Why people with CP should be able to be Special Olympics athletes

    I know the title  is a mouth full. But at least you know what I am  talking about.  :)

athletes

  So  I have been  competing  in Special  Olympics  for a while  now.  Since  2005, seven  whole  years, and     all  of that  time  I have never had a  intellectual disability    my  area program  does  not  have    Unified Sports, yet  I still compete  with  people  with  intellectual disabilities.  I have  won  medals  and   received  ribbons.

   Now  I  know  special  olympics  is  for  people with  intellectual disabilities  and     some times   I  feel guilty  for competing.


   When  I was  little   I had  no need  for specialize  sport  because I  was able to  play  with   kids  in  neighborhood  programs.     I  played  soccer every  fall  with    AYSO in the  mainstreamed  program.    I have memories of  orange slices and team banners .    This  was  great for a couple  of  years   but then  reality of  physical disabltiy  set in.       It started  with my  parents holding me back a  year  so  I was the eldest  person  on the team.   (  A team  for  girls under 8   i  would  turn nine.)  It also helped   that  I was  held back a  year in  preschool( another post )  so  I played with  a lot of kids in my class.     I  did this  almost  every  year; however,  when  I  was in 5th   sixth grade my dad  did not sign me up because  I was not ready  and could not keep up.   I  remember  feeling  sad    and  angry that fall because it broke  a  tradition I had.


 Around that time  I started participating in church  basketball  but i was never on the  A  team.  I was  always  on the  developmental team  for  girls.  It was all typical  peers but   I  never  made a basket till eighth  grade

   In  third grade  my sister signed up for t ball  but  my dad  refused  to sign me up  because he felt that I would  get hurt.    I  was  a die  hard  baseball  fan and  often  accompanied my dad to  giants  games as well  as  my  brother game.       I was so sad   but managed to be bat  girl and  the  coach  gave me something   at the end of the game.  When  I  played  in fith and sixth  grade    I was one of the worst kids and in  sixth  grade I  knew  I was  being left out.  That was my last time playing softball.

   All throughout  middle and high school  I would   try out  for school sports.  And every time  I would be cut from the team.

       In  seventh grade my friend invited me to join special olympics  swimming  and  for the first time in  my  athletic career  I  could  win races    that  gave  me self esteem.  I  told my  favorite teacher about  it which  led to   a tradition of  telling my  teachers how  I did  in sports.  After   competing  in  golf   summer 2007  I was able to  join  my high schools   practice team.   Special Olympics   allowed me  to discover  a new sport and  allow  me  to join  in on high school sports.   I was on the practice team  all  three  years   and   only played in  one match, yet I was able to train with my high school


  I am sharing my story   because  I  would  like  for Special  Olympics  to consider  welcoming  athletes with physical disablties into  the world of sport.  I know  there are more AZ's  out there  who  are die hard sports  fans living  with  physical  disabilities.     The para olympics is made for  athlete with physical disabilities, yet they are  no local   training  events  so  the kids  wind up trying to compete with there peers and always  coming in last or  making their  team lose.    As I got older   i  used to feel guilty  on  regular    teams  because  I  thought I was making the teams  come in last