Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter WASHINGTON (CBSMiami) One of the best-known runners in our nations capital is not famous for speed or distance. Shes well known because there was a time when doctors said she would never be able to run at all. Jamie Watts comes in dead last when running races, but finishing at all gives her something to brag about. She was born with a form of cerebral palsy that makes her leg muscles so stiff that she needs a cane to help her balance. But that didnt stop her from doing something she never thought possible. Five years ago, she ran her first 5K. It was just such a great experience that I just kept going, said Watts. She set a goal to run 34 races in the year leading up to her 34th birthday. She ended up running 40 races. I just felt an overwhelming sense of community and accomplishment, not just for myself but for everybody who helped me get to that goal, she said. Shes got a fierce spirit. Shes got determination, said race organizer Lisa Reeves who added that Watts has become a local hero in the Washington running world. Jamie is an … Continue reading →

Ben Simmons may be preparing for his first season in a 76ers uniform, but he still found time to make a little boys dream come true Thursday. Tyler Osowski is a 12-year-old from Prospect Park that suffers from cerebral palsy and was born legally blind. After having major surgery to help him walk back in June at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, Osowki let it be known to Fox 29s Dawn Timmeney that he hoped to meet Simmons, whose No. 25 was painted all over his room at CHOP. Timmeney passed the word along to the former No. 1 overall pick via Twitter. Simmons responded and everything fell into place from there. Osowski and his family got to spend the day with Simmons at the Sixers team facility in Camden, N.J., where they got to shoot some hoops and have one-on-one chat. It means a lot to me, obviously, Simmons told Fox 29. Hes a strong kid so when I see if I could help somebody, I love to do that. It was everything I thought it was going to be, Osowski told Fox 29. For Fox 29s full video report, click HERE. Published: August 4, 2017 3:01 AM EDT | … Continue reading →

Earlier today, I was telling a story about how I rejected calling myself disabled for a long time. As fate would have it, The Mighty newsletter featured a post called, When I Started Calling Myself Disabled. Floored and completely interested, I read Holly Abels words. We had different stories, but two things were similar and they really stood out: The word disabled didnt feel like it was our word, and finding and confirming her identity gave her strength. YES! I literally almost screamed. Holly didnt really elaborate on what either of those things meant, but for me, I instantly returned to being a 10-year-old girl isolated in a classroom. My peers were supposed to be my equals and yet I felt as ifI werestanding on the edge of a cliff. My classmates socialized with ease, but I felt like interacting with them would push me off the cliff into the icy water. It was that intense for me. I didnt want to be disabled, I wanted to be normal. I would tell people I had cerebral palsy, and I could even explain it, if I had to, just to avoid using the word disabled. I, like Holly, believed that if … Continue reading →

A charity which helps people with cerebral palsy has moved into its new base in Chesterfield. CP Teens UK was founded in 2013 by then 18-year-old Ellie Simpson, who has quadriplegic athetoid cerebral palsy, during her gap year. For the first few years, Ellie, now 22, of Walton, ran the charity out of her own bedroom, but it is now located at the Community Hub at Chesterfield Football Club. Ellie said: As I went through secondary school, I became increasingly socially isolated by able-bodied peers as I struggled to physically keep up and physically fend for myself. Even though I left school with good GCSEs and A Levels, I could not find any opportunities anywhere, either paid or unpaid, to take up as a young person with a physical disability. Ellie posted about the charity on Twitter and was contacted by hundreds of young people with cerebral palsy who also said they felt alone. The youngster continued to develop the charity during her gap year between 2013 and 2014, and while studying for her sport development with coaching degree at Sheffield Hallam University. Inspirational Ellie organised a number of high-profile events which led to CP Teens UK gaining full charitable … Continue reading →