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

Able to go to college Episode Four: Cars and Hearts

   So this week  i will be blogging about   the  week of Valintes day  (2012).      I  really think that my  dog  knew it was  Valinties day because  when  I woke up this  morning I  found her  on my parents's bed looking as  cute as ever.  I had a  good day at school and to make things swet   one of my acquences  drove me home that dad.  He  was not dating   so  he  coined the  term  Single Awainess day  I like that (esp since  I have never had a boy friend)  My dad came home  that  day  and  found  a note   that said that   AZ had to unload the dish washer.  I had  seen this  note  but  I had "forgot" to  fallow though.     My  dad was  home  so  I  had to listen to the note  aw  well.  Luckily  I have a  great tip for doing the dishes which u can see in the video.

 So the  second  half  of  the video   highlights a  constant struggle  between  my parents and  me.  I want to  try driving.  Now  I  tried driving a little  my senior year, yet I was no where near ready.  Unforntaly my parents  do not think  I am  ready  so  for now  I am stuck to taking public  trasnit, bus. I hate the  bus.  The  main  reason  is that a bus  confines you to a se.    Taking the bus  means that   if you miss the bus you have to wait for the next one.  The bus   that  I take  runs  once every hour so  if I miss it  I  have to  miss at least ten minutes of class.  This was the case  in the second half of the video.   I am  only  20  so  I think  I have  still   have time to learn how to  be  behind the wheel.

Help them become Leaders of the pack

 These   three actors are the stars  of   a  internet   soon  to be  TV show    called  leaders of the pack  They  need our help  in terms of votes to  vote   u   need

1. GO TO: http://www.nextventertainment.com/votes.php?indx=2#
2. SCROLL DOWN to RICHARD REDLIN
3. CLICK VOTE! on right hand side


 if they  get  enough  votes they  can  be on  TV    that would be  cool  

Lauren Potter and  AZ   fall 2010

It still hurts

 My   Dog lights up  my world

 
    Let  me start off by saying that I had a great fourth of  july  week.   I   went  to a firework  show  at  the  local  elementary school and  had a  great  time.    During the fireworks   i  saw  some people   from high school and said  hi   and  instead of turning around they  left me.   Actually  everyone   left me  and there was  no  room to sit  because spots  were  taken.   I     end up sitting next to people from  my high school  and  afterwords  there was a  party at  the  girl's house  but   guess  who was not invited.  I    keep on  plugging  away and walked home.      Despite  this I  had a great time  overall  because  hay   I  have not had  great friends  for  most of my life  so  I  guess   one  to say that  I am  used to  it  by now.    

 It still  hurts

  On the  fourth of July   we had a  party at Sacramento and  I saw  my cousin  who is  two  years  old . She is the same one  that I wrote  a  poem  for   before she was  born.    My  cousin  lets  call  her   K  told  princess  that  she could baby sit.   I  offered to  babysit  because  hay  I  like   kids and   she is  a cutie  pie.     K says  no    but  i could  baby sit with  D  our  other cousin.  D says  no way.    K  says the  chaperone   needs a  chaperon      I  shut  down  then  people asked me  whats  wrong.  I say  nothing because of  course  I    am   known as  AZ the     one who  runis things    for everyone  involved and  I am   trying  to change that .  I  told my mom what was  bothering me  but she  does not  understand  because  She  asked my sister   to  watch over me  if she  moved to sacramento.     HELLO ?     I  can   take  care of my self.     Yeah  I can not  cook  or do  my hair  but   that is what  hats are for  and     I can  microwave stuff.  I want to be independent  how  do  you think  I feel when  I hear these   things  terrible.         I am not  a kid  anymore  I am almost  21.   Man  its  so  hard to be  me.      I feel  like a round  peg  going into a  square hole.  I have  a hard time fitting  in  with peers, disabled and   average, and    I   am  still  a  "Kid".   Yet      I   still  smile and  try to  be  happy because  after all   these  things  are  commonplace  for me.

                     It  still hurts

 Heading back home ater the fourth of  July

 

Independence Day 2012

Happy 4th 

Disclaimer America still is not free for everyone blacks disabled immigrants but it has come a long way since 1776 so I guess its ok to celebrate.  I went  to see fireworks  last night and    i am  going  to   my  Aunts  house  today.    pictures  will  fallow  soon


  Ps   yesterday was    my Dad's  birthday    Happy  b day  dad 

Parents with Cerebral Palsy - Documentary

  

 This gives me so much hope for the  future  I want to be a mother 

Able to go to college episode three :Basketball- one of my favoite sports

   

            I know  what you are thinking  how  does this  relate to college   answer  it is   weekend edition.  You know all work and no play......... well I do not  know the rest  but   here it is.   My number is    number  11.  I  really love  playing in this  tourment.  In my area there are two gyms for basketball  but  one  practice  site  for all other sports  so  for me this  means that  I  played against all  my  friends    who are my team mates in  other sports  like  track  and soccer.  I  also  have  my  HMB   hoop buds  one of them  also  goes to my school.  In the fall  more  people from  my team  will go to  my college which will make  for an interesting time ( hint  not all  of them are my  friends)  

I  know second question  

  What's  that on your  arm?

    Thanks  I thought u  never ask.

 All the colors.   I have a white and black  one   I want the orange  one 

 The  white thing on my  arm  is  called a Sniffle  Buddy.  Now  some  people  with CP, me include ,  have the  tendency to   drool.    Now when  I was younger I  drooled a  lot   I mean  I  could have  filled a  cup with  salvia  from my mouth and   I am  not talking about  when I was a  baby i am  talking about    school aged.   Now that I am older   I  have  good  days, where  no   drool  comes  and  I have  bad days  when   drool    comes  out.  In  high school  I   began  to  spit on  people when  I  talked  but I did not drool   oh  the  wonders  of  CP.

  Now one  of  my pet peeves  is   seeing a school age kid   wearing  a  bib.  I  mean  hello  bib   are for babies   not  for  older kids.    I  do not care what kind  of bib you may get     it still  looks  babyish  and   it will make  fitting  in  with other kids  harder then  it  already  is. A great solution to this is to use a bandana  or  a  Sniffle  Buddy,

    A  sniffle  buddy      resembles a bracelet,   It is  made out of bamboo  and it works.  I love  my sniffle buddy  it helps me  control the drool also   if i  forget to  grab a napkin during it mealtimes   helps   me as  well.  Sniffle  Buddies also  are for allergies  and  sports which means that  it is not specifically designed  for  people with disabilities; however    it works.   It is also green because instead of  throwing  napkins away    you  just put it into the  wash so that is  what i am  wearing on my arm.

    

  

  On a different  note  today I  begin  summer school  so this  might be the last Able to  go to college  video  for a while.