Changing Lives One Kick At A Time
Team
Carson Fortner
Founder & CEO
Carson founded the Special Kicks program in 2010 when he was given the opportunity to work with a student with cerebral palsy and was able to help her talk and walk for the first time. His passion grew from there, and he has worked with over 200 Special Kicks students over the course of 13 years.
Millie Orme
Executive Director
Millie has been the Director of Special Kicks for over four years. She works diligently with all fundraising, event planning, community outreach, networking, and resourcing for our Special Kicks students and their families. She is a huge advocate for our students and has a great passion for her position. Millie has a BA in studio art from Georgia Southern University and is also our Head Krav Maga Instructor.
Angelina Grant
Head Instructor, Pooler
Angelina is a 1st degree black belt in American Tang Soo Do and has been training since 2019. She loves working with kids, especially her Special Kicks students. Her favorite thing about the Special Kicks program is getting the time to bond with each student in their own unique way.
Gabriel Deines
Head Instructor, Savannah
Gabriel is a 3rd degree black belt in American Tang Soo Do. He has been a part of the Special Kicks program since 2018 when he first got his black belt. He loves seeing the kids' faces light up and getting them out on the mat to have fun. In addition to karate, he trains Krav Maga as well. Mr. Gabriel is now the Chief Instructor at our Savannah location.
Heather Agulara
Head Instructor, Effingham
Heather is a dedicated and skilled martial artist with a 1st degree blackbelt in American Tang Soo Do. She has been an integral part of our team for the past 4 years, bringing her expertise and passion to every class. For the last 2 years, Heather has successfully managed our afterschool program at Savannah Christian, earning the respect and admiration of both students and parents. We are thrilled to have her continue her exceptional work at our new Effingham Martial Arts location.
Miguel Lopez
Instructor
Miguel is a 2nd degree black belt and a sophomore in high school. One of his favorite things to do is karate, and it makes him happy watching his students enjoy it as well. He trains in both Tang Soo Do and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu so that he can be a well-rounded martial artist. He loves not only being able to learn but also being able to pass it on to people that love to learn like he does.
Sunny Holmes
Cheer Instructor
Coach Sunny was introduced to competitive gymnastics early on in life but later switched to competitive cheerleading due to her love for tumbling. She has played many other sports throughout her life and has always loved working with children. In 2022 she moved from Hawaii to Georgia and is currently in school to become a medical aesthetician. When it comes to coaching, she works very hard to be a safe space for our athletes and wants to teach respect on the mat. Working with so many children with different abilities has inspired her to help them embrace their special talents and skills. As a coach her biggest goal is to send a child off the mat more confident than when they came in, because believing in themselves is the first step to success! She is excited for this upcoming session and can’t wait to work with your kids!
