way for us to talk about different cultures, geography, cultural diversity. And we've created some really fun interactive components. There's a little kitchen in there that talks about Italy. And so kids can sit their parents down and they will make the food and kind of turn the tables on the parents. Very, very popular. And they'll put the aprons on and take their orders and put something in the wood fired oven, the pretend wood fired oven, of course. And then there's a section on Japan, another section on Brazil. We have a great boat that's supposed to mimic the cargo boats that pull into Sears port and bring clay from Brazil for the paper factories. And kids get a chance to work together to load and unload the cargo and pull on the rope to sound the horn. So that's a really fun interactive component, probably. Our newest exhibit that we've opened up is called Dino Dig, which is on the third floor. And this marries the idea of kids and their love of digging in a sandbox and their love of dinosaurs. So we have buried in this really large sandpit different fossils. And kids can unearth them, bring them over to a wall of photos and compare what they've found with the correct photo of the fossil or the bone on the wall and learn about what dinosaur it came from. Sometimes it never gets that far in the process. It's just the discovery in the sand. Often it's just the discovery in the sand, but that's fine. You see the kids having fun and discovering

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

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Dr. Lisa Belisle:

i don't know if you'll know the answer to this question, but why do kids like dinosaurs so much?

Niles Parker:

That's a good question. I've wondered that a lot. My kids certainly did. I think part of it has been that sort of marketing, if you will, of dinosaurs in popular media over the last 10 or 20 years and cartoons and shows that have been created using dinosaurs as some of the main characters. But I do think something that's totally extinct, there is an appeal there that, you know, that we want to reconnect somehow with something that came before us that we can't see every day, something that walked the earth that no longer is. And I still think there's some kind of an appeal there. And probably we'd be wise to learn from the dinosaurs in that way. But yeah, I think probably for the kids anyway, it's much more about the marketing angle over the last 10 or 20 years using dinosaurs in that way. Maybe there's something a little more subconscious about connecting with something that's extinct.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Well, I like that possibility. I Mean, this idea that there's something that is actually real, that really existed, but it has this very imaginary flavor. And you combine it with this possibility of something quite enormous and also possibly monstrous. You know, I'm older than someone who might have been marketed to over the last 10 or 20 years. But I remember when I was growing up, I still remember the brontosaurus. And I'm sure all these names have changed, but the pterodactyl, and, you know, those things stuck with me in ways that other things didn't.

Niles Parker:

Right. And I will say again, this is where museums play a big role. My wife and kids were actually just in New York a couple weeks ago. Went to the Museum of Natural History, to that fantastic hall where you see the dinosaur skeletons. And I remember going when I was a kid, and there is that holy cow moment when you walk in and you see this gigantic thing and what is that? And you want to learn again. It sparks that imagination and the desire to learn more. Museums have been doing that with dinosaurs for quite a long time. So, I mean, you're right. The appeal is not just. Not just for kids. And new Jurassic Park's coming out. This. Or maybe it's already out, I don't know. But that was certainly a huge hit that appealed to many, many people. So, I don't know. It's interesting.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

I remember when I was growing up in the Portland area, my parents would bring me to the Children's Museum, which was very early in its progression, and it was held in Cape Elizabeth, and actually, I think there was one on Stevens Avenue. And this so sticks in my mind, these museums. So that when I became old enough to have children of my own, I was more than happy to bring my kids to the Children's Museum. And I brought my kids to the Children's Museum here in Portland just because this is where we happen to live. And what I think is an interesting challenge is that you have to appeal to children, but there's also an appeal to adults as well. You have to make it interesting enough so that the parents aren't like, oh, my gosh, I don't want to go there again.

Niles Parker:

Right.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And I think that that speaks to different learning styles at different ages and really trying to make things into a family affair.

