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Let Me Introduce Myself Hi, My name is Maureen Kartika, but my close friends call me Momo. I was born with a disability (I have a weak motor system so I use a wheelchair everywhere I go) and was diagnosed with scoliosis when I was 10 years old. My scoliosis reached the point of 120 degrees, but I got scoliosis correction surgery in 2013 so now my scoliosis has improved to 70 degrees. I’m from Indonesia, and there was limited accessibility growing up. Despite my disability, I still went to school as usual, and I even got my bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2019. After that, I faced the real world. I really want to raise awareness about disabilities and prove it to people, especially in my country, that people with disabilities can be anything they want. We deserve to get the same chance in every aspect of life, from education to achieving our dreams. Life After Graduation After I graduated, I realized life is really hard, especially for people with disabilities in my country. Many people still hold the stigma that people with disabilities cannot do anything, which made it hard for me to get a job. I tried to apply to many companies, from the big, successful ones, to the start-ups (I thought they would be more open to equality for people with disabilities). Whenever I got a call from my application and then I told them that I was a wheelchair user (even though I already stated this on my CV), the process stopped immediately. Honestly, I almost gave up trying to find a job, so I thought to focus on a YouTube channel instead. When all hope was seemingly lost, I got a job at a start-up company. I was thrilled, but this didn't last long, because there was no accessibility in the building. I tried to speak to my boss about it, but after 5 months of trying to bear with the conditions, there was still no progress in terms of accessibility, so I decided to quit. The workspace in that building is on the 2nd floor, and there's no elevator, so my caregiver needed to carry me up the stairs every day, and also my colleague needed to carry my wheelchair up to the 2nd floor, and sometimes to the 3rd floor. YouTube and Modeling I decided to go back to my YouTube channel, share my story on it, and make my first beauty video. There are a lot of beauty content creators with disabilities in my country, but we just haven't got the spotlight. Besides that, I also applied for a job as a civil employee, and to my shock, I got accepted. Unfortunately, because life can be funny sometimes, Covid came into the world. My process of becoming a civil employee was put on pause for a while (it got postponed for a few months due to high risk of Covid). While waiting, I kept making videos on my YouTube channel, and I got a chance to be a model for a few local brands! I was so happy because a local brand began to get involved in raising equality awareness for disabilities. Becoming a Civil Employee with a Disability In 2021 I finally began working as a civil employee. Although I am not the first disabled civil employee, this was a huge achievement because it’s not easy to be a civil employee in my country. I work as an assessor, and I’m so glad because they treat me as an equal. I have the same desk job and also the same rights. I’m so glad because my colleagues are so welcoming and can see me for who I am. I also make content on social media, especially TikTok. I use my platform to raise awareness for disabilities and scoliosis. I hope I can be one of many to prove that we should eliminate the stigma around people with disabilities. People with disabilities also can be anything. I hope my platform can grow and raise disability awareness in Indonesia. Everyone deserves a chance to be what they want.

Better together! FanSided is proud to announce a new partnership between our Why We Play initiative and Yoocan! Our goal is to help share more inspiring stories of the power of sports. Since July 2021, Why We Playhas been FanSided’s home for stories about the power of sports: they bring us together, help us overcome obstacles, and make positive change that reaches everyone. We have used this platform to help champion the mission of inclusion and accessibility and we’re excited to announce a new partnership to that end. Starting Feb. 1, 2023, Why We Play will begin sharing stories from Yoocan — a global collaborative community where people with disabilities share experiences and knowledge — so that no one feels alone. Through their website, Yoocan allows people from around the world to sharestories, tips, and product recommendations, all of which