The Birthing of a Dream
Deby, daughter of Ice Capades performers Ken and Carmie Mullen was truly a born athlete. At the age of ten she channeled her energies into gymnastics through the Fresno Gymnastics Club. By the age of sixteen, she had become a State, Regional, and National gymnastics champion. When she reached the elite level, she was able to compete internationally, and but for an ankle injury in 1972, she may have competed in the Olympics.

With gymnastics in her blood, Deby turned to coaching other upcoming gymnasts, an activity which is still one of her favorites today.

Her dream, however, was not one of self-glory or trophies, it was something far deeper and incredibly outreaching. It was born out of the shadows of another birth - that of Deby's sister, Kathy . . . a child with Down Syndrome. It was not a dream out of pity, but rather out of a challenge and foresight.

Kathy had much opportunity to watch Deby perform her gymnastics routines, and through emulation, was able to excel herself at the Special Olympics.

For Deby, Kathy's amazing achievement became a catalyst which began her relentless efforts to create a common bond between all persons with different Abilities. This bond would be fused through sports.

Out of the Dream, into Reality
Deby realized that in order for the desires of her heart to become realities, she would have to become immersed in the complexities of the disabled. She spent relentless hours coaching adults who had different physical, neurological and mental Abilities. Her athletes did well.

Then, Deby married Steve Hergenrader, a former Yankees baseball player. Together, Deby and Steve worked his grandfather's twenty-acre grape ranch and started a club called, The Tri-City Olympiads.

Steve's interest and acquired proficiency in gymnastics coupled with his special gift of working with children and Deby's dream, gave birth to the Fresno District Special Olympics Gymnastics Program.

Later, the Hergenraders found "the perfect house" in Fresno. It had a big room that they turned in to a dance studio and a yard big enough to house gymnastics equipment, including old bed mattresses, a trampoline, balance beam, and a vaulting horse with a spring board. Steve and Deby named their new enterprise, "Gymnastics by Deby."

They began using sign language to communicate with deaf & hard of hearing students and discovered that signing was part of the "Magic in the Mixture" that connected students of all Abilities. The children listened better when they focused on the hand movements.

Breaking the Barrier
Barriers exist to either keep something out or something in. Often one of the barriers that separate one persons Ability from another is the lack of opportunity to do anything in common together. Through the Hergenrader's integrated sports and performing arts classes, students found common ground and barriers started tumbling down. Students of all Abilities began to learn from each other. Students accomplish more than they had believed possible.

The atmosphere of the classes saw a change too. Instead of a competitive environment, a feeling of being a supportive family grew. Without any advertising, these combined classes grew to include two hundred children from three years old through adult.

Parents and volunteers got caught in the Hergenrader's dream. A survey was conducted of the community's dance studios, gyms, self-defense classes, and baton twirling studios to see if any had programs that combined persons with different Abilities. The results pointed to an overwhelming need to begin a program integrating students in the same classes where each would be able to learn from one another.

Soon a board of directors was formed of the student's parents, and Break the Barriers was officially incorporated as a nonprofit corporation in October, 1985.

The Dream Lives On . . .
The Barrier Breakers, formed in 1987, is the performing ensemble of students whose mission is to show Inclusion at its best while celebrating all Abilities and softening the hearts, opening eyes for awareness and generating hope for all people.

The team is a combination of performers, each with amazing Abilities and range in age from 6 years to adult. There are currently 58 performers on the team. Each performer has their own definition of triumph, a talent to show and a mission to accomplish.

Break the Barriers can now disseminate their mission to "Break all barriers experienced by people with different Abilities". There are over 3000 students who participate in any of the programs offered at our facility, including students from eight school districts. BTB is continually adapting classes to meet the increasing demand for this unique and one-of-a-kind program.

From a backyard to a 32,000 sq. ft. facility, Break the Barriers, continues to change the lives of people around the world. Break the Barriers is recognized as the National Role Model for Inclusion and has broken barriers nationally and internationally. Break the Barriers is blessed to have a community of generous supporters, near and far, who believe in the concept.

Together with sons Jared and Tyler, Steve and Deby Hergenrader have fostered a "Family" of dedicated people who are instrumental in the tremendous success and acceptance of this program, making Break the Barriers, truly a dream come true. Deby says, "It feels like I'm in the back seat with the Lord driving the car." Lets Break some Barriers . . . Welcome!

"We know that equality of individual Ability has never existed and never will, but we do insist that equality of opportunity still must be sought" - FDR

"Our prayers are answered not when we are given what we ask, but when we are challenged to be what we can be. - Morris Adler

"Visionary people are visionary partly because of the very great many things they don't see"
- Berkley Rice