Niles Parker:

Yeah, absolutely. We know. I mean, we see this just from observation and as well as from some of the surveys we do in the museum, is that parents or caregivers or grandparents often learn something new as well. And often that will lead to a design choice we make in an exhibit or A label or the kind of didactic material that we put on the wall or in the handouts for people. But you're absolutely right. You have to bear in mind that you've got people approaching the exhibit, whether for the first time or the 20th time, they kind of come anew again. And there's always a chance to learn something or discover something different. We have some parents who come three, four times a week to the museum. They're always there, you know, say from 3 o' clock to 4:30. They've got a time in their schedule and they build it in. And I see the same kids every day almost, and it's great. And some of the younger kids don't grow tired at all of knowing that Dino digs up on the third floor and it hasn't changed, or that there's an exhibit component on the first floor that's exactly the same as it was. And in some ways, that's really important for kids, that they build that sense of stability and they know that something's where it always is and they can go back. And it's a key building block of learning. And we have to bear that in mind, because as adults and we hear this from the parents, wouldn't it be nice if we could change things up? And, you know, some exhibits are really tired and they've been there forever. We need to overhaul it and bring all new things in, and we do a little bit. But it's really important that we keep the younger children's perspective in mind as well, and that some of the really popular interactive experiences that are core to what they look for and what they experience, that they remain and, you know, are enhanced where we can. But we just. We need to keep the multiple perspectives in mind. That being said, we are designing a new exhibit that will call for renovating our entire third floor that we're very excited about. But as we do that, we're looking at how we design that again with multiple ages, multiple learning styles in mind and trying to create something for everyone.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

It's very interesting to think about what, I guess opportunities have been made available to museums through the use of technology over the years. The. The Children's Museum I knew when I was, I don't know, 10 or 8 or whatever it was, is so different than, say, the Holocaust Museum that I visited in D.C. a couple of years ago. You know, the use of multimedia, the visual displays. I mean, it's so. It must be such a great opportunity for somebody who's working in this field.

Niles Parker:

It absolutely is. And the Technology changes so fast that new opportunities come to light every day. But I think we need to approach it a little cautiously. When the Children's Museum in Bangor was opened, it was really intentionally not a place to plug in, not a place where children could interact with technology. It was really quite the opposite in that there was very little screen time there, very little technology to interact with. It was hands on building blocks, drawing creative. From that perspective point of view, I think we have already migrated away from that a little bit with some of the exhibits and the components that we've included, some of the programming that we're doing, and we'll continue to do that. But I think to some degree we need to meet children where they are. And technology is a really important part of how kids learn. And so we need to do that in a responsible way. And I think take some of those opportunities that are coming to us and balance that with responsible fun, interactive exhibits and components and programs that will help them enjoy discover, but do it in a responsible way. And again, maybe there's an opportunity for the parents to learn too. I mean, so often you hear that, and this is true for me. My kids know way more about technology or certain software programs or things like that than I do. And maybe there's a way for us to be offering classes or tutorials to parents about certain components of technology as well. We really are evolving into an organization that's trying again to offer classes and educational opportunities for all ages, grow a little bit older. And I do, I think technology has to be a part of that.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

You've also had an affiliation with raising readers since 2001, which is roughly the amount of time that Raising Readers itself has been around. And I know that the Children's Museum here in Portland has an affiliation with Raising Readers. So Raising Readers manages to get books in the hands of children through their medical providers. In the state of Maine, every child from the age of 0 when they're born to age 5, gets a book from their doctor on every well, child visit. And books are an important part of what you're doing in the Discovery Museum. So talk about not technologically based, just something very important and very tactile and something that kids really still need to have exposure to.

Niles Parker:

Yeah, Raising Readers is such a great organization and a really, really important one. Again, back to the comment about starting early. This is, I think, well known by just about everyone now that the earlier you read with your child, the greater their chances of becoming a literate, involved, engaged learner and reader. So when they're in the womb. We know that reading is important. So to have this program that puts hands in the books of the parents and encourages them to go home and read and look at the pictures and every day pull out that book. You're right. It's a tactile learning experience for the child to hear the voice, to explore the characters, to touch the pages. It comes to life in a way that not much else can. I mean, certainly something on an iPad or a tablet has the sound and the color in the video, and that's great. But reading really does spark the imagination and is a learning process that's unlike any other, and it's just critical. So, again, the earlier, the better. We have a little library that's populated with a lot of books from raising readers in the Discovery Museum. And I often see, again, grandparents or parents sitting in one of the chairs of the couches reading to their kids. And it's, you know, it brings a smile to your face every time because to see that connection is pretty special.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

That's also an important part of learning, just in general. Pretty much at every age, but specifically at younger ages, is the relationship aspect of it huge. If you're being read to by a grandparent or if it's your mother that's bringing you to the Discovery Museum, you know, there's that interaction that interplay, that social piece that really kind of cements the things you're learning into your brain.