are searchableand accessible for anyone looking for first-hand information about thriving with a disability. Yoocan was founded in 2015 by Moshe Gaon his brother Yoav Gaon and their partner Dror Kalisky. Yoav’s son Erez, was born in 2008 with a rare disease and complex cognitive and physical disabilities. In Moshe’s words: “This was the beginning of an emotionally challenging journey for our family. It brought us together in many ways, but it was hard as we needed to adjust to a new way of living. Like Erez, there are over 1 billion people in the world living with some kind of cognitive or physical disability, striving to live a better, inclusive life, and fulfill their dreams. There are solutions and opportunities around the world that can help, so no one feels alone in their search for relevant advice and a more inclusive life. That is why we created Yoocan!” Stories from Yoocan involving athletes and sports will be shared on FanSided’s Why We Play category weekly, helping celebrate those who are overcoming obstacles in their own lives and sharing the lessons they’ve learned with a wider audience. You can learn more at Yoocanfind.com Follow them on Facebook Twitterand Instagramand sign-up for their email newsletterto stay in touch. Why We Play features stories about the power of sports to bring us together, overcome obstacles, make positive change and reach everyone. Read more here

FROM THE LOCAL MALL TO NYFW One day when I was around 9 years old I was sitting in the car with my mom and dad on my way to school and I found an advertisement about a modeling agency that had a casting for a kid's beauty pageant. I jumped in excitement and begged my mom to take me to which she agreed. Keep in mind I knew nothing about the realities of modeling. From there, my love for modeling started. I was selected for the casting and had many fun opportunities after that. Some of my best childhood memories are from walking the runway at the local mall, doing plenty of photoshoots, and even appearing on tv. If you would have asked me at 9 years old what I was going to do when I grew up, my answer would've been modeling or something within the entertainment industry. After modeling, I discovered ballet- from there I was set on my career choices. My mentality changed a few years after I was diagnosed with cancer and had to spend all of my energy recovering and healing from osteosarcoma. At age 15 I developed a physical disability from a spinal cord injury I had after receiving radiation therapy. It was hard to recognize myself and my body. I had new scars, I had inevitably gained weight after steroid treatment and, consequently, I was dealing with severe acne. It took me a couple of months to accept my new reality and start moving forward. Everything was fairly new to me, the future I one day contemplated didn't look so achievable anymore. I had no idea of how to proceed. I didn't see any representation of disability anywhere, let alone in the entertainment industry. Day-to-day activities like driving, going to school, and dating seemed so far away because I didn't see anyone with a disability doing them. Due to unseeable circumstances, at age 18 I had to move from Venezuela to the United States after a few years of hustling and working hard as an immigrant. I had the time to think and reflect on my childhood dreams. I wanted to evaluate if there was a chance of having any limited beliefs that were preventing me from following my dreams. I realized that my career choice was going in the direction of what society would expect of me and not on what really moved me. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I had one of the biggest realizations in my life, and the universe unexpectedly brought modeling along with the idea of a career in entertainment back into my life. I quickly felt comfortable in front of the camera and started advocating and sharing more of my story on social media. From there I've been lucky to keep achieving my dreams. Recently I had the opportunity to model the JC Penny Adaptive line at a show in NYFW. This past year I also traveled to New York twice to shoot for two Tommy Hilfigher adaptive campaigns. I was selected to join a Sports Illustrated Virtual casting. I had the opportunity to share my story on national TV, and now have the opportunity to share my message with over 100,000 across my social channels. Almost 10 years later, I can't believe this is my life. 10 years in which I learned to fall in love with myself and my body, I learned to speak up and stand up for what I believe in. And more importantly, I learned there is no such thing as an impossible dream.

