Meet Alyssa
Meet Alyssa: She is pro bowler. She has won gold medals for the 1500 meter race. She has cerebral palsy. Her story is worth your time.
I have lived with cerebral palsy all my life. When I was young, I
struggled to fit in socially. I did have friends but I didn’t feel like there
were many other students like me, especially in middle school and high school. I
was lucky enough to be able to join the Special Olympics team “Roaring Fork
Mountain Niños” when I was in high school. I was able to compete in bowling,
skiing, snowshoeing, swimming, and track and field. In the beginning, like
anything new, I found these sports to be challenging because of my cerebral
palsy.
My right side can’t do the same things my left side can do. In
bowling, I remember struggling because I was the only left handed bowler on the
team. I felt like everyone else had it easy and I remember how many gutter
balls I was getting at practice. It really angered me because I felt like my
other teammates did not have that same struggle and it made it hard for me to
be at practice sometimes. My coaches Paul and Cammi were very supportive. They
really worked with me to help me gain the skills to bowl better. Soon, that
became a sport I really enjoyed competing in and is now a hobby of mine. In
track and field, I worked my way to being able to run the 1500 meter race that
earned me some gold medals. It became my favorite sport to compete in.
Another aspect that I found a challenge my first few years on the
Special Olympics team was understanding and accepting people with disabilities
that were not physical, like mine. Because of my lack of knowledge at the time,
I was not so nice. Through talks with my coaches and the help of my best friend,
I learned that the teammates that don’t have a physical disability just take a
bit more time to get to know. I spent my senior year of high school doing
everything I could to be nice and get to know them better. Even though we never
were that close, that experience has made me realize that there is more to
someone than a first impression.
“You can’t judge a book by its cover.” A big lesson I learned not
only from my time with Special Olympics but from my best friend who has ADHD. You
cannot jump to conclusions about people with learning or intellectual
disabilities, like him. People often do that. Even with me, people make snap
judgements because I walk with a limp, though they don’t directly point it out.
I am fully aware I walk with a limp and my right hand clenches on its own. I
know it’s a reaction of my muscles because they are tight. There is more to my
personality than the fact I walk with a limp. To me, it is the people that can
look beyond my physical appearances that are my true friends.
Throughout my time with Special Olympics, I became more confident,
made friends along the way, and learned to embrace my cerebral palsy. Though I
may feel awkward at times, I know that even with my challenges, I am able to do
whatever I set my mind to. Along with surrounding myself with others who accept
me for me, I am living confidently with my cerebral palsy.
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Resources:
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