A Life Without Disabilities

Fortunately, I have never had to experience any form of mental or physical disability. I was blessed with "normal" features and am able to participate in any activity I wish without too much complication. Our class discussion about various disabled persons in sport made me appreciate my life in a way I typically do not think about.

Adam Bender's success story touched me. The article "Kid can do it on one leg" was inspiring but it wasn't until I watched the video that I was truly inspired. The amount of pain and heartache that young boy has had to endure thus far is staggering. He has had to face challenges I cannot begin to imagine and I am twice his age! I was very impressed with his enthusiasm and will to achieve. He was a tough player and did not let his disability get in the way of having a normal childhood experience.

Some of the most famous people in the world have had some form of disability. The same is true of athletes. Helen Keller was blind and deaf and yet everyone knows her name and her story. The Special Olympics is known worldwide and has gotten increasingly popular each year since it's existence. The word "disabled" is often a false assumption of a human being because many disabled persons do not consider themselves as being unable to do something! Their spirit is incredible and cannot be matched.

If I had a disability, it is hard to imagine how I might participate in athletics. Because I have grown up playing sports and passionately follow several teams, I would like to believe that I would not let anything get in the way of that. I would hope that my spirits would remain as high as my support systems and that God would give me the strength to start each day with a bright smile and positive attitude. I think I would continue playing sports because it defines me and who I am. I am making a career in athletics and I want to be around sports for the rest of my life. I don't think anything can stop me from achieving that dream :)