From the Local Mall to NYFW One day when I was around 9 years old I was sitting in the car with my mom and dad on my way to school and I found an advertisement about a modeling agency that had a casting for a kid's beauty pageant. I jumped in excitement and begged my mom to take me to which she agreed. Keep in mind I knew nothing about the realities of modeling. From there, my love for modeling started. I was selected for the casting and had many fun opportunities after that. Some of my best childhood memories are from walking the runway at the local mall, doing plenty of photoshoots, and even appearing on tv. If you would have asked me at 9 years old what I was going to do when I grew up, my answer would've been modeling or something within the entertainment industry. After modeling, I discovered ballet- from there I was set on my career choices. My mentality changed a few years after I was diagnosed with cancer and had to spend all of my energy recovering and healing from osteosarcoma. At age 15 I developed a physical disability from a spinal cord injury I had after receiving radiation therapy. It was hard to recognize myself and my body. I had new scars, I had inevitably gained weight after steroid treatment and, consequently, I was dealing with severe acne. It took me a couple of months to accept my new reality and start moving forward. Everything was fairly new to me, the future I one day contemplated didn't look so achievable anymore. I had no idea of how to proceed. I didn't see any representation of disability anywhere, let alone in the entertainment industry. Day-to-day activities like driving, going to school, and dating seemed so far away because I didn't see anyone with a disability doing them. Due to unseeable circumstances, at age 18 I had to move from Venezuela to the United States after a few years of hustling and working hard as an immigrant. I had the time to think and reflect on my childhood dreams. I wanted to evaluate if there was a chance of having any limited beliefs that were preventing me from following my dreams. I realized that my career choice was going in the direction of what society would expect of me and not on what really moved me. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I had one of the biggest realizations in my life, and the universe unexpectedly brought modeling along with the idea of a career in entertainment back into my life. I quickly felt comfortable in front of the camera and started advocating and sharing more of my story on social media. From there I've been lucky to keep achieving my dreams. Recently I had the opportunity to model the JC Penny Adaptive line at a show in NYFW. This past year I also traveled to New York twice to shoot for two Tommy Hilfigher adaptive campaigns. I was selected to join a Sports Illustrated Virtual casting. I had the opportunity to share my story on national TV, and now have the opportunity to share my message with over 100,000 across my social channels. Almost 10 years later, I can't believe this is my life. 10 years in which I learned to fall in love with myself and my body, I learned to speak up and stand up for what I believe in. And more importantly, I learned there is no such thing as an impossible dream.

My Passions I often describe myself as a proudly disabled travel lover and adventure seeker! My social media and so many of my stories and conversations share highlights from my globe-trotting getaways. The beach, the jungle, the mountains, that glistening sunrise over glass water, oh so glorious and serene, so perfect to place on a squared grid of visuals that depict a piece of who we are. But while those brightly colored magical moments that win the attention of Instagram, and that certainly are very exciting to share, in reality they are not what make up my every day, or my every week, or even my every month. Instead, I spend most of my waking hours working in some capacity at my job as a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP). Although far less photo-worthy, and sometimes difficult to deeply divulge due to confidentiality reasons, I feel immense passion for the work that I do as an SLP. Drawing Upon Personal Experience I am a full-time manual wheelchair user and have been disabled since birth. My work as an SLP has been in the healthcare field for the entire length of my 12 year career to date. I am employed full-time at an adult inpatient rehabilitation center on the stroke/neurological unit, having also spent time providing coverage in palliative care, ICU, emergency and general geriatric rehabilitation. I have also recently taken on additional work in the community, providing services to clients in long term care homes and retirement homes. I spend a lot of time deep in my thoughts about moments when my beliefs and lived experience with disability seem at odds with the process and principles of more traditional rehabilitation. I draw upon diverse perspectives from within the disability community that I feel so connected to, in order to work within a social model or biopsychosocial model of disability when providing patient care and advocating for our profession. I think about my time as a patient in my younger years, receiving rehabilitation services, and that vulnerability that I felt; that desperate need to feel understood by those who were so enthusiastic to “treat” me; that dependency on other people for day-to-day tasks; my experience with the healthcare system on the receiving end - and I feel it is these experiences that allow me to do my work well. The Work of a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) So, what does an SLP do on an adult inpatient stroke/neurological rehabilitation unit? We see