May 7, 2026: New rules of the road for young Colorado drivers; Moms dance their way to better mental health

Summary

Colorado Matters – May 7, 2026: New Rules of the Road for Young Colorado Drivers & Moms Dance Their Way to Better Mental Health

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Episode Overview

This episode, hosted by Chandra Thomas Whitfield, explores two principal themes: Colorado’s new legal requirements for young drivers and an innovative movement helping moms boost their mental health through dance. The program also features a segment on student-led efforts to combat youth vaping, and a look at Denver's wheelchair rugby team and their rise in the national scene.

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Part 1: New Rules of the Road for Young Colorado Drivers

Key Discussion Points and Insights

• Background of the New Law
  • Chandra Thomas Whitfield introduces the topic by recalling the universal nerves and sense of freedom associated with a teen’s first driving lesson.
  • Colorado’s new law, taking effect January 1, 2027, changes requirements for teen and young adult drivers, aiming for simplicity and safety.
• Motivation Behind the Change
  • Mandy Lindsay (Arapahoe County Representative and bill sponsor) cites her own difficulties and confusion as a parent teaching her children to drive as the impetus for the reform.

    "This is actually quite complicated. And is there something we can do about this?" (02:18, Lindsay)

• Key Law Changes
  • Age groups for learning permits have shifted:
    • Now, teens must be at least 14 years, 9 months to begin the required 30-hour driver education course (previously 14 years and 6 months).
    • All drivers between 15 and 18 will be required to take the 30-hour class.
    • 18- to 21-year-olds must complete a 4-hour driver awareness course before obtaining a permit.
    • Permits issued after Jan 1, 2027, fall under the new regulations.

    "Anyone up to your 18th birthday, so 15 to 18, will be required to take the 30 hour class." (05:46, Suzanne Salley, Colorado DMV Manager)

• Instructor Background Checks
  • Driving instructors must undergo state and FBI fingerprint/background checks—stricter than the previous state-only checks.

    "It's now a federal and FBI fingerprint background check that will be required." (08:34, Salley)

• Cost and Accessibility
  • Most online courses cost as little as $30. Advocates argue this is a reasonable amount, but acknowledge affordability can be a barrier for some families.

    "I think $30 is a reasonable thing that a family can be thinking about planning for, saving for." (04:13, Lindsay)

• Enforcement and Oversight
  • The DMV audits driving schools annually (with spot checks) and approves their curriculum to ensure compliance.

    "We audit all of the drive schools at least once annually...and do spot check audits." (09:31, Salley)

• Existing Teen Driver Restrictions
  • No cellphone use while driving for under 18s.
  • Curfew: Teens cannot drive 12 am–5 am without exceptions for school/work/emergencies.
  • Passenger limits: First 6 months—no passengers under 21 unless a parent/guardian is present. Next 6 months—one passenger under 21 allowed.
  • Seatbelts: Law enforcement may stop vehicles if anyone under 18 is not wearing a seatbelt.

    "Several existing teen driver restrictions also remain in place, including that drivers under 18 cannot use cell phones while driving..." (10:26, Whitfield)

Memorable Quotes

• On Parental Anxiety:

  "...my husband is going to be that parent sitting in that passenger seat, white knuckled as our son takes the wheel because, well, that is not my ministry." (01:59, Whitfield)

• On Broader Impact:

  "The goal here is to educate the drivers as much as possible to make sure they're as safe as they can be on the road." (06:53, Salley)

Key Timestamps

• 00:00–10:26: New Teen Driving Law Discussion (Whitfield, Lindsay, Salley)
• 10:26 onward: Recap and summary of restrictions

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Part 2: Boosting Moms’ Mental Health Through Dance

Key Discussion Points and Insights

• Introduction to the Mom Dance Party Movement
  • An event at the Gothic Theater in Englewood, organized by Moms Feeling Themselves (founded by Elizabeth Wellington and Sarah Batani Sams), provides a space for mothers to reconnect with themselves and other moms through dance.

    “It was really inspired by my personal experience transitioning into motherhood when I was in the throes of a bit of a postpartum identity crisis…” (28:44, Wellington)

• Therapeutic Power of Dance
  • Dance provides not just fun but also significant mental health benefits—antidepressant effects, bonding through oxytocin, and regulation of stressed nervous systems.

    “Dance is antidepressant and anxiety busting. It boosts serotonin and dopamine and oxytocin…” (29:56, Wellington)

• Identity and Community
  • Participants described rediscovering parts of their pre-mom selves, blending nostalgia with their current motherhood identity.

    “It's not about...trying to be who we were as those younger women. It's about elevating this space with both nostalgia, but also embodying, like, I'm a mom now, but I'm also a woman.” (32:13, Wellington)

• Making Space for Wellness
  • The organizers emphasize that prioritizing self-care and fun is not selfish, but vital to well-being and family life.

    “It is not selfish for me to put myself on the priority list...I show up as my best self. And I deserve that…” (36:14, Wellington)

• Inclusive, Accessible Experience
  • Attendees don’t need to be good dancers or even dance at all—just showing up is enough, and the event ends by 10pm.

    “You do not have to be a good dancer. You can go sit in the corner and watch. We just want you there.” (38:20, Wellington)

• Support Received
  • Many mothers didn't realize how much they needed such an event until they attended.

    “I didn't know how badly I needed this until I got here…” (34:56, Batani Sams)

• Favorite Dance Songs
  • Top requests include “Shoop” by Salt-N-Pepa, “Hot in Herre” by Nelly, and “Get Low” by Lil Jon.