Niles Parker:

Really important point, I think. And we see that every day. And again, in an age, not to make too much out of the whole technology thing, but in an age when so many kids have their faces a foot away or their hand a foot away from their face, staring into a screen and doing so much of their learning that way and not interacting face to face with another person, the opportunity to learn, engage, solve problems and interact with other people is critical. And we do a number of programs at the museum that focuses, forces children to do just that. So teamwork, solving problems, playing, interacting on a daily basis with somebody right there. So they're building a tower or they're drawing a drawing as a team or building a robot or working with Legos or something like that, doing it as a team with their hands, face to face, trying to solve problems is something that we really can't lose sight of in society. And I think we are a little bit. So at the museum, we try to encourage that as much as possible. And to your point earlier, too, the connection with parents, I will also say that I see many times when the mom or dad is standing There looking at his or her cell phone, texting or whatever, and their child is playing five feet away and not having that interaction. And so that's something that. And I get it. I'm guilty as charged as well. I mean, that happens. But you have to take advantage of those opportunities to interact. And so when you do see the intergenerational connections, the dialogues, the reading to each other, it's great.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

You are a graduate of the Bangor Region Leadership Institute, and you're very much a part of the Bangor community. You married three kids there in the school system in Hamden.

Niles Parker:

Yep.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

You've seen a renaissance up there. There's a lot of exciting things that are happening in Bangor. Talk to me just a little bit about that.

Niles Parker:

It's amazing, really. It's a pretty special time, I think, up in Bangor right now, and it hasn't happened overnight. I think the city back in the 90s really made some intentional decisions that have proven to be very good decisions to reinvest in the waterfront, to put organizations like the University of Maine Museum of Art, the Discovery Museum, sort of bookending the downtown area have worked very hard as economic developers to bring in new restaurants, businesses. The University of Maine office has been downtown for quite a while. So you've really started to see a culture grow that is about the creative economy. It's about performance, that theaters right downtown, the library's right downtown. And the American Folk Festival, which we talked about right on the waterfront, which then spawned Kabang for a number of years. And now waterfront concerts, which is, you know, growing like crazy and bringing wonderful acts to right to the Bangor waterfront every year. It's something that I think if you had asked people 10 or 20 years ago, would you see this in Bangor anytime soon? People would probably laugh at you to see the success and the buzz that is going there Now. A study just came out that said Bangor is now the youngest metropolitan area in the state, which is a shocker. Ten years ago, if anybody would have said that, you would have said they're out of their mind. But there really is. And we anecdotally, we see that at the museum all the time. Lots of young families coming through, which is great to see. So the question is, how do we sustain that? How do we continue to attract businesses who want to have that quality of life? They don't have that traffic that we talked about earlier. I was just talking at a meeting the other day that said, how many places can you go where you get to go and act like fish or Kenny Chesney or sting or something and you're home in 10 minutes. I mean, it's pretty sweet and it's exciting. There's a real buzz about it in downtown and some great restaurants have opened up. The BRLI program has a really strong following. I think the Chamber has done an outstanding job at helping to build that buzz and getting people excited about it. And the other thing I'll say is that among the nonprofit groups and the arts community in Bangor, there really is a sense of collaboration, coordination, wanting to work together. The sense that a rising tide floats all boats, I think is something that people genuinely believe. And I think that it's helped us be maybe more nimble than other places, do things together or in other places there might be some turf battles and try to really pitch in and help it go. It's a lot of fun. It's great.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Niles, how do people find out about the Maine Discovery Museum?

Niles Parker:

So first, I would say when you're in Bangor, walk right in and stop in and see us at 74 Main Street. It's the old Freezes department store and it's right in the heart of downtown Bangor. We're on three floors and you can come on in. There's a juice bar that just opened next door. You can get something to eat and have a great day at the museum. But you can go online at www.maindiscoverymuseum.org and our website is continuing to grow. We have a lot more available there, interactive components, do it yourself at home suggestions kits for school on there. We do a lot of outreach programs to schools and we're going statewide with some of those. But yeah, nothing like a visit. So love to see people there.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

For those of you who are up in the Bangor area or maybe if you're down here, but you'd like to make a trip up to the Discovery Museum, I really encourage you to do so. It sounds like there's a lot of exciting things happening at the main Discovery Museum. And Niles, thanks so much for coming in and talking with us. It's great to hear that. One of the things that I remember most about my childhood, the Children's Museum is now another couple generations going and strong and educating kids, educating families. We've been speaking with Niles Parker, who is the executive director of the Maine Discovery Museum in Bangor, and I appreciate your making the drive.