patients who are experiencing difficulty with their communication and/or swallowing. Patients may have trouble finding the right words to use, producing words clearly, organizing their thoughts and sentences, attending to information, comprehending written material, or are noticing changes to their voice. Some patients are at risk for choking or having food and liquid enter the airway during meals. As SLPs we help to determine strategies or modifications to the meal that might be easier and safer to manage. We often work together with a dietitian and doctor to sometimes suggest alternate modes of nutritional intake. No work day is the same. I respect being let into someone’s life story and being able to offer care and patience and learning how I can use my skills to best support the patients I meet. It really is wonderful work to help facilitate successful communication, however that may look, or to bring someone their first cup of coffee in months, or to find creative ways for patients to safely experience their favorite tastes. My typical day starts at 7:15am when I arrive at work after dropping off my husband for his 7:00am shift (also in healthcare). I have time to check for new admissions into the unit, review nursing notes about my patients from the nightshift and plan materials and activities for the day's therapy sessions. I complete swallow assessments during the breakfast hour and lunch hour and the time in between is spent seeing patients for communication assessment and therapy, meeting with families, speaking with the multidisciplinary team and making referrals for various community programs. In the evening before heading home I stop in to see clients at various long term care homes or retirement homes in the city, usually to complete swallow assessments over the dinner hour. I'll often be out late enough that I can swing by and pick my husband back up from his 12-hour shift. We have plenty of stories for each other on the car ride home. I think part of the pride I do feel towards my work is because of my very visible, physical disability. As a child, instead of asking what grade I was in, adults would ask my parents IF I go to school. Most of my graduation ceremonies did not include a ramp. I couldn’t live alongside my peers in my first year at University because there were no accessible dorms. I missed out on networking events and social gatherings that were planned in inaccessible buildings. I watched interviewers search up and down the hallway for their next candidate, before I’d have to call out an introduction that wasn’t invited. All of these experiences subtly, or not so subtly gave me the message that society does not expect disabled people to pursue higher level education, to become employed, or to hold professional titles. Because of this I can say I’ve had to exercise more patience to allow people more grace, I’ve had to take extra time to educate, I’ve had to do a lot of very quick work to change perceptions, and yet now, here I have brought myself to a position where people are really listening, and want to learn, and are beginning to value disability perspectives on topics related to employment and healthcare. Disability in healthcare When I first graduated and was applying for jobs, I consciously sought out work in the healthcare setting because I felt I would be able to take advantage of the accessibility that would naturally have to be in place for the majority of patients and clients receiving service. I still often find myself clearing equipment off to the side in the hallways, climbing onto chairs and beds, navigating very tight spaces, planning extra time in my day to wait on elevators or accessible parking, and advocating alongside the patients for better built environments. It’s ironic that while the consumers of healthcare services are disproportionately disabled, the barriers to accessing equitable health as a disabled person are plentiful. And I too often feel the rage of a system and inaccessible society that make returning to life in the community with a disability more challenging than it needs to be. I believe that having disability represented in the diversity of healthcare staff/stakeholders and policy makers is so, so necessary. I do hope to inspire other wheelchair users and prospective disabled employees to consider a career in healthcare. We are creative. We are problem solvers. We are planners and organizers; always thinking ahead. We have experienced humility and vulnerability. We adapt. We are exactly what healthcare needs.

Keep going, trust me! I was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy when I was 2 years old. Growing up I didn’t think I’d make it to my 18th birthday, but here I am, nearly 30 years old living my best life! I work full time on payroll, and I also model part time on the side. I married my best friend in 2021, and we have the cutest bungalow ever built. I’m so grateful for the life I live, and I wanted to share my small story to inspire others, who feel like giving up at times. Keep going, because you’ve got this!

My description Hi! My name is Lucas. I’m from the south of France, I am 29 years old, and I’m single. I have found my passion in sports and fashion. I play powerchair football at a high level and I got my first wheelchair when I was 2 years old. This is because I have spinal muscular atrophy. I graduated from the university with a degree in athletics! I love to share good vibes. I need to smile constantly. My life is so fun because I have some very good friends around me and I love to party! My family is very important and they are the key to my happiness. Life is hard but there is always a solution, and the future will be beautiful.