    “Moms to the windows to the walls.” (39:24, Batani Sams)

Key Timestamps

• 27:25–39:48: Moms Dance Party Movement (Whitfield, Wellington, Batani Sams)

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Additional Segments

Student-Led Fight Against Youth Vaping

• Students, using funds from the Juul settlement, lead educational campaigns, create PSAs, and host the first Youth Voice Summit.
• The council pays students a stipend and focuses on peer support and changing the narrative about youth substance use.
• Notable speaker: NFL’s Rashad Wisdom encouraged self-confidence and healthy choices.

Timestamps: 22:31–27:01

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Denver Barbarians: Emerging Wheelchair Rugby Powerhouse

Highlights

• The Denver Barbarians placed third at nationals, a feat for a young team.
• Coach Nick Pierce, a former MMA fighter and now a quadriplegic, built a vibrant community around the sport, drawing athletes from far and wide.
• The team fosters camaraderie, independence, and growth through challenge.

  “Through struggle is when we grow. And these guys are no stranger to any of that.” (47:49, Pierce)

Timestamps: 41:18–48:05

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Perseverance and Purpose:

  “You cannot pour from an empty cup.” (38:20, Wellington)

• On Athletic Community:

  “For quadriplegics, there's not a lot of adaptive sports out there. So rugby is huge.” (44:21, Pierce)

• On Shifting Self-Image:

  “I am still that woman inside. I'm a mom, too, and I get to be all of it.” (34:30–34:31, Wellington)

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Conclusion

This episode of Colorado Matters showcases the evolving landscape of road safety for young Coloradans and an innovative approach to maternal mental health. Through policy reform, community programs, and joyful movements like the Mom Dance Party, Coloradans are building bridges—literal and figurative—toward safer, healthier, more connected lives.

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For More Information:

• Colorado DMV: dmv.colorado.gov
• Moms Feeling Themselves: Instagram and event pages

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Transcript

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

From CPR News, this is Colorado Matters. New rules of the road for Colorado teens.

[Allie Harrington]

Careful not to let your hands slide like that. You always want to walk the wheel

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

back the entire way. A new state law requires hours more training before young drivers can even get a permit. And it doesn't stop there.

[Suzanne Salley]

The biggest change is that the age groups to get a permit have changed.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

Will get you up to speed on passenger limits, curfews and rules on cell phone use. Then hundreds of Colorado moms are asking

[Jeremy Lorimer]

turn down for what?

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

In the name of fun and self care.

[Elizabeth Wellington]

We know that dance in and of itself is very therapeutic and healing.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

We talked with the founders of the Mom Dance party back this Mother's Day weekend in metro Denver about their mission to boost the mental health of moms through music and movement. Turn down for what? This is Colorado Matters from CPR News and krcc. I'm Chandra Thomas Whitfield.

[Allie Harrington]

Go ahead and turn on the car.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

There's a moment most of us remember. Hands at 10 and 2, a parent or instructor in the passenger seat beside you. And that mix of nerves and freedom. Yes, I'm talking about that first time behind the wheel driving. I know mostly how to drive.

[Jeremy Lorimer]

It's just kind of a refresher.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

For 17 year old Jeremy Lorimer of Denver, that moment is happening right now. There you go.

[Allie Harrington]

Turn on your left turn signal. Right turn signal. Turn it off. Turn on your windshield wipers.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

The Northfield High School student is taking his first driving lesson ever with Allie Harrington at American Driving Academy in southwest Denver. And it's every bit of what you would expect.

[Allie Harrington]

Careful not to let your hands slide like that. You always want to walk the wheel back the entire way.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

Okay. Starting in January, teens who want to get their learner's permit will have to fulfill new requirements here in Colorado. And some of the people behind the changes say they hope they'll make the process much simpler. My kids are inching towards that age where I, well, actually my husband is going to be that parent sitting in that passenger seat, white knuckled as our son takes the wheel because, well, that is not my ministry. Arapahoe County Representative Mandy Lindsay sponsored the bill in 2024. She says she was inspired by her own experience teaching her kids how to drive.

[Mandy Lindsay]

I am the mom of four kids. They're all adults now. My youngest is 18, so my oldest is 24. And so 10 years ago, we began the process of starting to train all of our kids to drive. Every young person should have some driving training just to make it safer out there. So it just really came from my own personal experience of navigating the system and recognizing some gaps or some confusing pieces or that I had to have this chart printed out and like find how old my kid was or. And backdated like six months, you know, and I was like, my gosh, this is actually quite complicated. And is there something that we can do about this?

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

So there are two parts to this law. Changes made to the requirements for teen drivers and also changes for the driving instructors.

[Mandy Lindsay]

You put your kid in a car with an adult that they've never met for six hours of that behind the wheel training. And so we thought it'd be a pretty good idea if that person was vetted and safe, you know, to be driving around alone in a car with. With a teenager.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

Young drivers ages 15 to 18 years old will have to complete a 30 hour driver education course, which can be done online or in person.

[Mandy Lindsay]

Those particular online courses, you can find some that are as low as like $30. And so to me, I think that is an investment that is affordable, but that also, you know, should be something that families are building into their budget for this lifelong skill that impacts, you know, their own kids safety, but also everybody else on the road. So I just wanted to make sure that that requirement was affordable. The $30, I mean, of course, anything that you put dollar amount to can be a barrier. Believe me, I understand as someone who even in this particular job, I end the month with like a few dollars in my checking account. I get it. But I think $30 is a reasonable thing that a family can be thinking about planning for, saving for.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

To give us more details about the specifics of this law change, we're speaking with the representative from the Colorado Department of Motor Vehicles. Suzanne Salley works as the manager of driver testing and education. Hi, Suzanne.

