My Journey

Having autism started many years before my diagnosis. I showed signs of autism from early on but at that time most pediatricians didn’t know a lot about it and was often diagnosed with ADHD which I was diagnosed with from a young age. Yet there always seemed to be more to my story. My parents struggled with my very different behaviors and daily struggles with simple activities. I always had strong gross motor skills like running, jumping, climbing, etc. but my fine motor skills were lacking severely such as tying my shoes, buttoning/unbuttoning my clothes, fastening snaps/buckles, brushing my teeth, bathing, using scissors, and more. I also had digestion issues, unable to focus, food, and clothing textures, communication, socialization, anxiety, risky behaviors, meltdowns, and sensitivities to certain situations and sounds.

I was fortunate I had parents who never stopped looking for answers and never settled on the opinion of one or two doctors. After years of special education, IEP meetings, speech and occupational therapies, endless evaluations, and a variety of tests I was diagnosed at the age of 9 with Autism (the Asperger’s type). My parents sat on a fence per se concerning my diagnosis. On one hand, they were relieved to have a diagnosis, yet they were scared, uneducated about Autism, and uncertain of my future as that doctor didn’t hold back telling them all the things I would never do.

Immediately my parents began to research and learn all they could about autism, yet information was scarce. The next challenge was telling the family which wasn’t easy either. Some accepted and others did not. My parents stayed strong through all the challenges they faced including the social side of raising a child with autism. They took me to all types of places and faced backlash from many from the nasty stares and ugly comments from mean people in the world who must have felt my parents weren’t raising me right and/or I was just a bad kid.

I believe my biggest challenge as I grew was adapting to social life. Education was important of course but kids were just mean. I would always end up being picked on, bullied, and even injured because I was different. They zeroed in on me no matter where I was. I was even picked on by other students in my special education class. So, learning to mesh/adapt to my surroundings became a survival mechanism for me. Even to this day, I try very hard to adapt to whatever situation I find myself as to not stand out. Even though these things hurt me I grew stronger and yet I often became the class “Mother Hen” as I have a kind and caring soul.

Since I had a lot of pent-up energy growing up my parents looked for an outlet for me. I tried all types of different sports including soccer, football, t-ball, and basketball but I always found myself alone or on the bench. At the age of 9, my grandparents bought me a small 70cc yard ATV to ride on. I rode that little ATV every day in all types of weather. It wasn’t just fun it was a release for me. It brought me pure joy! My dad raced ATV’s in the 80’s and 90’s and shared his stories with me so I had seen photos of him racing. In August of 2010, he took me to a local motocross race. I thought I could do that so I asked my parents if I could try racing. There was some hesitance on their part, but they took me to a local track to practice. I showed natural ability and that I could handle my quad and myself on the track. On 08/23/2010 I signed up for my first ATV race at the local fairgrounds and competed with other youth racers on 90cc racing mini quads. I fell in love with the sport of ATV MX that very night. I competed in every race for the series that year and placed 5th overall. With each race, my parents noticed many positive changes. My autistic tendencies slowly were more controlled, I felt better, my daily living skills improved and there was little backward progression.

As much as I loved the sport there were many obstacles, I had to overcome to be able to race. Lots of noise, dirt/mud, hot/cold temps, and one must be able to tolerate protective gear from head to toe. With some engineering and adaptation, I learned to deal with my sensitives because I loved the sport so much. In 2010 I received a 2008 APEX 90cc MXR Pro mini quad as my other little quad wasn’t suitable for my level of racing anymore. It too was a challenge to adapt to. It was a change overall, it was loud, lots of vibration, much faster, and bigger yet I learned to trust my new quad, I became comfortable and began to blossom as a racer more than ever improving in the following areas:
· Trust
· Focus
· Making basic decisions on the track
· Stepping out of my comfort zone
This progression transferred into my daily living:
· Better nutrition
· Better sleep
· Listening improved
· Less anxiety with new surroundings

The sport has always been therapeutic for me and has taken me to a new level in life that I never experienced in a sport. That’s not to say it hasn’t had its downside from time to time. Like many other sports, there is a routine in racing. When things didn’t go as planned, I had meltdowns and it has its risks. I had difficulty with understanding verbal instructions so my parents would use drawings and I used a GoPro camera mounted to my helmet that helped improve my racing skills by watching my races and practices. This little camera made a huge difference in how to improve as a racer.

Nowadays the track atmosphere is where I truly feel at home and most at ease. I enjoy hanging out with other riders, if my routine is interrupted it’s okay, and I’ve learned consistency, hard work, and dedication are needed to be successful. My nutrition and sleeping have improved greatly over the years, and I understand racing techniques verbally, I know when to get focused, and I have greater self-confidence/self-esteem than ever before. Through racing I have gotten to visit different places, see different cultures, and meet new people, all the while learning and growing. The sport of ATV MX, my family, and my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ have helped me navigate this life of mine. I still have daily challenges and I still experience those daily autistic issues but with my support and racing, I know I will be able to overcome them. My parents tell people I have come a long way since that first race in 2010 and that it’s been a beautiful blessing to watch me grow and blossom over the years. I don’t know about all that I just know that I love the sport of ATV MX racing and I’m eternally grateful for all those who have supported me along the way.