At the time of my natal, the doctor conversed my parents that I had Down syndrome. He clarified that there would be many things I might never be able to do. He further stated that I would always have low muscle tone and that there was little that could be done to mend it. Although my parents were overwhelmed, they were resolute in their commitment to provide me with every prospect to develop, learn, and discover my aptitudes.
With age, my parentages interested me to experiment with various sports. I played soccer for some time and even tried spinning, but I didn’t sincerely enjoy either. At the age of around eight, my close relative employed me up for a gymnastics class supplementary with the Special Olympics.
I reversed it from day one. Although I originally lacked skill, there was something about gymnastics that brought me joy and enthusiasm.
I faced many tests at the start. Even though it was only a few inches off the ground, I could manage to walk just a few steps on the balance beam before falling off. My muscles lacked the necessary strength, and I took a long time to learn even the most basic skills. Though, I didn’t quit. My parents saw how much I enjoyed it and decided to find a coach who could give me more repetition.
At that time, we met Dawn Pombo. While she was a hard coach, she had faith in me. My parents saw how much I relished it and decided to find a coach who could give me more reputation.
At that time, we met Dawn Pombo. Although she was an unbreakable coach, she had faith in me. Dawn had me practice my procedures repeatedly until I performed them correctly. As I progressed to more problematic skills, she divided them into smaller steps for my comprehension of each constituent. It may take several months for most acrobats to learn a skill.
For my part, it would sometimes take an entire year. However, I was prepared to put in the effort and continue trying. It took me five years to master one of the skills on the bars, but when I finally did, it felt remarkable.
Training was not always a gait in the park. I was born with loose ligaments, which caused my ankles to keep getting wrenched. I visited the emergency room so often that the doctors finally advised me to use athletic tape whenever I practiced. As soon as I began taping my ankles, the injuries ceased. That minor change made a tremendous impact and enabled me to continue refining.
I cherished my participation with the gymnastics team in the Special Olympics. It imparted in me a sense of sureness and belonging. However, one day, the Special Olympics of Northern California made the decision to dismiss its gymnastics package. I was heartbroken. Gymnastics had grown to be such an essential part of my life that I couldn’t envision letting it go. My parents and I began checking out local gyms to see if I could join a regular gymnastics team, but every gym told us the same object: I wouldn’t be able to contend at that level.
Once more, Coach Dawn saved me. In order for me to keep on doing what I loved, she made the choice to coach a team. I finished last at every meet for the first few years. My awareness of my low scores made it difficult to avoid feelings of discussion. However, Dawn always prevented me from giving up. She sustained to encourage me to persist with my training and take pride in the development I had made. My hard work bore fruit when I started to compete at the Special Olympics National Championships in Atlanta, Georgia. For four consecutive years, I won that competition. Dawn’s mentorship helped me to become a four-time National Champion and also win two World Championships.
Currently, I compete in USA Gymnastics with non-incapacitated athletes. I feel proud whenever someone methods me after a rivalry and tells me I did well. A lot of parents have communal with me that their child also has Down condition, and that my story inspires hope in them. It means a lot to me to hear that.
