https://www.specialolympics.org/stories/athletes/meet-ankush-from-outcast-to-role-model 2021-01-06T08:51:13-05:00 https://i.ytimg.com/vi/w_yif6T2qAQ/hqdefault.jpg Meet Ankush: From Outcast to Role Model Golf helps Ankush practice concentration and gain respect—in India, a country where his disabilities had previously brought only stigma. He is now working at a school for children with intellectual disabilities and takes pride in being a strong role model. https://www.youtube.com/embed/w_yif6T2qAQ?feature=oembed&autoplay=1 Golf Bharat (India) Asia Pacific Athletes https://www.specialolympics.org/stories/volunteers/thank-you 2022-04-07T10:18:28-04:00 https://dotorg.brightspotcdn.com/06/53/559d78e1446ea8ffe64e9b27377d/screen-shot-2018-07-27-at-9.58.15%20AM.png Thank You! Hear it straight from our athletes: Thanks for all that you do! https://dotorg.brightspotcdn.com/a8/83/b73230d141458d586dbfa05afc75/tyvideo2009.mp4 Community Impact https://www.specialolympics.org/stories/athletes/lani-demellos-story 2021-02-03T08:30:34-05:00 https://i.ytimg.com/vi/b5sKZH4VSLM/hqdefault.jpg How Lani De Mello Defied a Doctor's Predictions Lani was born with <a href="https://www.specialolympics.org/about/intellectual-disabilities/down-syndrome" data-cms-id="00000164-d2f2-ded8-af6d-d2f6c6840003" data-cms-href="https://www.specialolympics.org/about/intellectual-disabilities/down-syndrome" link-data="{"cms.site.owner":{"_ref":"00000164-8a12-db15-a5fe-ce726a200000","_type":"ae3387cc-b875-31b7-b82d-63fd8d758c20"},"cms.content.publishDate":1584711161778,"cms.content.publishUser":{"_ref":"00000164-af71-d4d4-a975-bff30c6e0000","_type":"6aa69ae1-35be-30dc-87e9-410da9e1cdcc"},"cms.content.updateDate":1584711161778,"cms.content.updateUser":{"_ref":"00000164-af71-d4d4-a975-bff30c6e0000","_type":"6aa69ae1-35be-30dc-87e9-410da9e1cdcc"},"link":{"attributes":[],"item":{"_ref":"00000164-d2f2-ded8-af6d-d2f6c6840003","_type":"4f8e492c-6f2f-390e-bc61-f176d3a37ab9"},"_id":"00000170-f825-d0cb-adfd-f87540970001","_type":"c3f0009d-3dd9-3762-acac-88c3a292c6b2"},"linkText":"Down syndrome","theme.00000163-f9c8-d03b-a967-fdecd6580000.:core:link:Link.hbs._template":null,"theme.00000163-f9c8-d03b-a967-fdecd6580000.:core:enhancement:Enhancement.hbs.horizontalAlignment":null,"theme.00000163-f9c8-d03b-a967-fdecd6580000.:core:enhancement:Enhancement.hbs._template":null,"_id":"00000170-f825-d0cb-adfd-f875405b0000","_type":"809caec9-30e2-3666-8b71-b32ddbffc288"}">Down syndrome</a> and a heart defect. Her mother remembers the line: "She’s never going to achieve anything." Now, Lani is a Special Olympics <a href="https://www.specialolympics.org/our-work/sports/artistic-gymnastics" data-cms-id="00000165-0fa9-d1bf-abff-8fadc8db0003" data-cms-href="https://www.specialolympics.org/our-work/sports/artistic-gymnastics" link-data="{"cms.site.owner":{"_ref":"00000164-8a12-db15-a5fe-ce726a200000","_type":"ae3387cc-b875-31b7-b82d-63fd8d758c20"},"cms.content.publishDate":1584711188296,"cms.content.publishUser":{"_ref":"00000164-af71-d4d4-a975-bff30c6e0000","_type":"6aa69ae1-35be-30dc-87e9-410da9e1cdcc"},"cms.content.updateDate":1584711188296,"cms.content.updateUser":{"_ref":"00000164-af71-d4d4-a975-bff30c6e0000","_type":"6aa69ae1-35be-30dc-87e9-410da9e1cdcc"},"link":{"attributes":[],"item":{"_ref":"00000165-0fa9-d1bf-abff-8fadc8db0003","_type":"4f8e492c-6f2f-390e-bc61-f176d3a37ab9"},"_id":"00000170-f825-da56-a771-ffe7a0af0001","_type":"c3f0009d-3dd9-3762-acac-88c3a292c6b2"},"linkText":"gymnastics","theme.00000163-f9c8-d03b-a967-fdecd6580000.:core:link:Link.hbs._template":null,"theme.00000163-f9c8-d03b-a967-fdecd6580000.:core:enhancement:Enhancement.hbs.horizontalAlignment":null,"theme.00000163-f9c8-d03b-a967-fdecd6580000.:core:enhancement:Enhancement.hbs._template":null,"_id":"00000170-f825-da56-a771-ffe7a0910000","_type":"809caec9-30e2-3666-8b71-b32ddbffc288"}">gymnastics</a> gold medalist many times over, a Special Olympics official and a gymnastics coach. She also works at a health clinic and volunteers her time as a clerk at a local high school. "Special Olympics made me a more outgoing person. Before, I was shy. Now I feel I can accomplish anything," says Special Olympics athlete Lani De Mello. https://www.youtube.com/embed/b5sKZH4VSLM?feature=oembed&autoplay=1 Gymnastics - Rhythmic Gymnastics - Artistic Georgia North America Down Syndrome Gymnastics - Rhythmic Gymnastics - Artistic Georgia North America Athletes