[Sarah Mulholland]

Hi.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

Well, there's still a lot of confusion about the changes that are underway with teen driving laws here in Colorado. Can you kind of just in your own words, explain how the law has changed from what we had previously been doing here in Colorado?

[Suzanne Salley]

The biggest change is that the age groups to get a permit have changed. So right now, if you are 14 years and 6 months of age, you can start the required 30 hour driver education program. Once this new law goes into effect on January 1st, you will have to wait until you're 14 years and 9 months of age to start that 30 hour course. That particular course is required for kids up to the age of 15 and a half. Currently, from 15 and a half to 16, you're required to take a four hour driver awareness program. But this new law will shift those dates. So anyone up to your 18th birthday, so 15 to 18 will be required to take the 30 hour class. And then the four hour class, we've added a whole another age group now, so we've got 18 to 21. They will be required to take a four hour driver awareness program before they can get their permit.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

And when do these new rules take effect?

[Suzanne Salley]

On January 1, 2027. So any permits that are issued after that date and then it is. I did want to point out to you that the driver's vacation classes that these kids take, they're only valid for six months. So it's important that they once they finish the class, if they don't convert and get their permit within six months, then they'll have to retake the driver education.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

From where you sit, what do you see as the benefits of the changes?

[Suzanne Salley]

I think any additional exposure to driver education is a benefit for all of the citizens in the state of Colorado. The goal here is to educate the drivers as much as possible to make sure they're as safe as they can be on the road. You know, laws change and we're reaching a whole nother group of people that are going to have access to driver ed that are going to need to take it that currently do not.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

How does Colorado's laws fare in comparison to, say, other states?

[Suzanne Salley]

You know, we're seeing a lot of shift. There were a lot of states that have had similar pieces of legislation passed in recent years. And you know, we've seen increase in speeding and increase in accidents. The goal really is to provide as much education as possible.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

Anything else you think people should know about the changes in law and the impact that is expected to happen with that?

[Suzanne Salley]

I think really just understanding the changes in the ages and that understanding it is possible to that some of these kids were waiting until an older age so they wouldn't have to do driver education. But they are going to be required to do it now up to the age of 21. So we're really hitting a large population of people that were not exposed to driver education before now.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

This bill has another part to it. Driving instructors now have to get fingerprinted by the state and clear a background exam before they can teach minors. What's the DMV stance on that?

[Suzanne Salley]

We actually have always had where driving instructors and drive testers have always had to have a Colorado Bureau of Investigation background check. What this piece of legislation did was it actually just defined it a little bit more. And it's now a federal and FBI fingerprint background check that will be required.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

Now driver's ed isn't free and the DMV doesn't offer driver's tests anymore. People have to go to a third party driving school to do all of that. Is the DMV thinking about how to support families who may have a barrier to costs?

[Suzanne Salley]

Yes, we're always trying to think about that. But it also it's a balance with making sure that these kids are trained and prepared to be out on the road.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

How does the DMV ensure these driving schools are doing a good job?

[Suzanne Salley]

So we audit all of the drive schools at least once annually. Some of the larger schools, we break it up and do we'll do multiple audits for them over the course of the year. We'll do spot check audits where we just kind of drop in and see how things are. We follow drive tests. They have to submit curriculums to us that need to be approved to make sure that they are teaching everything that's required.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

Where can people go to get more information on the changes in the state law on teen driving?

[Suzanne Salley]

So we'll be rolling out a communications outreach plan later this summer. But if drivers have questions about existing requirements, they can go to dmv.colorado.gov well,

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

Suzanne, thanks for getting us up to date on all of this.

[Suzanne Salley]

Yeah, you're welcome.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

Suzanne Salley is the driver testing and education manager at the Colorado Department of Motor Vehicles. For a list of approved driving schools in the state, you may visit the Colorado DMV [e-mail] that's dmv.colorado.gov and to reiterate, the new state law requires all drivers under 18 to complete a 30 hour driver's education course before getting a learner's permit. Drivers between 18 and 21 years old must now complete either the 30 hour driver's education course or a four hour driver awareness program. The law also adds stricter standards for driver education instructors, including fingerprinting and background checks, through the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and the FBI. State officials say the changes come as Colorado sees rising infractions involving young drivers. We should also note that several existing teen driver restrictions also remain in place, including that drivers under 18 cannot use cell phones while driving and they are not allowed to drive between midnight and 5am with exceptions for schoolwork or emergencies. Passenger limits also continue. For the first six months, teen drivers cannot have passengers under 21 in their vehicle unless a parent or guardian is present. During the next six months. Only one passenger under 21 is allowed. And under a law that took effect January 1st of last year, police may stop vehicles if anyone under 18 is not wearing a seatbelt. The return of spring means the return of for sale signs in front of homes across Colorado. But even in the peak home selling season underway now, it's getting harder to find a buyer. CPR business reporter Sarah Mulholland has the story.

[Amanda Snitker]

The housing market has a rhythm.

[Sarah Mulholland]

We do always have, like just the seasonality of like, you know, humans kind of come out of hibernating in the winter.

[Amanda Snitker]

Amanda Snitker is a Denver Realtor and chairs the local Realtor Group's Market Trends Committee. She says May and June is typically when new listings peak in the Denver metro, the state's largest housing market by far. It accounts for more than a third of homes for sale in Colorado. The number of homes on the market in Denver is surging as buyers hang back even with summer right around the corner. At the end of April, there were 11,539 homes for sale.

[Sarah Mulholland]

I think that's what we're seeing with the listings coming on now is like people have been waiting two or three years now to list their home for the market to be better.

[Amanda Snitker]

Colorado Mero's housing market started to slump when interest rates went up in 2022. Higher interest rates mean higher mortgage rates and lower demand from home buyers.