Niles Parker:

Thanks a lot, Lisa. Great to be here with you.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

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Dr. Lisa Belisle:

we on Love mean Radio enjoy a special relationship with Apothecary by Design, and we've enjoyed putting together a speaker series which is run in 2014 and running again in 2015. This First Friday event features the Franny Peabody center images of HIV and AIDS, photos taken by Smith Galtney, which captures the stories, struggles and victories that form the changing face of HIV and AIDS in Maine. We hope you'll join us. Also in April, we'll be featuring the Apothecary by Design speaker series with Dr. Matthew Siegel and Alice Chapluck, both of whom you've heard on Love Maine Radio as guests discussing autism here in Maine. And that is getting people's bodies moving. This is Kim and Tim d', Amato, who are owners of Athlete's Training Solutions and Triple Jump Fitness, which is a children's fitness center in Portland's Bayside neighborhood. But also so much more. You actually are doing lots of different things on lots of different levels to help people stay fit. So thanks for coming in and talking to us today.

Kim DeMado:

Thank you.

Tim DeMado:

Thank you.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

You both have been pretty active in your own lives for a long time. I know that. Kim, you were trained as a gymnast when you were younger.

Kim DeMado:

Exactly.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And Tim, you went to Springfield and you have a degree.

Tim DeMado:

You met master's degree in physical education.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So this is something that you both feel really passionate about. So tell me about that. Why this? What was it about being physical and helping other people to get to their best level of fitness that appealed to each of you?

Kim DeMado:

I think being a gymnast and then I spun into the love of being fit and running and being involved with gymnastics was a good correlation of staying flexible and strong and fit. And we've sort of evolved from kids on up into the adult field.

Tim DeMado:

I had an extensive coaching background when I was younger, aside from playing background. And initially when I was going into graduate school, I was thinking of going the route of more sports management, athletic administration, be an athletic director at a school. But my true passion was always more in the anatomy and physiology shop. Should we say the training piece, the nuts and bolts of what makes people excel and how they use their bodies. I decided that was the route I was going to go. And I like to say combine my passion for physical performance with my ability to coach. Because at the end of the day, if you're going to be successful as a trainer, I think you need to be a successful coach or a successful teacher. Good at both of those. So I feel in some ways couple maybe some of my biggest skills I can apply to the industry.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Both of you chose to come to Maine. Kim, you are from Shelburne, Vermont, and Tim, you're from Connecticut. Why Maine?

Kim DeMado:

So from Burlington, I went on to school down in Massachusetts, but wanted to stay on the waterside and sort of found the love of Portland. And it was a smaller Boston area. And at that time I was actually managing Portland Athletic Club's adult fitness programs and later on started some gymnastics there. Some of the kids programming as well as the daycare and that's when our first business, or my first business started as Tumble Kids, which was in Falmouth for 10 years and got a very nice offer to go to Bay Club. So put all of the equipment in storage, but still was missing that piece. And that's pretty much where we said let's do take the adult and the kid piece and keep it here in Portland and bring it to the community.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And how about you Tim?

Tim DeMado:

Well, I always, I had a long term affinity and connection with Maine because my folks owned a house, a summer house north of here. So pretty much my whole life I came up here in the summers. I lived in Boston for a number of years before I moved here,

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

grew

Tim DeMado:

up in Connecticut and then moved to Boston. A lot of my initial experience in this industry from a managerial and a training side was in Boston. But I knew I always had a goal to want to get back to Maine. And I felt if I was really going to be able to distinguish myself in this industry, it was great a going to happen in Boston. It was going to have to be in a little bit smaller market, a little less saturated. And I made that move in 2004 and here I am today.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

I love the model that you have that not only are you doing children's fitness, but you really bring it up through the ages. So it's almost like you could bring your whole family down to triple jump and anybody could really get involved. Why did you decide to do that and not just specialize in. Well, Kim, you could specialize in Tumble kids originally or Tim, you could specialize in adults. Why bring them all together?

