UPDATE: Please fill out the following application for consideration to become the next participant in the Ordinary Marathoner Foundation’s Actually Autistic Athletes Program. All applications will receive equal consideration, but this year we are focusing on two communities:
- Pflugerville, TX
- East Longmeadow, MA
Our program includes:
- One set of running-specific apparel (shorts, socks, and shirt)
- One pair of running shoes
- One running belt
- One Team Ordinary hat
- One-on-one coaching from a Certified Athletic Coach for up to six months
- Registration for one running event
The Ordinary Marathoner Actually Autistic Athletes Program identifies athletes between the ages of 15 – 24 who have been diagnosed on the autism spectrum and are physically and mentally able to take on the challenges of a running program. As an activity, running can potentially benefit autistic individuals in many ways, including:
- Reduce depression from autism
- Help overcome social anxiety
- Help overcome poor diet
- Help overcome loneliness
- Reduce Hypersensitivities
- Unlock the mind/body connection
Our program is designed to identify individual athletes who we believe will benefit from the training structure of distance running. We will provide that athlete with proper equipment and coaching from qualified trainers who have experience with autistic athletes. We hope to progress these athletes to achieve goals they never thought possible.
OMF Contact: Dr. Scott Frasard
Sources:
RunnerClick: The Advantages for Kids on the Autism Spectrum
Runner’s World: For Many With Autism, Running is a Sport that Fits
FleetFeet: Running With Autism
RoadRunners Club of America: Running and Autism
Washington Post: Can Running Help Autistic Children?
Other Helpful Information:
TED Talk – Jac den Houting – Why Everything You Know About Autism is Wrong
TED Talk – Carrie Beckwith-Fellows – Invisible Diversity: A Story of Undiagnosed Autism
Autistic Self-Advocacy Network