[Sarah Mulholland]

And you just get to a point where you just need, you know, it's just time and you have to work with the market that exists.

[Amanda Snitker]

The pileup of homes in the market means buyers increasingly have the upper hand. They're negotiating for lower prices, home repairs and getting sellers to pay closing costs to seal the deal. A lot of cities in the US Are in a housing market funk, but Denver's funk is a little deeper than in other cities. According to a recent report from realtor.com, a key national index, showed that home values fell in more than half of the country's major metro areas in February. But Denver's values fell the most. Snitker says prices in Denver needed to cool off after the record run up in values right before the slowdown hit.

[Sarah Mulholland]

We did need the price correction after the 38% increase that we had in such a short period of time. It needed to correct itself.

[Amanda Snitker]

And it's not as if prices are falling off a cliff. The median home price in Denver is $605,000. That's a little bit lower than the peak in 2022, but not all that much. And it's still out of reach for many families, but prices might go down

[Mandy Lindsay]

more now that it's flat.

[Sarah Mulholland]

The conversation is, is this the bottom or is there more to go?

[Amanda Snitker]

The story is similar in other parts of the state. Prices have stagnated since about 2022. Jared Reimer is a realtor in Fort Collins.

[Jared Reimer]

If you kind of broaden it out and manipulate the, you know, ups and downs and peaks and valleys, it's been four years of about the same, I would say flat.

[Amanda Snitker]

Active listings are on the rise up there, too. At the end of last month, there were 791 single family homes for sale in the Fort Collins area. That's more than double what was for sale in 2022. It's a much smaller market compared to Denver, Reimer says. That keeps the inventory of homes more manageable.

[Jared Reimer]

And up here, since we're just kind of this, I guess not an island community, but it's, it's, we're not growing any further, it's a little bit easier to kind of not feel these big swings, he says.

[Amanda Snitker]

In his area, the spike in mortgage rates has upended a long standing trend. Houses in the $500,000 range, which counts as affordable these days, are taking longer to sell.

[Jared Reimer]

The buyers are needing to stretch a little bit because of interest rates to be able to purchase them, so those aren't moving as quickly as they once had. It used to be the easiest market to move as the most affordable.

[Amanda Snitker]

The boom in real estate values early in the decade spread west to Grand Junction, too, says Ann Hayes, a Realtor in the area. Since the 1990s, she says prices have basically doubled during the past decade to more than $400,000. But like elsewhere in the state, the real estate market in Grand Junction recently hit a wall.

[Suzanne Salley]

It has slowed dramatically.

[Amanda Snitker]

Fort Collins Reimer says the real estate market could slow further this summer because of the chaotic economic and geopolitical backdrop.

[Jared Reimer]

The there's also a lot of fatigue with all the stuff that's changing week to week and people can't keep up with it or can't count on stable and certain times. And that just makes people just I'm just going to sit and wait for things.

[Amanda Snitker]

In the meantime, options for homebuyers in Colorado are likely to keep climbing. I'm Sarah Mulholland, CPR News.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

When we come back, words to live by from a Regis University alumni. Chandra I'm Chandra Thomas Whitfield. This is Colorado Matters from CPR News and krcc. During its recent commencement ceremonies, Regis University bestowed an Honorary doctorate degree upon sen Nguyen. A 1989 graduate of the school, Nguyen is a member of The Sisters of St. Francis at Marycrest. She's also the founder of Bridging Hope, a nonprofit that helps fund projects in Vietnam for the underserved. Speaking to the graduating class of 2026, Nguyen introduced herself and presented the themes of her address.

[Sin Nguyen]

As a refugee, immigrant and a boat person from Vietnam, my journey included both despair and hope. I have three themes I want to share with you today that they are bridge, hope and commitment. To keep us all on track, I ask for your help. Throughout my speech, I raise one finger, you would please say bridge. Second finger, you would say hope. And third finger, you would say commitment. Can we do that? All right, have your hand ready. First bridge. Not loud enough. Come on. First bridge. Second, third bridge.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

Awesome.

[Sin Nguyen]

Okay.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

Win. Then spoke about the importance of building bridges.

[Sin Nguyen]

When you hear the word bridge, what do you think of? What image do you see? For me, bridge is more than a physical structure. It is a powerful symbol of connection. A bridge brings together what is divided. It fosters relationships, paths and unity. It represents the way we can support and lift each other across life's divides, whether those divides are physical, emotional, cultural or social. I invite you to consider this. What does it mean to be a priest person? In what ways can someone serve as a priest for others? I believe that a priest person carries forward deep convictions and work to connect people, ideas and communities. Like a bridge over a river or a valley bridge, people try to cross boundaries can seem impossible to unite and support others.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

Nguyen arrived in Colorado after 15 attempts to escape a war torn Vietnam. She came to Denver to be reunited with her mother, whom she had been separated from for more than three years. While her story may be unique, Nguyen appealed to the graduates to believe in and share its tenets.

[Sin Nguyen]

My life had been a bridge spanning from my Vietnam birthplace into the north, to the south, across Malaysia and Denver. Each move connected my story and knitted me into new communities. In despair, hope arose. The following question I would like to ask you. With the knowledge and wisdom you have gathered over the last four years, can you see yourself becoming a bridge for others and the world, particularly in this time of such division. So today, let us together commit being bridges of hope. This is an identity we can share. Our persistent faith can prove that peace is possible and poverty preventable. I have found that bridging a hope filled and just society means creating God, Table of plenty on earth. This is something we are called to. So now I invite you new graduates to be A one more time to be a grounded in sustained by two others. Thank you very much.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

Sin Nguyen speaking to the graduating class of 2026 at Regis University. As graduation season commences in the coming weeks, we'll be featuring the speakers and messages from colleges and universities across Colorado. Colorado students are helping lead the charge to educate their classmates about the risks of nicotine. The state sued e cigarette maker Juul and won a multi million dollar settlement. CPR health reporter John Daly recently found that the settlement money is creating dozens of programs across the state. Please start heading to your next breakout session.

