Standing Tall
To become the person that I am today, I had to learn how to stand tall from a young age. This means that I had to develop a no quit attitude. When challenges came my way, my first option had always been to try again until I was able to complete the task to the best of my ability.
When I was younger, there were things that I couldn’t do or think I would be able to do. But with the confidence within, I have been able to accomplish more than I expected. With a supportive and loving village that is around me everyday, I learned how to see my challenges in a positive light. This has given me the motivation to always remember to never give up and stand tall in the person that I am.
The biggest area in my life where I had to have the most confidence is when I started to walk. For most of my life, I had to use a gait trainer/walker, along with braces on my legs, to help me walk around. I have worked hard at Physical therapy and Taekwondo to build the muscles in my body to improve my walking. I had alot of falls throughout my journey. Some left bruises and scars, but they are all reminders of my hard work and perseverance.
Last year, we attended a 5k to support the school I was attending. I did not walk the 5k because I didn’t know how I would do, however, after seeing the effort of all the attendees, I decided next year I would try to walk as much as I could. I created my own team and I called the team Miles for Myles. There were 18 of us, and I was super excited to be surrounded by my village. Although I did not walk the entire 5k, I was able to do half. When I crossed the finish line, I was so proud of my achievement. I decided next year I would try again and push to do more. I will continue to try until I can successfully walk an entire 5k.
As we continue to celebrate disability pride month, I reflect on this achievement and look forward to many more. I stand tall in the confidence I have in myself. I stand tall knowing I have learned to face obstacles. I stand tall knowing I can get through all challenges that come my way. I stand tall in knowing who I am and that there is a better future ahead of me.