Meet Cecilia Gonzalez, a basketball player with Special Olympics Paraguay, whose life is now unrecognizable after she discovered her love for basketball and competing with Special Olympics.
Cecilia spent the early parts of her life on her own, being ignored by others. Those who did acknowledge her only bullied and excluded her because of her disability to the point she felt alone. With no friends and having a hard time finding a community that accepted her, Cecilia joined her local Special Olympics basketball program in her hometown of Asuncion, Paraguay.
After she joined Special Olympics, “The world opened up to her, and to us as a family” shared Cecilia’s father, Luis. He and his wife, Nunila, said Cecila was a completely different person after she found her love of basketball with Special Olympics Paraguay.
Basketball helped Cecilia find confidence in herself that she was able to carry into all other areas of her life. It helped her grow both as a player and as a person by developing the social and life skills that only a team and coaches can instill.
Basketball did not give Cecilia purpose; it only helped her identify and strengthen the abilities she had within her; she only needed the opportunity to do so.