[John Daly]

Fountain Fort Carson High School, south of Colorado Springs. Sunlight hits Pikes Peak. Towering beyond big windows, students converge for

[Elizabeth Wellington]

the first youth voice summit for our youth advisory council.

[John Daly]

Montina Romero is the district's deputy superintendent.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

I guess we've made it.

[Elizabeth Wellington]

I think we have about 200 youth, 215 youth and about 70 adults.

[John Daly]

Upstairs in a classroom, sophomore Jillian Swarthout starts a presentation saying 2024 data showed 1.6 million US students vaped and nearly

[Allie Harrington]

90% use flavored cigarettes. More than 25% vape daily. Pretty much they're addicted, right?

[John Daly]

This session is on combating youth nicotine addiction with students leading a discussion with their peers. The conference is the brainchild of the 50 member youth advisory council which launched with funds from the state's settlement with Juul.

[Allie Harrington]

I have like personal experience, like seeing kids in my own classes vape. Like I want to help prevent this.

[John Daly]

That's Kenzie Litzelman. She's a freshman and a member of the yac, which they call the yac. So is senior Sheena Beaman.

[Allie Harrington]

Right now our focus is vaping prevention. But like with our structure, we hope to like branch out and like target other student issues.

[John Daly]

The pair is joined in the cafeteria by another senior, Audrey Payton. She says another issue on the horizon, nicotine pouches. Especially popular with guys and athletes at school.

[Allie Harrington]

They're finding it easier to just do the zins because it's what they call it, a lip pillow. So they can just put it in their lip and nobody notices it.

[John Daly]

Romero helped lead the push to apply for a three year grant. She thinks vaping isn't as prevalent as some might believe in her district, which has a lot of military families. And the youth council agrees.

[Amanda Snitker]

What's been so great about this youth

[Elizabeth Wellington]

advisory council is the voice of students around who's not vaping has now become louder. So the perception has changed.

[John Daly]

Students came up with a logo. Know the risks, know to vaping. They participated in health fairs 5Ks training and national conferences made prevention posters.

[Allie Harrington]

They'll crave the buzz again and again.

[John Daly]

And produced a couple of PSAs.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

You can stop and we will be here for you.

[John Daly]

The group doesn't ask student members about their use to avoid putting them in an awkward position. And in their grant application, they took an innovative approach. Romero says they pay students on the Youth Advisory Council $150 a semester.

[Allie Harrington]

It's definitely, like, a motivating factor for students.

[John Daly]

That's Jillian, the sophomore you heard earlier. She was never into vaping, but friends were, so she joined the group.

[Allie Harrington]

It definitely gives me, like, a stronger ability to help the people around me, you know, quit vaping and also, like, learn the risks. I just really wanted to help those people that are struggling.

[John Daly]

Jillian has even talked about it with her dad, who's tried vaping to quit cigarettes.

[Allie Harrington]

He might not take me very seriously, but I'm hoping that as, like, I mention it, more and more, he's gonna start realizing that I am being serious about it, and that is a dangerous substance to be addicted to.

[John Daly]

Freshman Caden Vink also signed up. He says he's seen family members struggle with addiction and kids he knows get hooked on vaping. He's taking what he's learned in the YAC to make the case to his peers.

[Jeremy Lorimer]

When they quit, they see it in their friends. They get their friends to quit, and it's just kind of like a domino effect.

[John Daly]

A survey from last year showed fewer students now think it's okay to drink, smoke, and vape and use other drugs compared to a year before. Vink says his classmates are listening.

[Jeremy Lorimer]

That's why I'm trying to, like, work with, like, one person at a time. And when I work with one, they'll try and work with someone else, too. Be like, hey, this is how I quit. Let me help you.

[John Daly]

To headline the event, students brought in a keynote speaker.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

It comes with your experiences.

[John Daly]

NFL player Rashad Wisdom of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The millions in jewel settlement money has paid for local programs ranging from cessation efforts in Spanish to prevention work in rural areas to education about healthy coping skills.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

You have to be able to be comfortable with yourself and be confident in who you are and what you're able to do.

[John Daly]

Funding has gone to 49 of Colorado's 64 counties. I'm John Daly, CPR News.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

When we come back, a chance for moms to party with a purpose this Mother's Day weekend. I'm Chandraton with Whitfield. This is Colorado Matters from CPR News and KRCC It's a Friday night in Denver, and while most of the mile high city is winding down, hundreds of moms are asking, turn down for what?

[Jeremy Lorimer]

Turn down for what?

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

It's not a PTO meeting or a wine club and definitely not your run of the meal evening at home. It's a dance party for moms. And its mission stretches far beyond the packed dance floor. I'm talking about the Mom Dance Party back this Mother's Day weekend at the Gothic Theater in Inglewood. It's the brainchild of two Denver women moms who are exceedingly passionate about their mission to boost the mental health of mama bears across the state through music and movement. I talked with Elizabeth Wellington and Sarah Batani Sams from the organization Moms Feeling Themselves last November. Elizabeth and Sarah, welcome.

[Elizabeth Wellington]

Thank you so much for having us. We're so excited to talk. Chandra.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

So first things first. To be clear, you say this is not your average mom's night out. Tell us what makes the mom Dance party different.