Tim DeMado:

Yeah, well, like you said, we have an overlying family based fitness theme and I think the health fitness industry, there's a lot of competition, there's many places you can go for an option for one on one training, small group training, boot camps, performance enhancement for your middle or high school son or daughter. But what we chose to do and a niche we wanted to create was still having some of those, some of those needs and wants that we deliver those, but also that we also had that specialty with what I like to say, gross motor skill development for the young kids. Really it's seen through gymnastics, but at the end of the day it's really more about body awareness and like I said, really trying to enhance youngsters gross motor skills. Anything from or anywhere from six and a half months old right up to 12 and then from there you start with the performance training for your middle or high school son or daughter. And then we also have the adult training Whether it's semi private, one to two people or one on one, or also us, we call it more small group, six to 10 people. So in order to really try to distinguish ourselves and create a unique selling point, we wanted to create this image of being able to satisfy a fitness need for all those, well, really those three levels. Hence the name triple jump fitness. It's really your based on where you are in life. You're jumping from one of those areas to the next. Not to mention if mom is in one of our small group classes and her 14 year old son is doing sports performance training for his basketball team and he's 14 and maybe his younger daughter is a younger sister is seven years old and she's in one of our gymnastics classes. So we have something, we have an offering for all those different age groups.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Kim, your philosophy is, your fitness philosophy is anything is possible. Mind over matter. Say you can do it and you will. Say you can't and you probably won't. Which I think is so great because it ties in the whole mind, body connection. We talk about the physical but you know, we all know that there's something about the mind that kind of can keep us from doing things or can actually propel us forward.

Kim DeMado:

Talking from the children's aspect, I think the number one thing I hear so often is I can't. And what I try very hard to help children become confident and help with their self esteem and realize that you can. It may not happen right at this moment and that there's goals that we can set trying to keep the competitive piece out of it, but really focus on where you are. And sometimes when you go to a more competitive gym and they. I see children who can be turned off because I don't have that particular move or I'm not as flexible as that girl or whatever. So that's a big huge piece. When I'm working with the children, I'm sure too Tim is when he's working with the older kids as well. But it's just amazing. You know the first thing they'll do when they go across the mountains. I can't do it. Well, let's see if we try. And I have to set up little strategies with each individual. As we know kids are so different. So it's been a great opportunity for kids to explore their bodies not just physically, but also just from their mindset.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And I can attest to the work that you do because I used to bring my daughter over to your studio and it was in Falmouth and she was not A gymnast. She was not a dancer. She had other interests, lacrosse and soccer and things like that. But she really enjoyed being at your place. She really enjoyed working with you in particular, because she felt like there was an openness to it. And you weren't saying you have to do this or you have to do this. You were saying, let's see what we can do.

Kim DeMado:

Right.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So do you see a relationship between people who pay attention to their physical fitness and also have some passion for life, some success in their lives? Do you see that there's some crossover there?

Tim DeMado:

One of the biggest things, I think, whether it's another area in your life, one of the biggest things is that you have to be consistent. Well, you have to have some goals initially and then you have to be consistent in trying to reach those goals. I'd like to say physical fitness or training can be a microcosm of that. The programs we have, whether it's the young children or the teenagers or the adults, it's systemized training. We usually have them in different phases of training and not only through the programming, but them being consistent with the programming. That's how they start to see gains and make gains. And I really feel that's one of the keys to why people come back. Just to touch on a point that Kim was talking about. One of the most unique things about training for I think any age, whether it's the little guys or the kids and even especially the adults, is taking somebody who may not feel they have the ability to do something and you're able to prove to them that they can. And there's something really to be said for that. Because from the standpoint of self confidence and feeling better about yourself, I think there's nothing better. And at the end of the day, I know it costs money, but it can go a long way towards your, your overall self esteem and self confidence that you've been in a systemized program for a while and you've kept at it and you're able to physically do something that maybe three months down the road you never thought possible. There's something that's very, very rewarding for people with that.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

You both have experience with this. I know. Tim, you have prepared full scholarship athletes from Maine for their collegiate playing careers. And Kim, you have a running club, you're a two time ironman finisher yourself, you're a triathlete. You're both examples of showing up every day, doing the work, having the discipline, putting your mind to it, and really being able to meet goals that you've set so what's the difference between what you have to offer and what some of the other local sports clubs have to offer? Fitness clubs.

