In honor of the ESPY Awards I wanted to share a list of 5 people with autism who have not only been inspirations to me but I believe have inspired countless others in our community. As someone who played basketball in high school, I’ve seen first hand the impact that sports can have on someone. Without further ado…
1. Jason McElwain
About Jason: He has already won an ESPY for best play over Kobe Bryant for scoring 18 points during his last game of his senior year of high school. Today Jason is a runner, continues to play basketball and is a motivational speaker.
2. Anthony Ianni
About Anthony: Won a championship with the Michigan State Spartans where he was a walk on playing under legendary coach Tom Izzo. Today Anthony is a motivational speaker and disability advocate.
3. Malcom Harris-Gowdie
About Malcom: He was actually invited to go too the 2015 ESPY Awards, walk the red carpet and go to the after party afterwards! Malcom used to play several sports and now hopes to one day be a sportscaster for ESPN.
4. Michael Brannigan
About Michael: He has been highlighted in several major publications and is looking towards a successful career in running. Next up for Michael is college and hopefully one day the Olympics
5. Anthony Starego
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLyQNlh_rSM
About Anthony: He was highlighted in ESPN’s “Kick of Hope” video which you can watch above. Anthony was a kicker for his high school team and won an unprecedented 5th year of eligibility.