[Elizabeth Wellington]

Absolutely, yes. This is not your average night out just for moms. Certainly it was really inspired by my personal experience transitioning into motherhood when I was in the throes of a bit of a postpartum identity crisis and also inspired by my work as a psychotherapist for moms. What I was hearing and experiencing firsthand was that moms are really craving a space to be together in community, to be kid free and to be with other moms, but in a way that isn't centered on talking about our children. A space to feel free and have fun and connect with ourselves, but in a that's healthful, that allows us to wake up in the morning feeling refreshed, ready to tackle our to do list. And that space didn't really exist when I was seeking it. And so we set out to create it.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

Elizabeth, your day job is working as a clinician and you say this is much deeper than just having a night out with the girls. The event website says the mom dance party takes a, quote, trauma informed, evidence based approach rooted in joy. Tell us about that.

[Elizabeth Wellington]

Yeah, well, we know that dance in and of itself is very therapeutic and healing. Dance is antidepressant and anxiety busting. It boosts serotonin and dopamine and oxytocin, which is the bonding hormone. So all that fancy language to say what dance does is it regulates a stressed out nervous system, which we know a lot of us moms have, and it gives us that visceral sense of being in community and belonging. I know so many Moms who say that they barely have an adult conversation all day long. We're so in the throes of caregiving and in our heads. Right. So being in community and dancing together in a safe space is a way to get back into our bodies, to reclaim joy, to have fun in a way that feels really inaccessible outside of this very specific context.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

And I will say, being a native of New Orleans, where dancing is culture, it's its own thing. And I can honestly say, when I have been stressed out and I've gone somewhere and just kind of danced and let the music kind of take over, it really does help. Especially after those stressful days with a young child.

[Elizabeth Wellington]

Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. Dance actually impacts our nervous system and our brain waves. And when we dance in community, the brains and the nervous systems of those dancing in a group sync up with each other, and link literally regulates our nervous systems. That's why when you're dancing or mid song, you can feel yourself sort of calm down or you can feel your mood shift in the moment. That is actually science. That is really, really happening. And so this is an opportunity for moms to really kind of refill empty tanks in a way that is beyond just words or talking. It's incredibly meaningful and embodied change.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

And it's really interesting because so much, or at least for me, so much of my pre mom life and married life was about being social and dancing. I do remember, like, the first time going out and just feeling completely disoriented now that my life had changed so dramatically.

[Elizabeth Wellington]

Absolutely true. And I know Sarah and I, when we created the Mom Dance party, dancing was one way that we connected and bonded. As female friends, especially as millennial women, we loved to go out and dance, and dance was already so therapeutic. But doing it with your girlfriends is just such a wonderful way to be together. So we wanted to create a way to do that. But that fits uniquely our lives now. And we always say that doing this, the going to the Mom Dance party, it's not about, like, going backwards in time and trying to be who we were as those younger women. It's about elevating this space with both nostalgia, but also embodying, like, I'm a mom now, but I'm also a woman. And I want to bring those two things together in a way that makes me feel whole and alive. And dance is such a wonderful and fun way to do that.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

And I think that it is also a way to grab onto those elements that made your pre mom life wonderful and fun.

[Sarah Batani Sams]

We heard from attendees is it wasn't just the dance itself. It's also everything leading up to it. Starting a new group text with your mom friends. What are we wearing?

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

We're group texting.

[Suzanne Salley]

Group text.

[Sarah Batani Sams]

A picture of. Do you like this outfit? It's those elements that we enjoyed so much of girl, more or less, that we brought into this new environment and a new place for it.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

And I would definitely say that's been one of the great things of my kids getting older is I feel like I can dress up. Anticipating what you're wearing and how you're gonna do your hair and what you're gonna do. Like the pre game.

[Elizabeth Wellington]

Exactly. Yes. So many of the moms that I work with and that come to our events say that we love motherhood. Being a mom is such an honor. And there's an identity crisis that happens in that transition that I think Moder doesn't have the rituals and the rites of passage to help mothers enter into that space in a way that feels really empowered. So we really think it's important to create these ways for moms to connect with their former identities, kind of forge a new identity.

[Allie Harrington]

Right.

[Elizabeth Wellington]

It's enhancing. It's like I don't have to completely shed every aspect of who I was before. There are parts of it that I can pick and choose and to still remember. I am still that woman inside.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

Yes.

[Elizabeth Wellington]

I'm a mom, too, and I get to be all of it. I don't have to sacrifice every aspect of the things that I used to do, but maybe I want to upgrade them. And we, I think, created a space that allows for that.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

And you mentioned therapeutic earlier. That's such a powerful idea. Kind of a mental health mission disguised as a dance floor.

[Kate Brim]

Yes.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

How clever. Sarah, what kind of response have you seen from moms who come to these events?

[Sarah Batani Sams]

I know that every dance we've ever had, we've had multiple moms say, I didn't know how badly I needed this until I got here, that it's a little unknown. You don't know what you're walking into. And very often we don't have a chance to be spontaneous like this. So when moms come in and have this electric energy with lights and nostalgic music, they feel safe and supported and seen because you have all these elements. But it's moms. You look around, every single person is a mom, so you feel welcome to just fit right in. And I needed this. I just didn't know what I needed

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

until I got here. And I. I got the sense that you all are saying, that moms deserve to do this. Like, this is a treat. And remind yourself that you are here to have fun, to move your body, just to have a different experience.

[Sarah Batani Sams]

Yeah, moms absolutely do deserve this. And everybody's looking forward to it. That's what's so positive about the energy inside, is that people have been looking forward to this for weeks, months sometimes. And so you all want to be there. You're all excited to gather and celebrate each other.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

And Elizabeth, this was brought on largely by the research about what moms are dealing with right now.