Tim DeMado:

I really am very passionate and have done a lot of trial and error over the years with my program design. You can create a situation with training where it can become a regular part of your life, just like brushing your teeth is. However, that doesn't mean that you have someone come in or group of people come in and you're gonna wing it or they're gonna be doing the same thing over and over again. You have to have some kind of method to your madness and have them in some kind of system that is progressive. Whether it has to do with altering volume and intensity with exercises, whether it has to do with exercise difficulty. The human body is an amazing thing. And the thing about the human body is at the end of the day, it wants to adapt because it's thinking survival, it's thinking about balance. So you almost have to try to counteract that. You have to keep it out of balance so you're able to continue to make gains. I've had actually a fair amount of clients who have been with me since I moved here over 10 years ago. And I'd like to say that a lot of that is we've created a situation where it's become a necessity in their life. But they really like the programming, they like the phases I move them in. They like the fact that there's just a lot of things that are specific to what their needs are.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

kim, you were saying that you have a Facebook presence and you had an open house and 250 people showed up as a result of a Facebook post. Sounds like you're building a great community.

Kim DeMado:

You know what was amazing? When the story structure was just starting, I mean, somebody's looking in the window and sees our Facebook page and calls me, says, I want to have my son's birthday party there. And I went, I'm not even open. She goes, I know, but I looked in the window and I saw it on Facebook and I had no idea there was so many moms. New moms, new moms, new moms. It's been amazing. The different moms groups that have been renting the space or utilizing space or meeting at the space, I think that myself knowing as a mom and I've been to a number of different places, it's comfortable because it's all on one level. They can actually sit and relax where you're not on three floors trying to find your child or you want to talk with a friend and just have a social time because sometimes we need that as adults because it's been kid time. So Facebook was amazing. I mean, or still is amazing, you know.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Tim, how do people find out about triple jump fitness?

Tim DeMado:

I think we've done a lot in terms of. There's been a lot of good word of mouth. We've had some good success with what we've done with Facebook and I think one thing we've seen a lot of positive experiences is the fact that we really, we are trying to deliver a product to a couple different markets there. So you could have a mother, father who comes in with their son or daughter to have them in even one of the open gyms or one of the gymnastics based classes and then they find out they might have not even known before they, they see what we're doing there and from the training end maybe that's. That would be a good fit for them or possibly even their older son or daughter who is an athlete, a young athlete.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And for people who are listening who would like to learn more. Do you have a website?

Kim DeMado:

We do have a website and that was part of the. We had two websites and two Facebook pages and two accounts and two tax returns. And it was when we started working with Summit 9 and trying to creating once that merged together. December 31st is when we sort of launched the new name and started the New Year 2015 with a new name. Same building, same coaches, same philosophies. But it's a great way for I didn't know I'm going to tell my grandson or I'M going to tell my sister or I'm going to tell and it's been much easier to manage. But also show people that there are because at one point it was just a tumblefeggs website or Facebook page. Now it's kind of interacting together.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So what is your website?

Kim DeMado:

It is triplejumpfitness.com well, it's really been

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

a pleasure to speak with the two of you. You're doing great work getting people out there and motivated and helping them reach goals, helping them feel better about themselves mentally, emotionally, physically, helping them socialize, bringing good business to the Bayside area. We've been speaking with Kim and Tim d', Amato who are owners of Triple Jump Fitness. I really appreciate your coming in and I really appreciate all the things that you're doing for the Portland, Maine area. Thank you.

Kim DeMado:

Thank you very much.

Tim DeMado:

Thank you.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

You have been listening to Love Maine radio show number 185, whole body learning. Our guests have included Niles Parker and Kim and Tim d'. Amato. For a preview of each week's show, sign up for our E newsletter and like our LoveMain Radio Facebook page. Follow me on Twitter and see my running travel, food and wellness photos as bountiful1 on Instagram. We love to hear from you, so please let us know what you think of Love Maine Radio. We welcome your suggestions for future shows. Also let our sponsors know that you have heard about them. We are privileged that they enable us to bring Love Maine Radio to you each week. This is Dr. Lisa Belisle. I hope that you have enjoyed our whole Body Learning show. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your day. May you have a bountiful life.