Alexea's Adventure

  A few months ago, I had a really cool opportunity pop up… Special Olympics Maryland’s, Vice President of Athlete Leadership, Jason Schriml, emailed me and a few other athletes about being a model for a SOI (Special Olympics International) merchandise photoshoot. SOI wanted to use athletes from various Special Olympics local programs for this photoshoot and I was honored to do it.  When I was growing up, I never saw people with an intellectual or developmental disability on magazines or as “stars”, it just wasn’t an opportunity people like me were given, and being able to show someone else that they are capable of doing anything they set their minds to has been an unexpected but rewarding experience!  I talked to my mom about the event and let Jason know that I was interested, and he said that he would let them know I was interested. I never expected to wait so long! Because they were only choosing 6 athletes for the photoshoot… I have never modeled before, and I wasn’t ...

I wanted to talk about mental health because my mental health hasn’t been the greatest recently and I have been doing my best to take it day by day. I feel like sharing about these thoughts and feelings because I want for others to know that they can share how they feel and even though it can be scary to share, I always feel much better letting my feelings out. In honor of Mental health Day this past Monday, I want to share five tips that I have been using that help me to move forward in life. I haven’t had the best mental health since the start of the pandemic in 2020, but I have worked very hard to better myself and have more control over my emotions. I have found to improve my mental health, journaling, meditation or breathing exercises, smiling or laughing, venting, and exercising are helping.  Journaling, let's talk. Journaling is when you have a book and you write however much you want. I have several journals to write in. Journaling has always been my space. I go to write wh...

I was bullied throughout my school years. People teased me about how I looked and how I was a little different than them.  They made fun of me because I had a disability.  Everyone is different. If we were all the same then life would be very boring!  Being you is the best you. God made me exactly as he intended!!  Having a disability doesn’t define who I am today! I am a sweet, kind, loving, gorgeous, wonderful, and a hard working person.  I love making new friends and meeting new people.  I had a hard time making friends because once someone made fun of me some of the others thought it was true.  Being bullied hurt me a lot. I cried and always wondered why me?  Why do they pick on me?  Why do people bully?  I was so hurt because I never hurt anyone or bullied another person.  People bully for many different reasons like they think its cool, or want to impress others, and they are really unhappy themselves.  I had my parents ...

Maddi works at Special Olympics Maryland as the Director, Marketing & Communications asked me about being a Media athlete at the Ravens Play60. The Ravens Play60 event is where the players from the ravens host an organization like SOMD for a two-hour clinic where they do drills and practice with the players and coaching staff to learn new drills and skills to apply in their competition. I was really interested in going for the media team. Thursday, September 15, we had a meeting to discuss any questions the other media athletes and I had about the event. We had to come up with 5-10 interview questions to ask the players the day of the Play60. The Play60 was on September 19. We all had to arrive at the headquarters by 2:30 p.m. When we got there, we had to check in and sign a waiver. There were 60 Special Olympic Maryland athletes, 3 Athlete Leader Media Team Members, and 8 staff attended. Then we played a quizlet about Baltimore. Then we got onto the bus that was taking us to the R...

Writing to someone with my disability is something that I talked about and it really inspired me. I want them to know they are truly amazing people who inspire others!  I have a learning disability, a sensory processing disorder, and hearing aids in both ears. I have lived with my disability my whole life. My doctors told my parents I may die before birth, and I have also been told that I can't do something I set my mind to which really hurts. Growing up with a disability can be extremely hard and we can go through many obstacles throughout our life. We may be different from everyone, but God made us who we are today uniquely awesome! We may be bullied, picked on, and teased but don’t let that bring you down because you are strong. Not doing well making friends, that's okay. You will find your crowd of people. School and learning things may be difficult but take your time and go at your own pace. I have learned things that have really shaped me into the person I want to be toda...

Starting my freshman year and sophomore year in High School was hard.  I got through it each and every day.  The subjects I was learning were too difficult. My freshman year of high school I joined Best buddies.  Best buddies is a program where people with intellectual disabilities work on building meaningful friendships and working on life skills. This was for students who were unable to benefit from mainstream classes and they remained in their classroom with their teachers without having to navigate the hallways, change classes, and able to be taught in ways that were appropriate for them.  During the one-hour lunch other students can come in, and I started doing just that and spent my lunches visiting, hanging out, and being accepted for exactly who I am.  I would talk with them, hang out with them, play games and eat lunch with them, all the while building amazing and meaningful friendships.  This club has changed my life. The best buddies teacher...

After the Special Olympics USA Games, I had a family vacation. My family vacation lasted one whole week. Sunday, July 12 we had to pick up my sister from the airport around 9 a.m. After picking her up we went back to the place we were staying at. We hung out there for a while. There was a pool where we were staying. We decided to go to the pool and have a relaxing day.  While in Florida we did some really cool things. We went to Gatorland which is a gator park. My sister and I sat on an alligator. I have sat on an alligator before when I was way younger. We also got to feed the alligators. We traveled about a few hours away to go to the beach. It was nice getting to go to the beach. My favorite part of the vacation was swimming with manatees. We got to the place which is called Fun to Dive. We only swam with manatees for an hour. They are such huge animals. Did you know manatee fart!? They do. The manatee farted in my sister's face! The manatee just ate the grass or algae under th...

