Kyle Norman SOI Youth Ambassador

Kyle Norman Special Olympics Youth Ambassador

Justice

Eunice Kennedy Shriver empowered people with intellectual disabilities to have the rights, access, inclusion and social justice like others across the world. Also, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 prohibits discrimination based on disability. Both Eunice and the ADA have helped bring justice and equality to those with disabilities!

Super heros

One super hero I can relate to is Superman because on the outside he is a normal person but when he changes he has unique and specail qualities and does cool things to help others and make the world better. I am like Superman in that most of the time I appear normal, but I have unique qualities that make me stand out. I am a super hero because I am a leader and help the Special Olmypics movement for inclusion.

My unfied partner Jazlyn and I are both super heroes beacuse we do the Polar Pluge every year to raise funds for Special Olympics. We both are involved in Special Olympics at the local, state, and national level!

Summer Fun Part II

Weather Spotter

I want to become a weather spotter. Through Special Olympics I learned to take risks and overcome obstacles and set goals. I have always had a huge interest in weather and becoming a weather spotter would be awesome!

Paddle Boarding

I want to try to stand up on a paddle board. "Let me win ,But if I can not win, Let me be brave in the attempt." The Special Olympics athlete's oath has taught me that I should always try, no matter the outcome.

My Inclusive Communities

Work Community

I work at Optimal Sports Phyiscial Therapy and I am included in different staff gatherings like golf outings, staff movie nights, christmas cards, and especially with this pandemic--Zoom calls.

Family

My mom and dad include me in everything and we do lots of activities as a family because they care about me and want me to do well.

Friends

For the past two years I went to prom with a friend who is now also a unified partner on my Special Olympics team. We went with other friends and they all included me. She and I had lots of fun at prom!

Special Olympics

I am included in my Special Olympics unified basketball team. I feel like I am included and enjoy playing with other athletes and the unified partners.

Fitness

I participate in many fitness activities throughout the year. I do Special Olympics basketall, bowling, athletics and swimming. I also go on hikes and workout at Capital City Health Club on the treadmill, elliptical and bikes. Due to Covid-19 though, I am not able to participate in spring sports (athletics and swimming) this year and will not get to participate in the State Summer Games. I also cannot go to the health club. So instead, my indoor actvities have been the Special Olympics School of Strength and I also do a virtual Zumba class from my local health club! Special Olympics Montana has also been doing virtual trainings on Facebook Live that I participate in and I also walk on my treadmill at home.

My outdoor actvities have been hauling firewood and I sometimes go on walks and ride my bike when it is nice weather.

I have also participted in the Unified Generation Bucket List fitness challenges and doing a fitness challenge through Optimal Sports Physcial Therapy where I work.

Courage

When I was a freshman in high school, I got the courgae to stand up in front of the whole school of over 1,300 students and staff and recite the athlete's oath. Check out my video below!

Each year at my UCS school, students had the courage to stand up to pleage to stop the use of the R-word and spread the word of inclusion.

Inclusive Art

Special Olympics art at the Mall of America

Many inclusive art projects that I found are from art contests that promote inclusion and awareness of people with disabilities.

Inclusive art helps people better understand and show respect for all people, no matter their differences.

There are unified art classes in some high schools across the United States. These classes are really cool and they help promote inclusion!

Inclusion Heroes 2

This month's focus is on people who promote inclusion and are my heroes--check it out!

Lisa Waterman (pictured far right)- She supports me and other people with disablities. She is the awesomest basketball coach to me. She coaches basketball for my team each year. She is the nicest person I know.

Johnanna Sullivan- She supports me and coaches my team for swimming. She is an awesome person and is also my boss at Optimal Sports Physcial Therapy. She always encourages me to do my best!

Advice to Class 2

Get involved
Have fun
Get to know other Youth Ambassadors
Find ways to promote inclusion in your schools and community

Technology

MonTECH provides technology, support, and services that improve the quality of life for Montanans with disabilities.

The mission of the Montana Telecommunications Access Program is to improve the quality of life for all Montanans through education, innovation, and technology by enhancing communications options. MTAP does this by overseeing the Montana Relay program, which allows people who are Deaf to use telephone services, and by offering assistive equipment and services to Montanans whose disabilities make it hard for them to use the phone.

Sports Stories

These are my favorite coaches from my Special Olympics team. Johnanna Sullivan pushes me to do my best and she encouraged me to compete in the free style swim event. Mary Pat Penley is my track coach. She pushes me to run as fast as I can. Lisa Waterman is my basketball coach. She makes me work hard to be my best at basketball so my team can get the gold medal!

Russell Wilson (Seattle Seahawks quarterback) goes to Seattle Children"s Hospital every Tuesday to visit children with illnesses who are staying at the hospital. That is very cool that he does that! This is a photo of Russell and his wife Ciara with a family I know from Montana. The young boy (Troy) has pulmonary capillaritis. His family does blood drives statewide to help Troy and others whose lives depend on blood donations. #TROYSTRONG

I have been a Special Olympics Athlete for 8 years. I have been on the Montana State YAC and traveled with Special Olympics to Capital Hill Days in 2018 .

BACK TO SCHOOL!

Special Olympics Unified Basketball

The team is getting ready for basketball season and the state basketball tournament is in Butte, Montana in November.

MBI YAC

Montana Behavioral Initiative Special Olympics Youth Activation Committee members have annual respect rallies and plan other inclusive activities.

Unified PE

Capital High School offers a PE class where students with and without disabilities participate in inclusive activities at school and also in the community such as Planet Fitness/ Capital City Health Club/ Bill Roberts Golf Course/ Drum Fit/ Skiing at Great Divide and other activities. It is lots of fun!