An inclusive coast-to- coast canoe epic The miles were ticking down as we wound our way towards northern Scotland. We were excited about our next adventure but there was a problem: forecast after forecast predicted an opposing wind direction for our coast-to-coast journey. It was becoming increasingly clear that if our upcoming expedition was left as 'Plan A', the group would arrive at Loch Ness facing an untenable wind in their faces and with 26 miles to build up - some serious waves. So as the van, with canoes on top and the support boat behind, ticked off the miles north, the laptop was put to work reversing the whole trip to work with the predicted northerlies and steer clear of the dangerously high winds on Loch Ness. Plan A had failed to make it to first contact. The Great Glen is a 60-mile cleft stretching from Fort William in the west to Inverness on the East Coast. The Glen typically lines up perfectly with the prevailing south-westerly winds but not this week. Traversing the glen is a wild and beautiful way of crossing from coast to coast aboard a canoe - mostly in large lochs stitched together by a canal. Our adventurers this year were a bunch of great fun, adventurous, silly and occasionally rude-minded paddlers. Two of whom are also essential wheelchair users who have paddled or canoe sailed with us before. Thus we found ourselves at the lovely accommodation of SYHA Glen Nevis -completely the wrong end of the Glen from our chosen north easterly transit direction. Such is the nature of best-laid plans and the inflexibility of train travel for our non-driving clients. Fortunately, the disability adventure specialists are a close-knit community and our friends from Able to Adventure (Nethy Bridge) quickly stepped in at short notice to move everyone from the new endpoint to the new start point, neatly allowing the vehicles to be in the right place to finish. The next morning, after a breakfast of toast and beans, we were winding our way to the new start point at Inverness. There is nothing better to increase the trepidation for a group than to drive the route passing lochs, castles, and mountains. There is no choice but to appreciate the length and sheer challenge of what has been signed up to. The group arrived at Inverness and visited the end of the canal to mark their departure from the sea of the east coast with a promise to revisit the salt water of the west. Four travelers turned and walked or wheeled away from the shore. They traced the line of the inner basin and short canal section that leads to the first lock gate ladder that leverages the energy of falling water to lift boats to the heights needed to access the lochs. The team met the canoes just after the lock ladder, as canoes cannot use the locks and need to portage around them - they are too small and risk being swamped in the powerful eddies that mark the water entering the lock chamber. Typically a paddler would have to carry their canoe around each gate they come to but we had a cunning plan. "Freedom", our accessible powerboat,is allowed through the locks and can tow the canoes to assist those who could not easily portage their boat. "Freedom" is our key tool for enabling our groups, and she had four important jobs on this trip. The first job was transporting the canoes through the locks guaranteeing that we will arrive at the known accessible camping spots by towing the group where needed acting as a portable, accessible toilet with privacy providing a safe water rescue platform. We needed to ensure that it floated abroad rather than hauled out. The team members had paddled or sailed with us previously, so it was a relatively simple matter to set up the boats with the right level of supportive seating for their needs. We also deployed our outrigger floats and chose our 17-foot canoes to provide plenty of buoyancy and stability. This helps greatly as the supportive seating some of the paddlers with mobility impairments chose to use raises the height of the original canoe seating, making the paddler more comfortable and more top-heavy in the canoe. And then we were off along the still water of the canals from the city, to the outskirts and into the open countryside. Through swing bridges and reeds to the first set of intermediate lock gates at Dornoch and our camp spot for the night. Much of the route is served by excellent canal-side camp spots with fresh water, flat ground and accessible toilets. Dornoch is the gateway to Loch Ness and the following morning, we were ready for our first day of tackling Loch Ness. Now the trick with long-distance paddling is to avoid paddling at all! Opportunities typically for this top tip are created by choosing a downwind direction and sailing a big A frame sail. This year the winds were contrary to the norm (and the forecast) and blowing across the desired direction of travel but we had a trick up our sleeves - our lateen sails. Lateens allow for a 'proper' sail shape and thus allow everyone to sail quickly across the wind - it's a bit exciting and takes some skill but at least one member of each canoe crew had sailed with us before which made this easier. It was still a long day with fluky and awkward winds which caused one accidental capsize from the canoes. This meant we made use of the powerboat to quickly recover our swimmer (we think they were just keen to get a closer look at Nessie) and also to make our evenings camp with a tow for the final few miles. This night was spent at a campsite and we enjoyed the advantage of having a vehicle-based support crew - arriving to find our dinner already cooked. Day 2 (day 3 of the trip) on the longest body of water in Britain saw the wind fill in and come around, so we got some truly exhilarating sailing into the low autumn afternoon sun. Arriving at Fort Augustus for a night in the lovely Morag's Lodge, we had a pile of 'neeps and tatties' big enough to feed a lake monster. Fort Augustus locks are closed in the afternoon: so it was an early start the next day to tow the canoes through to Loch Oich where we set out for our chosen camp venue looking over the lower half of Loch Oich. We had a beautiful wild camp, with just enough breeze and smoke from the campfire to let us enjoy the falling sunlight midge free. In the morning, the wind was against us so we elected to create one catamaran with our two canoes and use this to punch through the headwinds. Loch Oich leads to Loch Lochy where we met near stand-still headwinds - this week was the worst wind conditions we have seen on the Great Glen. Facing paddling into the darkness, we chose to finish off with a cold and rough tow through the waves to the locks. This is the only lochside camp where the accessible facilities were on the 'wrong' side of the water from camp but we coped well - had we needed to to use it, we had a portable accessible toilet with us. The final day of the expedition is on the canals leading to Neptune's Staircase. This is a steep series of locks leading down to the west coast of Scotland and where the paddling ended. We made our way down the last stretch of canal side by foot or chair to the sea on the west coast 60 miles from where we started our journey on the east coast. 6 days of challenge, laughter, comradeship, and silliness.

