Table tennis in Bundaberg to skating in Beijing
With September turning into October, we have got our fifth instalment of the Spautism Global Spectrum series, collating just some of the many stories that caught our eye over the last month from across the world.
Achieving
Feros Care has provided support for communities in Australia for the last 30 years, and in September, told the story of Corey – an inspirational autistic individual who took part in the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Despite dropping out of school in Year 9, Corey now works in agriculture and has achieved in sports such as basketball, table tennis, and ten pin bowling, whilst progressing through the Special Olympics programme.
Believe
Kalin Bennett is a man on a mission, and this inspirational story from Men’s Health tells the story of how this autistic basketball fan went on to play in the NCAA Division 1, the highest level of college sport in the US. From using mathematics to understand the game, and opening up to his team-mates about his autism, Kalin has discovered success and happiness both on and off the court and wants to help others do the same.
Please click here for the full story.
Icy cool
We love this short story from Beijing Discovery, and of course, the smiles on everyone’s faces. As a pair, retired ice skaters Pang Qing and Tong Jian won five Four Continents Championships and two World Championships, as well as managing silver in the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games, and have continued to break barriers within their sport by teaching children with autism, Down’s syndrome, and Asperger’s how to skate.
American Football is back
The new NFL season may have started this month, but it was a play from high school team Lockhart Lions that stole hearts on social media. The Lions and their opponents, Bastrop Bears, collaborated to provide much-loved autistic defensive linesman Desmond Pulliam with an opportunity to score his first-ever touchdown.
But we could not share this story without shouting out Ethan Collins, a linebacker for Cardinal Newman High School who has autism. He made local news by tackling the opposing quarter-back after coming on late in a game last month – the perfect way for an up and coming defensive player to make his mark.
