So much for the Committee... We would like you to meet some of our lovely participants.
These are the real All-stars of Extra Awesome.
Aidan is 15 years old and is an absolute blast to hang out with. He has wicked break dance and parkour skills and he seriously LOVES One Direction. Aidan's favourite thing to do on the weekend is eat dinner (YUM). Aidan says he is extra awesome because of his big muscles.
Aidan also has Down syndrome. Down syndrome is just a SMALL part of what makes Aidan the incredible individual he is.
Ivy is 10 years old and she is our little sassy fire-cracker. Her favourite song is Let it Go and she loves to play freeze tag with Allie at Extra Awesome. Ivy's favourite subject at school is recess. Ivy says she is extra awesome because she is good at cartwheels and stretching.
Ivy also has Down syndrome, but she is so much more than that diagnosis.
Keiana's favourite colour is purple and her favourite animal is a zebra. She loves to go to swim and go to the park on the weekend. Keiana loves, and I mean truly, whole-heartedly loves her Extra Awesome buddy Stefanie Del Gobbo. Keiana is an incredible friend and is always looking out for her favourite buddy and cousin Sammy. Her hugs will literally make your heart melt.
Down syndrome is just a diagnosis; it is all of the other qualities and characteristics that make Keiana the incredible girl she is.
Andrew is a master of the Tango and Jenn Evans is honoured to be his preferred dance partner. A few of Andrew's talents include playing match maker for the volunteers by strategically selecting their dance partners, he has a real knack for naming dogs (Slurp, Bruttus, Jason, Lucas), he's a great swimmer, can huck a frisbee like nobody's business, always seems to win every race, brings books to life by acting out the pictures, and he rocks an extra chromosome. Also, if you aren't pleased with your name, Andrew will happily give you a new one!
Caleb is 4 years old and he is the youngest participant currently involved with Extra Awesome. Caleb just started Kindergarten this year and he is loving it! Caleb's favourite song is twinkle twinkle and his favourite sport is swimming. At Extra Awesome, Caleb loves learning new signs, acting out animals, and giving Jenn Evans as much sass as he can. Caleb thinks he is extra awesome because of his snazzy new glasses that make him look very dapper. I hope you all get to meet Caleb at some point as he will give you the best handshake of your life.