What pure abandonment one must have to run across a room and throw your own body in the air? What inspires a person to do such a thing? Gosh, knows, I would never have the guts to do it. Even if someone was spotting me.

“I’m just gonna run down that ramp and do a double back flip,” a million children say to themselves every day around the world. They are the devoted chosen ones who decided to do gymnastics with their spare time after school. And, if they are lucky enough to live in the City of Dallas, they can get expert training in their own back yard.

My daughter is in “Tumbling” at the Ridgewood Recreation Center off Trammel Road. Every week, she gets to cartwheel around the blue mats and bounce on an actual trampoline. All while all the mommies and daddies watch in amazement. Not our own children, but at the older ones practicing their routines.

“I’m gonna do a back flip here,” one 14-year-old declares silently in his head as he dismounts the vault.

“I think I’ll try a double round off and a hand stand on this move,” another gymnast says to herself as she completes a difficult five-minute routine.

These kids aren’t the only ones going through their routines every day. The Dallas Police Department and all the people who serve it go through their routines daily with the same vigor.

They patrol our neighborhoods, they arrest our criminals and they stand up, and take care of their own.

White Rock Lake Weekly is proud to be a sponsor of the 3rd Annual White Rock 5K. It’s on April 14 at Winfrey Point. All proceeds benefit the Assist the Officer Foundation a non-profit organization, which supports police officers and their families during medical bill crises.

Our men and women in blue put their lives on the line for the betterment of society everyday. Won’t you be there to spot them?

To find out more information about the race, visit whiterock5K.com.