Major Movements in History that Promoted Inclusion

Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous " I Have A Dream" speech changed the thoughts of people about the importance and equality of African Americans.

Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat for a white man on a Montgomery, Alabama bus on December 1, 1955, helping to bring equality to those of different races.

Music

Artists can include people with disabilities in their music videos or when they are touring to promote inclusion. These two songs below show that everyone is important and that each of us can be champions!

Inclusive Summer Fun

Here are some ideas for inclusive activities to do during the summer!

Meeting a friend at a swim park

Meeting a friend to watch a movie

Ice Cream Social

Inclusive Bowling

Celebrating My Special Olympics Family

This is my unified partner (Jazlyn Young) and I. We have been working together on the State Youth Activation Committee and we are Special Olympics Northwest region Youth Ambassadors. We are great friends!

This is me with Tim Shriver, the Chairman of Special Olympics, along with Niko Medeiros, my unified former unified partner on the State Youth Activation Committee.

This my friend Bob Norbie. He is a huge fan and supporter of Special Olympics and me! He is also the CEO of Special Olympics Montana.

This is my great grandma--she supports me by buying raffle tickets and coming to my events!

This is my grandma. She comes too all of my events and supports and cheers me on. She is the best!

These are the biggest fans in my Special Olympics Family--my mom and dad. They help guide me through Special Olympics and I love them! They are awesome parents!

This is me with my swimming coach, Johnanna Sullivan. She helps me with swimming and I like when she helps me swim as fast as a can. She is always there to support me and cheer me on.

These coaches have helped me get better at running and swimming.

HEALTH: Health and fitness are extremely important to the well-being of Special Olympics athletes and Unified partners. Here are some activities that my school, Special Olympics, and community does around being fit and healthy!

SCHOOL

My school offers a Unified PE class, as well as freshman and sophomore PE and health. We also have Lifetime Sports, Personal Wellness, Weightlifting, and FAST. During Unified PE, students with and without disabilities get to work together on fitness activities and go to different health clubs like Capital City Health Club and Planet Fitness. We learn about physical fitness and how to be healthy, and even get to go on fun fitness trips like skiing!

SPECIAL OLYMPICS

My Special Olympics team participates in swimming and track and field in the spring, basketball in the fall, and bowling in the winter. It is lots of fun to be a part of Special Olympics!

COMMUNITY

In my community, there are a number of fitness activities available, including:

She Strong (Optimal Sports Physical Therapy)
Montana Governor's Cup Run (Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana)
Family Fun Fest (St. Peter's Health)
plus lots, lots more!

RESPECT

March 4-8 was Respect Week at Capital High School. Our MBI Youth Activation Committee planned and held our Spread the Word Inclusion respect rally on Wednesday, March 6. It was so awesome!

Students with and without disabilities participated in an inclusive game of lightning during the rally!

Here are some teachers who had their pinkies painted with gold nail polish during our Pinky Promise for Respect activity during the rally.

Students won really cool prizes for participating in the rally!

Students and staff participated in many events, including filling out "I Choose To Include Because" statements.

Students and staff display why they choose to include!

I Choose To Include Because . . . It's the nicest thing you can do!

Here are the students doing an inclusive parachute activity at the respect rally.

Students participating in the inclusive parachute activity at the respect rally.

MBI Youth Activation Committee members paint pinky nails as part of our Pinky Promise for Respect activity during the rally!

What a great rally!

Pop Culture Inclusion

Here are some TV shows and a channel that promote inclusion and include people with disabilities.

Freddie Highmore plays Shaun Murphy, a young surgeon with autism and savant syndrome.

Jim Parsons plays Sheldon Cooper, and in the minds of many of the viewers, without a doubt, Sheldon Cooper has Asperger’s Syndrome.

ESPN covers a lot of Special Olympics events and they sponsor Special Olympics throughout the United States.

Inclusion Heroes and Resolutions

LEANN NAILLON

LeAnn Naillon helped guide me through what inclusion means and what it means to include people in different activities. I first met LeAnn when I started participating in Special Olympics, and got to know her more when I joined the Special Olympics Montana State Youth Activation Committee. She is very fun and always has supported me! She is a Wonder Woman!

BOB NORBIE

Montana Lieutenant Governor Mike Cooney, Athlete Kyle Norman, and Special Olympics Montana President/CEO Bob Norbie

Bob Norbie supports Special Olympics and the true meaning of inclusion. Bob is the President and CEO of Special Olympics Montana. Bob is full of energy and really cares about athletes. I have become good friends with Bob, and even got to travel to Washington, D.C. last year with him for Capitol Hill Days. Bob is my hero!

TIM SHRIVER

I first met Tim Shriver in 2016 at the Unified Champion School conference in Phoenix, Arizona. Tim is one of my heroes because he works hard for everyone in Special Olympics to be sure we are included.

Special Olympics Chairman Tim Shriver, Athlete Kyle Norman, and Unified Partner Niko Medeiros

All About Me

I am a senior at Capital High School. I am 17 years old. I live in Helena, Montana.

I enjoy snowmobiling, camping, hiking and fishing.

I traveled to our Nation's Capital that is in Washington D.C. for Capitol Hill Days in February 2018. I had an awesome time in Washington and I visited the Lincoln Memorial, Smithsonian Institute, Library of Congress and the United States Capitol Building. I even got to see Tim Shriver!

I am an Athlete on my Special Olympics Basketball, Swimming, Track and Field and Bowling teams.

I am a leader of inclusion because I include people in different activities. I am the chair of my school's Youth Activation Committee, and we put on inclusive activities and respect rallies each year.

#CHOOSETOINCLUDE

#UNIFIEDGENERATION

#INCLUSIONREVOLUTION

Appreciate