Six years is a long time. Long enough to grow from a child into a teenager. Long enough to go from learning the basics of movement to genuinely loving it.

Sonny has been coming to Thriving in Motion since September 2020. He’s 12 now, lives with Autism and Global Development Delay, and in that time he’s built something that’s hard to put into words, a relationship with his own body, with movement, and with the instructors who have been beside him every week.

That’s what six years inside our inclusive exercise programs in Perth can look like.

Where it started

Sonny joined Thriving to work on his fundamental movement skills, the building blocks of coordination, strength, and physical confidence that many children develop naturally but that some need dedicated, tailored support to grow. He also had a very specific motivation, he loved football and hip hop dancing, and he wanted to be able to do them properly.

From the beginning, his sessions were designed around him. 1:1 with Frank, an instructor who understood not just what Sonny needed physically, but how he learned, what made him feel safe, and what made him come alive.

What six years of showing up looks like

Every week, Sonny and Frank work together. They play ball sports, do fitness activities, use the treadmill and cross trainer,  equipment that Sonny, according to his mum, feels genuinely proud to use. ‘Grown-up machines,’ she calls them, with a warmth that says everything.

He comes home knackered. That’s a direct quote from his mum Zoe, and it’s meant as the highest compliment. He’s been working. Really working.

Over those six years, his family has watched his strength and balance improve. His ball skills have continued to develop. His confidence has grown in the way that only consistent, tailored, encouraging support can build, the kind where he’ll attempt things he’d never try in front of his classmates at school.

“We have been involved with Thriving since Sept 2020. The best bits are that it is a 1 on 1 session and Sonny gets to develop a wonderful rapport throughout the year with his exercise therapist. The program is tailored to his abilities and needs and is very flexible and most importantly FUN! It gives him so much confidence and he attempts different skills that he would otherwise shy away from if he were around his classmates at school. He comes away from his session knackered and sweaty which is awesome for Sonny. I love that he gets to use the treadmill and cross trainer to improve his strength and core, and he feels special using these ‘grown up’ machines. We have definitely noticed improvements in Sonny’s strength and balance, as well as his ball skills which continue to improve! The value for money is amazing — when compared to other therapies Sonny receives!! We would definitely recommend Thriving to other families with children who need some extra support. It’s the best kept secret in my opinion.”

— Zoe, Sonny’s mother

A family that keeps showing up

What’s particularly special about Sonny’s story is that his mum Zoe hasn’t just supported him from the sidelines. She’s become part of the Thriving community herself, lacing up her own shoes and running the Margaret River Ultra Marathon for Thriving’s fundraising efforts, not once, but twice. That’s the kind of thing that happens when a family doesn’t just use a program, they believe in it.

Sonny still loves football and hip hop dancing. He still loves hanging out with his younger sister and cousins at the beach or at the park. The difference is he moves through all of it with more strength, more confidence, and more joy.

Why this story matters

Sonny’s story is not unusual. We hear versions of it regularly, families who came to us looking for something specific, and found something lasting. Six years on, Zoe still calls it ‘the best kept secret.’

We’d like to change that.

Thriving in Motion delivers evidence-based, inclusive exercise programs across Perth metro and regional Western Australia. In 2025 alone, we delivered 9,570 service hours to over 700 young people, 100% of whom come from families who say they would recommend our service.

If you know a young person who might benefit from this kind of support, we’d love to hear from you.