[Elizabeth Wellington]

The research shows that one in five moms does suffer from a perinatal mood and anxiety disorder like postpartum or prenatal depression or anxiety. And yet up to 75% never get treatment at all. So that's a lot of moms who are suffering in silence. And I think even outside of that, modern society, as I indicated earlier, doesn't support moms in the way that I think we deserve. There's so much pressure via social media, this new wave of moms that we're in, the generation of who are trying to go from being girl bosses and really career oriented to now completely shifting gears and becoming moms. And I think we're all in this messy kind of soup of confusion around how do I meaningfully take care of myself and also show up as the mom that I want to be? Sometimes it feels like I can do one or the other. I could be the best mom or I can prioritize myself. And we really want to create not only a dance party where people are having an amazing time, but a new cultural narrative where moms can say confidently, it is not selfish for me to put myself on the priority list when I prioritize my wellness, and that includes having fun and having meaningful time with girlfriends. I show up as a more engaged mother. I show up as my best self. And I deserve that, not only for my family, but because I'm a whole person, too. So not only is that, you know, I think proven out by the research, but we see it over and over with the moms that we experience in our dance parties. They leave and they say, I now understand in my body how important it is for me to take care of myself. I didn't realize it before I knew I felt depleted, but I didn't realize how good I could feel. And that's what we want to offer not only the moms, but the culture.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

Well, before we let you two go, for moms listening right now, who might be thinking I could never or I don't have time for that. What would you tell them?

[Elizabeth Wellington]

I absolutely think it's important for moms to know that you cannot pour from an empty cup. And it can be so hard to schedule that workout class, to schedule that coffee with a friend. You know what's not so hard? Just put on sweatpants and come dance with us. You're gonna be surrounded by 500 of the most loving mom friends you've ever met. Please come. You do not have to be a good dancer. You can go sit in the corner and watch. We just want you there.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

And it ends by 10pm so you can still get home and rest after exerting yourself through all that dancing.

[Elizabeth Wellington]

Exactly. Get a good night's rest. Yep.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

Well, before I really wrap up, what are the top three songs that you all always get requests from for the dj?

[Sarah Batani Sams]

That's definitely going to be Shoot Salt n Pepa.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

That's my karaoke song.

[Sarah Mulholland]

My gosh.

[Jeremy Lorimer]

Really?

[Suzanne Salley]

You have to go.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

I also realized that I only know the chorus. It was pretty bad.

[Sarah Batani Sams]

And then Hot in here Nellie, third one.

[Elizabeth Wellington]

Little John Get Low. That's a popular one always.

[Suzanne Salley]

Yep.

[Sarah Batani Sams]

Moms to the windows to the walls.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

I thought Bruno Mars was gonna be, well awesome songs. Great for partying and reminding me of my club days back in the day.

[Elizabeth Wellington]

Exactly. Exactly.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

Elizabeth, Sarah, this sounds like so much fun. Thanks for talking with us. Thanks.

[Sin Nguyen]

Ooh.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

How you doing, baby? Denver moms Sarah Patani Sams and Elizabeth Wellington from the organization Moms feeling themselves gotta say it that way talking with me last November. They're the co founders of the mob dance party happening again this Mother's Day weekend at the Gothic Theater in Inglewood. Okay then. Chillin', chillin' Mindin my business you told

[Elizabeth Wellington]

I looked around and I couldn't believe

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

this I swear I stared my niece my witness the brother had it going on with something kinda wicked wicked had to kick after the break. Denver's wheelchair rugby team shows the nation they're a force to be reckoned with. I'm Chandra Tom with Whitfield. This is Colorado Matters on CPR News. And KRCChel Hell makes me wanna shoot shoot sh. The Denver Barbarians wheelchair rugby team placed third in the United States Wheelchair Rugby Association National Championships last weekend in Birmingham, Alabama. The achievement is even more notable because the team has only been around for three years. And as CPR's Tony Gorman recently learned during one of their recent tournaments, other parts of the country are starting to notice that they're a force to be reckoned with.

[Tony Gorman]

With when you walk through the doors of the south gym of the Charles Whitlock Recreation center in Lakewood. There are battered and beaten chairs along the court. This is what practice is like for the Denver Barbarians. A lot of slamming and banging. The sport is nicknamed Murder Ball, and it's easy to tell. A game is typically 4 versus 4, with players moving up and down a path, basketball court and specialized wheelchairs. Their goal is to carry a rugby ball into a box at each end of the court to score, similar to a small end zone. But it's not as easy as you might think. Players run into each other hard in order to stop the opponent from moving the ball down the court and potentially get the ball back to score themselves.

[Kate Brim]

It's why you see all the missing skin and people taped up and stuff. It's incredible. And I have loved. I loved how each of them have complemented each other for me.

[Tony Gorman]

Kate Brim is a resident athlete in para cycling at the U.S. olympic and Paralympic Training Center. She makes the commute from Colorado Springs for practice.

[Kate Brim]

It's been a little bit difficult just because travel from Colorado Springs over to Denver can be quite treacherous, especially in the winter. But I've absolutely loved how much this team has developed in just the short three years.

[Tony Gorman]

And in the middle of it all is the Barbarians coach and founder Nick Pierce barking out orders.

[Sin Nguyen]

There.

[Jeremy Lorimer]

Yep. Now. Object control. Backside whistle. Yes. Yep. We'll take it. I was just looking for a couple guys who wanted to play rugby. Ended up just turning into this thing that grew legs and a huge, big community now, which is fantastic.

[Tony Gorman]

Pierce discovered the sport with the now defunct Denver Harlequins wheelchair rugby team. His work with the new Denver Barbarian hasn't gone unnoticed. In the club's first three years, he was named the 2025 Coach of the Year by the U.S. wheelchair Rugby Association.

