“Aubry Is a Light”: Woman With Down Syndrome Makes History as a Fitness Instructor

Aubry Alldredge stood before more than 60 people and taught her first UpBeat Barre class. The 22-year-old from Kaysville, Utah, moved through the room giving high-fives and encouraging participants, checking that people felt welcome as she called the cues. She had waited for the chance to lead, and the full room matched what she wanted most. "I had such a fun time," Aubry said. For years she had attended classes at VASA Fitness in Kaysville. She tried Zumba, dance, HIGH Fitness, UpBeat Pilates and SilverSneakers before settling on UpBeat Barre as her favorite. The workout combines cardio, strength training, Pilates and yoga. Aubry learned the routines so thoroughly that, during earlier years as a student, she would turn around mid-class to teach people behind her because she already knew the choreography. Jane Johnson, an UpBeat Barre instructor and co-owner of VASA Fitness in Kaysville, had watched that habit develop over time. "She has an incredible brain," Johnson told KSL. "Aubry can learn choreography so fast, and she retains it." That ability, paired with her ease in front of a group, pushed Aubry toward certification. She became the first person with Down syndrome to become a certified UpBeat Barre instructor. The account of her milestone was reported by Arianne Brown for KSL and posted Sept. 5, 2026. After she earned the credential, Aubry stepped to the front of the room for the class of more than 60. She later posted a video on Instagram of herself instructing "I love to be on stage. I love exercise. I loved to wear my mic and say every cue," Aubry said. "I want to help everyone feel included." Connection stayed at the center of how she described the hour. "I love to be with people, and there was a full crowd!" she said. "I want to help everyone feel good, and I love to wear a mic, and I love showing options." Johnson said that approach lined up with what the program already tried to do. "Finding ways to be inclusive has been one of our missions. We were just delighted when Aubry wanted to be an instructor because she holds those values." The gym is working to establish Aubry as an official full-time instructor in Kaysville. Outside the studio she has kept another project going with her family. Aubry co-wrote a children's book titled 'I Have a Six Pack' with her sisters, about her six rescue dogs. Her mother, Cindy Alldredge, has been part of sharing that side of Aubry's life along with images from the fitness floor. Johnson keeps coming back to what Aubry brings into a crowded room and what her presence signals to anyone watching her lead. "Aubry is a light, and she brings so much joy to so many people. I think it shows that she can work hard to do anything, and I think it shows other people that they can work hard to do anything they set their minds to as well."