Parenting Outside The Lines

Parenting the Special Family From Diagnosis to Real Life

  • Home
  • Special Needs Parenting
  • Diagnosis
  • Global Disability Parenting
  • The Book
  • Resources
  • About Me

Someday Triathlete

March 15, 2014 By admin Leave a Comment

Picture

Picture

A few weeks ago I signed my daughter up for a five hour triathlon training class with an organization called Dare2Tri. (Check it out at http://www.dare2tri.org) Not a natural athlete, with virtually no competitive spirit in her (which she totally gets from her Mom), she was dreading it.  ”Why did I let you talk me into this?”  she asked that morning, as I was looking for a cute athlete girl ensemble for her.  My other kids were complaining they had to go with me, Shea was complaining she had to go at all, and I was imagining this day blowing up in my face.

When we arrived, she was nervous, and I was elated.  All around me were people with obvious disabilities.  People on walkers, in sports wheelchairs, with prosthetic arms and legs, and guide dogs.  But no one cared about their disabilities, they were there to train and compete.  They were athletes, not disabled people.  All ages, all sexes, they all shared one thing in common, and it was not disability.

She spent the five hours going from swim training to track to biking.  For track she did sprints on her walker, and then was fitted into a track chair to see how that works.  These chairs are nicer than my car, and look as if they cost more.  They are beautiful pieces of equipment.  She then tried the hand cycle and fell in love.  She was beaming and begging me to get her one.  ”If I had this, I could go for rides with Dad,” she said, the energy coming right out of her.  She did sprints on the bike, and worked so hard through the whole day.

A little girl who was 7, and in a pink chair, also was doing the training, and she was an obvious athlete.  She had already competed in a triathlon, and loved going fast and training.  I watched how my daughter saw everything this little girl did by herself, filling her water bottle, moving from place to place in her chair.  My daughter was watching and learning and growing.  As soon as we got home, she wanted to get her own pajamas out of her dresser.  Amazed at the inside of her dresser, I realized she never did that.  I got her clothes out for her and put her laundry in.  She then wanted to help unload the dishwasher and get her own snack.  A new feeling of “I can do this” came over her in one afternoon.

For me, seeing these athletes gave me an inner peace of knowing that the future may hold disability, but it does not hold restriction.  She can do anything.  I have seen it.  And for her, she got to see what her future could hold as well, and it is bright and active and very cool.


Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Special Needs Parent

« Where I raise my kids
Too Much Information… »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

Hi, and thanks for stopping by and joining me in this crazy, interesting life of parenting a special child.
Days may be long, but never boring - and I look forward to all of the amazing things that this kind of life, living outside the lines, will bring. More…

Follow Me

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Subscribe!

Enter your email address to subscribe and receive new posts in your inbox!

Top Posts

  • Elearning Virtual disAbility Awareness
    Elearning Virtual disAbility Awareness
  • Our New Normal - Elearning
    Our New Normal - Elearning
  • The Myth of the Superhero Mom
    The Myth of the Superhero Mom
  • Sharing Stories of Parenting the Special Needs Child Around the World
    Sharing Stories of Parenting the Special Needs Child Around the World
  • Please stop learning at my daughter's expense
    Please stop learning at my daughter's expense
  • I Want My Kids to Think I Matter
    I Want My Kids to Think I Matter

Categories

Archives

Subscribe

Enter your email address to subscribe and receive new posts by email.

Copyright © 2023 Parenting Outside the Lines· Built on Genesis Framework · by Beyond Blog Design using WordPress · Log in