My Story My name is Kam Redlawsk (@kamredlawsk). Born in South Korea, raised in Michigan, and living in Los Angeles, California: I’m a disabled Industrial Designer, artist, advocate, traveler, writer and speaker. I’m also a Korean American adoptee. I have a very rare form of muscular dystrophy called GNE Myopathy. It’s a genetic and progressive condition that doesn’t typically begin until your 20s and 30s. This condition has been leading me to complete immobility since I was 17. Today, I’m a full time powered wheelchair user and losing the ability to draw. For over 15 years, I’ve been using art, writing, travels and tools that connect us as humans, as a form of advocacy. Through writing, video journal and design I attempt to give an honest portrayal of everyday struggles, triumphs and my journey. I’ve designed an array of products ranging from cell phones, toys, electronics, and even contributed to the world's cheapest prosthetic knee joint for under-served countries. My illustrations are inspired by moments from my life; primarily thoughts on living with a very rare and degenerative muscle-wasting disorder. Sometimes, an image can describe what words cannot. I use design and life experiences on creative projects that elevate and celebrate disability and inclusion in order to educate a society that has very little disability awareness and representation. Typically, you’ll find me on road trips, in nature, scavenging for art destinations or concocting exploration plans. I’m living my life and I want others to know they can too, while advocating and dispelling harmful and grossly simplified and misleading stigmas about disability. I’m a daydreamer, a chaser of inspiration, and I believe stories create bridges within humanity.

The Whole Story I’ve always loved sports and wanted to be athletic. Being born with cerebral palsy made this a less straightforward process. By the time I was old enough to participate in sports, baseball seemed to be my only option. I lived in North Florida and wheelchair basketball wasn’t available for kids yet. Everything changed when I watched Karate Kid and my mom introduced me to Bruce Lee. As early as six, I remember mimicking the classic wax-on wax off on my parents’ bedroom wall. A couple of years later, my mom rented Enter the Dragon from Blockbuster Video. The moment I saw Bruce move I was entranced. I asked my mom if I could take karate lessons. Being the supportive mom she is, she found 2 schools. My mom set up meetings with a Tae Kwon Do school and a Kenpo Karate school. In September 1993 I had a private lesson at the American Kenpo Karate Institute. That’s when I met my first instructor, Robert McGriff. I loved it instantly. I learned basic blocks and strikes. Kenpo as a system is composed mostly of upper body techniques. Tae Kwon Do is known for mostly kicking, so I had my mom cancel the other meeting. I don’t remember a lot from my first school. The basic blocks and strikes have never left my memory. About a year in, I had to stop training, but I knew martial arts would never leave my heart and soul. I had every intention of going back to train with Mr. McGriff, but he closed his school before I could return. It would be a while before I could train again. I was in college before I was able to return to a class. Martial arts never left my mind. Every martial movie, demonstration, tv show, or fight sequence, I had the itch, and Champion Kenpo Karate let me scratch it. This school had the same curriculum so I was able to advance in rank and learn that even though I was sitting in a wheelchair I was far from defenseless. Before I had to take another long break I was able to reach the blue belt, the intermediate level of the system. I had a little bit of time in Filipino Martial Arts before having to move to Maryland. I spent 3 years in kung fu where I learned it’s possible to kick effectively while sitting down. I also learned some great submission holds and joint locks. I was able to attain a green sash before another long unwanted break. I took Krav Maga only long enough for what seemed like a deep breath. The gym closed and I was despondent over the prospect of having another long, unwanted break. A coach at the Krav Maga gym recommended I go to a nearby school, which had No Limits in the name. It was destiny. I’m glad I took the recommendation. Because of that decision, my life will never be the same. I stopped by American Kenpo Karate Studio on Martin Luther King Day on a lark. I was ready to train so I went over hoping to meet with an instructor, no teachers were there at the time so I left a card. Mr. Richard Grimes, the head instructor, called me to schedule a lesson. During our first lesson together, Mr. Grimes told me he would treat me like all his other