Article By: Emily Walzak
Article Date: 12/04/2011
As a young woman living with Autism, I know very well the challenges and difficulties people with the disorder face. Social awkwardness, anxiety, even something as simple as making eye contact with someone can be extremely daunting for a person with autism. We are not like other people.
We like routine, maybe even to the point of being obsessive over our possessions or how we do things. For me, my biggest and sole obsession is figure skating. After watching the Olympics in Vancouver in 2010, I fell in love with the sport and I knew that it would be something I would like to be interested in. One ice dance team from Canada, in particular, have been a great source of inspiration to me. So much so, that I have decided to take up figure skating as a hobby. I bought myself a pair of skates, and enrolled in figure skating lessons.
Since then, I have greatly improved my skating skills. Skating is not only my passion, it’s my escape when things get difficult. When I am on the ice, I feel as if I am in another world. Skating also helps to develop relationships with new people, builds strength, stamina, and determination. I just can’t get enough of it. Thanks to the Olympics, I don’t know if I would be skating. So, my point is, if I can do it with autism, anybody can!