[Jeremy Lorimer]

Gap is there. Beautiful. Yes. Yes. That same play.

[Tony Gorman]

If Pierce sounds tough on his players, that's because he's a former professional mixed martial arts fighter. He became a quadriplegic while teaching a student a move during a jiu jitsu class.

[Jeremy Lorimer]

I was on my back and I had him in the triangle. He was really frustrated and he asked me to help him out and show him how to get in. And so I jumped on the mat and 30 seconds later, I was paralyzed.

[Tony Gorman]

Many athletes have similar stories. They joined after an accident and some from other sports. The game is made for players with tetraplegia, meaning they have varying degrees of limb function. And these are tracked by a point system.

[Jeremy Lorimer]

And so you're based off your Hand and arm function and trunk. I am a 2.5. You are allowed to. To be a 3.5 is the highest. We go in red, so that would be almost paraplegic. Perfect hands, perfect arms, and then it goes down from there. So I am a 2.5 of those 8 points. But this year I turned 45, so I get a half point off. So I'm a two now with a deduction.

[Tony Gorman]

These points are tracked to keep competition level. Each player is assigned a certain number and each team Is allowed only 8 points total on the court at a time.

[Jeremy Lorimer]

For quadriplegics, there's not a lot of adaptive sports out there. So rugby is huge. It's huge for the camaraderie, for the sense of community, for the independence that it promotes. So more than anything, I knew what rugby did for me, so I wanted that for everybody else and I knew that it just had to happen. So I didn't know how, but it definitely happened. And here we are.

[Tony Gorman]

The Denver Barbarians have attracted athletes from outside of the area. Josh Williams has a much longer commute than Brynn. He has flown from Wales over the past two seasons to practice and play in tournaments for the Barbarians. He's hoping to represent Great Britain at the 2028 Summer Paralympics in LA.

[Jeremy Lorimer]

I bring like that extra calmness that I take the heat and I can absorb the pressure, which I hope is helping the bar develop.

[Tony Gorman]

On this day, the team is going extra hard to prepare to host its tournament, the Mile High Mayhem. Some of the top teams are expected to be in town at tournament time. They all head to Thunder Valley, K8 and Frederick. The teams fill two gyms and bring the boom. The tournament features several high profile players such as the Portland Pounders, Justin Beavers, who is on track to represent USA at the 2028 Paralympics. You can't miss him with this huge mohawk.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

There's also that like dog in me where it's like I just really want to hit you if you have the ball. And I want, I always want to swipe the ball.

[Tony Gorman]

The Houston Texans Josh Brewer played wheelchair basketball in college. That carried over to wheelchair rugby where the triple amputee won a silver medal at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

[Jeremy Lorimer]

So a lot of my skills come from basketball as well. So it kind of translates from basketball to rugby, which has been really helpful for me.

[Tony Gorman]

And speaking of Brazil, Gabriel Feitosa de Lima plays for the Brazilian national team as well as the Las Vegas High Rollers. He says the tournament gives him an opportunity to play the sport At a high, high level.

[John Daly]

Brazil, for the first time has a great chance to qualify for the Paralympics.

[Jeremy Lorimer]

We're going to play in the Pan

[John Daly]

American Games, and if we finish in second place, we'll secure a direct spot to the Paralympics.

[Jeremy Lorimer]

So we're very anxious and working very

[John Daly]

hard to get that spot. And he believes it'll work out.

[Tony Gorman]

The weekend wasn't just about the wheelchair rugby teams who had all the fun. Local firefighters, riders and police officers got in on the action and played against the Barbarians in a charity match.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

I can't believe we got that. It was sick.

[Jeremy Lorimer]

It was cool.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

It was kind of hard to like at first because we were moving and you hit one wheel and then you go the opposite way. You think you're gonna go.

[Tony Gorman]

That's firefighter Andy House, who played along with fellow firefighter Michael Hanna.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

Like, I didn't know what to expect at all. And then you wouldn't even know that they had three limbs compared to four like guys. And it was amazing to see them just cruising by us like nothing. It was.

[Tony Gorman]

It was awesome. Las Vegas won the tournament and Feitosa de Lima was named the tournament MVP.

[Jeremy Lorimer]

And your 2026 mile high mayhem champions the Las Vegas High Rollers.

[Tony Gorman]

Meanwhile, the Denver Barbarians finished fifth. In the end, Pierce says the experience and practice were the most important. The upand cominging Barbarians couldn't say enough

[Jeremy Lorimer]

good things about my young players and how far they've come along. I intentionally brought in higher level teams so that way they could grow. Because through struggle is when we grow. And these guys are no stranger to any of that.

[Sin Nguyen]

Barbos.

[Jeremy Lorimer]

On three, guys.

[Amanda Snitker]

One, two, three.

[Jeremy Lorimer]

Let's go.

[Tony Gorman]

I'm Tony Gorman, CPR News.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

Thanks for joining us today and thank you. Thanks to my own team here at Colorado Matters.

[Tony Gorman]

Sandy Botulka, Tyler Bender, Carl Bielek, Anthony Cotton, Pete Kramer, Andrea Dukakis, Zan Huckpochone,

[Jared Reimer]

Matt Herz, Tom House, Michael Hughes, Pedro

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

Lumbra, Shane Rumsey, Haley Sanchez, Ryan Warner. And I'm Chandra Thomas Whitfield. This is CPR News and krcc.

[Jeremy Lorimer]

It don't matter. It don't matter.

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

It don't matter.

[Sin Nguyen]

You're saying what you say. Is

[Chandra Thomas Whitfield]

from the brain?