College is a lot different than grade school. At college the teachers have office hours so that they could help their students.  The community college I go to, The College of Southern Maryland, has disability support services who work with students who have a disability. They help students who have disabilities with setting up appropriate accommodations to succeed.  I have accommodations that help me succeed. A few of my accommodations that are in place for me is to take my tests in a quiet environment like the testing center, and I get extra time on my tests. College isn’t like grade school where you could only get a little support and teachers had to work with more than one student at the same time which could be hard if you need help with something different! There are many resources to help you succeed in your classes at the college.  There is a place to go for tutoring if you need help with your classes, the library for quiet studies, and many other things to he...

Wednesday was doubles with my partner. We still woke up at 5 and did our morning routine. The bowlers got to Boardwalk bowl earlier than normal just in case we hit any traffic. Florida has so much traffic no matter the time. Arriving and walking into the bowling alley the volunteers were all lined up clapping and cheering us athletes on when we were walking to get to our lanes. I bowled and I was on lane 27/28 with my double partners. My doubles partner was a very good bowler. I bowled three games with my partner. My highest score in doubles was a 150. In doubles my partner and I scored the silver medal. What a great accomplishment scoring the SILVER medal!!! Thursday was our final day of competition. Wow! Time flies by so fast. I was very exhausted by the team's competition. I still got up and gave it my all. I kept getting the splitters which made me angry. I wanted to help my team out the best I could. I was frustrated. I had my teammates, coaches, and parents, and family to hel...

Friday, June third Team Maryland bowlers arrived at the Marriott hotel around 10:30 in the morning. We got checked in with our team. Then we had stations all the athletes had to go to. We had to go get our luggage with the clothes that Team Maryland provided, check our medicine, and weigh our bags. We did have to bring stuff from home.  One room was where we ate lunch and there were different stations. For lunch, there was a box lunch with a turkey sandwich, a cookie, and pasta salad. Then my mom had to leave. I was pretty sad that I couldn't take her in my suitcase. I haven't stayed away from my family at all besides having a sleepover with friends for a night. This was a new adventure for me to experience. A little while after lunch on Friday there was a scavenger hunt. Each team had to go around and ask a team management person two questions to figure out which question they were. It was a team bonding exercise. We had to get selfies with each person. I got to learn more abo...

Last year in the summer of 2021, my mom got a call from my Area Director saying that I was selected to go to the Special Olympics USA Games in Orlando, Florida to compete in bowling. The night before my mom told the neighbors and they all kept that a secret from me for a few days. That Saturday I was wearing a shirt and shorts and my mom said you need to change your outfit. I said why do I need to change my outfit? She said we are getting family pictures. I changed into my green romper and pretty shoes.   We moved chalk couture down to the grass area so we all could do the craft in the bigger area. The neighbors, my grandparents, and family started bringing chairs over. I didn’t recognize that they were bringing chairs over. My cousins and I started doing our chalk couture. We got our chalkboards, picked our paste, and what we wanted to paint. I put the picture I wanted on the chalkboard. Then I opened the paint up and stirred the paint. I was ready to put the paste on my proj...

I was in special education classes for a couple years, but half way through seventh grade they said since you are doing so well so we are taking you out of special education classes. My family fought so hard to keep me in special education classes and helped fight for the services to help me succeed.  I had an Individualized Education Plan until I was taken out of special education classes. An Individualized Education Plan gives me accommodations to help me succeed in classes. When I was no longer in special education I had a 504 plan which gives me some accommodations to help me succeed, but is much more limited that an IEP accommodation plan and special education.   It was definitely a hard change.  It was difficult for me to learn what was being taught in regular education and the environment I was in because I wasn't used to it, it was much more fast paced and harder to keep up.  I had to meet the new teacher and had to do harder work especially freshman and soph...

  I have a disability. Having a disability doesn’t stop me from living my life. If you have 3 or more things wrong at birth it is considered that you have a Syndrome.  However, the doctors cannot name the exact Syndrome that I have or the exact name to my disability.  I was told that I have a learning disability. I have a hard time understanding things and I'm a little slower at learning and comprehending than others.  I also have a sensory disorder too.  I can’t really taste or smell. I can taste and smell strong things and I can recognize certain tastes as being spicy.  A little tidbit, I can’t taste spicy really, but it is a feeling that it gives my tongue that makes it feel really itchy.  I don’t like that itchy, weird feeling on my tongue so I know I don’t really like things spicy.  I also have a hard time feeling certain things, like hot water.  When I take shower I cannot recognize that the water might be too hot.  There were time...

A little bit of background about my family! I have a mom, dad and sister.  My parents are Amber and Bobby and Aleya is my younger sister!  I'm a mommy’s girl.  Aleya and I look so much like my dad but in some ways we look like our mom. I love hanging out with my family. We do many different things. We go on vacation and have fun with different activities.  My parents are super supportive and they are always there for me and my sister. We are there for each other. My parents will always be a big part of my life, always.  I begged for a sister.  I had so many medical problems, doctor's appointment, and other things going on and my parents weren’t sure about having another child, they thought they were done having kids after me.  But when I was five and a half they had my sister Aleya.  My sister is 15 years old and will always be a big part of my life. Yes we bicker, like most sisters do, but having a sister is awesome!  I enjoy having her in m...