students. He was honest with this statement. In the last five years, if there was something I accomplished every martial arts related goal I never thought I could. An example of something I accomplished in spite of myself is board breaking. I tried breaking boards one time in Florida around 15 years ago. I hit the board and the board hit back. I didn’t break my hand, but it throbbed for a while. When tested for a green belt, I thought the test was over when Mr. Grimes said I passed. He told me I was about to break a board. I had no time to dwell on my failure from the decade before. I made a fist, made a few slow strikes to prepare, and struck as hard as I could. I braced for the pain of a broken hand that never came and broke those boards in half. I would always watch karate tournaments on ESPN as a teenager and dream about being a competitor. Now I don’t have to wonder if I can do it. When Mr. Grimes offered me a spot on the demo team I said yes instantly. The team participated in an annual competition in Philadelphia before Covid. I won gold medals in both years. The second year feels more special to me. I won a competition against an able-bodied adult and a sparring match. I hope to compete again after the pandemic ends. There are local tournaments with a division for disabled martial artists. I have been through so much in the last five and a half years. Not only did I learn all the curriculum to earn a typical black belt. I am physically stronger, more flexible, more confident, and calmer. I truly believe I can do anything in this life I want to do. I will be teaching others with disabilities to defend themselves while improving as a martial artist. I’ll even get to live another dream of playing a superhero in a movie and choreographing fight scenes. I used to wonder what it would be like to be a black belt. It’s not much different than being a white belt on your first day in class. The only difference between a black belt and a white belt is the one with a black piece of cloth around the waist has put the time in to learn. The white belt can reach the same level as long as they don’t quit and do not worry about how long the process takes. I’m thankful to have finally attained my goal. I’m living proof that dreams come true if you want them bad enough and are willing to work for them. One of my dreams was to be the equivalent of a black belt in any form of martial arts. I went to six schools and started over every time before I finally reached the first summit. I earned my black belt nearly twenty-eight years to the day of my first lesson. The most important thing is to enjoy the journey, but also make sure to celebrate once you catch your dream. However, when you catch it, that’s when the next stage of work begins. The first-degree black belt is like finishing high school. I still have a lot to learn. I finally caught my dream. Now I have to reach higher within it and live it to the fullest. Who knows, tournaments, world championships, television, movies, stuntman work? I vehemently believe anything is possible. I made it to black belt, I can do anything. You can too! Dreams aren’t only meant for sleeping. You catch them during your waking hours. Don’t forget to smile when you catch them. It will feel even better than you dreamed it would.

Breaking taboos In our society we have always seen different types of people and based on our prejudices we determine the value of each one. However, that should change and not be rooted in false prejudices. Let's show that nothing stops us and even with obstacles on the way we continue to shine 🤩⭐️✨🌟

My life so far Hi! My name is Maxwell Mcknight @maxwellmnightand, and I suffer from a rare genetic condition called Spinal Muscular Atrophy. It’s a condition that affects signals from the brain to the muscles. This means I have muscle weakness in my whole body, meaning I’m in a power chair. In 2017 I had spinal fusion surgery due to my scoliosis, which was caused by my muscle weakness. Although SMA (spinal muscular atrophy) brings many challenges along with it, it also allows me to see and explore the world differently. During my life so far, I’ve achieved many things, like starting a small business at the age of 16 and maintaining a relationship with my partner. More recently, I have been studying at university looking to get my business management degree. I believe I can do anything and don’t take no for an answer. Once I know what I want to do, I hyper-focus on it until it’s done. I think this personality type is instilled in many people with my condition- as it’s a way to take control and own life. So if you would like to follow my journey in conquering or want to learn more about my condition, please visit my page. Alternatively, visit the charity page @sma_uk