As a medal-winning athlete, manufacturing worker and dedicated family man, Chad Contreras keeps busy. But he’s still finding time to learn more about the power of self-advocacy. Contreras recently took part in a three-day Project STIR Leadership Training held in Dublin. Then he attended the December gathering of the Franklin County DD Self-Advocate Advisory Council, …
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Max Damron didn’t need much time to decide that he’d love to splash down in a pool of icy water on a chilly February day. Never mind that he uses a wheelchair and is prone to sinking. More important, Damron said, is his reasoning: “I am a daredevil, I have a positive attitude, and I’m …
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To fulfill a requirement for her high-school service project, Monica Wangler hit on a way to combine community service with her love of sports. “I was a multi-sport athlete,” she said. “I thought, well, if I can do service and sports at the same time, I’m in.” Some 30 years later, she’s still all in …
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After last year’s brutally cold dip in Alum Creek, Laura DeWert felt more than ready to retire from the signature Special Olympics fundraiser. She even announced her intention. And then, a few weeks ago, she signed up for what will be her 16th Polar Plunge. “Just like Tom Brady, I can’t quite quit,” she said. …
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As far as Murriel Thompson is concerned, bum knees and senior status are no reason to hang up her bowling shoes. “To see people — that’s what I like,” she said. “And I’m pretty good, right?” Thompson definitely is a good bowler. And at 78, she’s also the oldest female athlete actively competing as a …
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