Sunday 30 April 2023
Caleb & Corey- Autism, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and friendship.
Sunday 11 September 2022
Fitness For Autism - a journey through the Womens European Championship. Written by Matthew Greany
Matthew is 16 years old, and received an autism diagnosis at quite a young age, like many on the autistic spectrum, Matthew's Autism is often described as quite complex owing to various diagnosis he has that go alongside it (Anxiety Disorder, Dyspraxia, Hyperacusia, Learning Difficulties to name but a few, there are many more) So sometimes the world can be a challenging place to be for Matthew. Matthew is reliant on routine and regime, so changes in timetables, or an unexpected change to his routine can have a real detrimental impact and as Matthew has problems sensory processing and explaining his feelings it also becomes a frustrating and upsetting experience for him.
As Autism does not have a look it can be deceiving to someone who is not familiar with Matthew or his needs, get to know him and speak about something he is passionate about and you gain a lifetime friend, get to see him overcoming adversity and he becomes an inspiration. In Matthews case he his highly reliant on supervision and assistance and a lot of the things we take for granted Matthew needs a considerable amount of help with throughout his journey.
Over the years we have found that Matthew learns through things he is passionate about and as parents we have always encouraged the learning process through Matthews passions whatever they may have been over the years, Matthews passion over the past 4 years is Football, in fact everything for Matthew revolves around Football, to say he is passionate about it would be an understatement.
I am so very proud to introduce Matthew Greany as a Fitness For Autism Ambassador, who will be helping us raise awareness but also assist in highlighting how important acceptance and inclusion is and showing what can be achieved if we open our hearts, minds and clubs so that everyone can enjoy taking part.
This summer saw The UEFA Women's European Championship (The Euros) was played with England being the host nation, the tournament comprised of the finest national teams in Europe who competed for the coveted trophy.
Below is Matthew's write up of the tournament, that's been written by Matthew.
"The UEFA Women's European Championship for the England Lionesses was a huge competition and we had to play against Northern Ireland, Norway and Austria which was a massive achievement. Goalkeeper Mary Earps pulled off some awesome and wicked saves in the games against Northern Ireland, Norway and Austria, she was just one of the players that got stuck right in with the saves she had to make, especially the saves she made in the quarter finals and semi-finals and the final at Wembley Stadium against Germany.
Chloe Kelly pulled scored a last-minute winner against Germany at Wembley Stadium, which saw England won the trophy for the first time.
My favourite player from the Womens European Championships was Millie Bright, she just put a big smile on my face, when she made them tackles and clearances out of the England penalty area , she was my favourite player throughout the whole of the tournament for the lionesses, followed by Beth Mead who was just on fire when she played, she made some top spot tackles and scored an awesome hat trick against Norway which saw the mighty "Lionesses" win 8-0 at the Amex Stadium which is in Brighton.
Leah Williamson was just like a brick wall with no one was getting past her, when she runs, she is like a rocket. She is a player that I admire as she makes important tackles and her talking and communicating with her players was brilliant, she is the first England captain in 56 years to win a major trophy.
I watched the final with my friends at my football team clubhouse, and the atmosphere was amazing, I joined in singing songs that were being sung like "Sweet Caroline" and " Footballs Coming Home" it was just the best day of my life and made me so happy when the Lionesses lifted the beautiful trophy and were named the 2022 European Champions".
Since COVID restrictions were lifted Matthew has been on a mission to get to see as many football matches as possible, regardless of leagues, if there is a football match being played and if Matthew can get to where it is, he will be there.
Below are just some of the adventures he has had recently, and as it's a team sport Matthew also invites his team mates from the team he plays with to join in the fun.
Fitness For Autism which is a division of Fighting For Autism is on a mission to boost not only awareness but drive for acceptance and inclusion for autistic kids/teens/adults or those with an additional need and enable them to find clubs and activities that help them to not only stay healthy but also have fun and make new friends in the process.
We are on a mission to find businesses, people, associations, sports, venues, locations and clubs that recognise as well as embrace the values of awareness, acceptance and inclusion. Not just saying they do, but actually showing they go the extra mile to raise a smile.
Our friends that have become more like a family from the martial arts, boxing, health and fitness world have helped us lead the charge in our bid to make the globe a bit more more of a welcoming place to be, one that offers safe spaces and places for people to blossom at their own pace, the kindness shown so far has been beyond amazing, so we thought we would see if any other activities were on offer that could provide the opportunity of learning new skills, developing confidence, aiming towards a healthy lifestyle and making lasting friendships.
Again Pete, Beth, Karl and everyone from Immortal 365 Martial Arts Academy in Peterborough, we cannot thank you enough the young lad who came to take part in a lightsabre workshop, and went onto a stage with your club, left with a sense of confidence that has grown and grown.
Fitness for Autism prides itself in not only working alongside autistic people or those with an additional need, but also give them a say in which way the our aims as a charitable organisation are achieved, being able to provide a platform for them to get their voice, experiences and positive stories heard and importantly create a future where opportunities are within reach.
Wednesday 11 May 2022
Strong Autistic Female Empowered. An interview With Molly Price, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioner and competitor
This weeks blog interview features Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioner and competitor from the USA Molly Price.
Fighting For Autism strives to bring positive stories from around the globe, and highlight inspiring role models from within the autistic community and beyond in hope that we can make the world a more aware, accepting and inclusive place to be.
Fighting For Autism's S.A.F.E (Strong Autistic Female Empowered) Initiative aims to highlight positive female role models from within the autistic community, whose inspiring stories we hope will have the potential of being the catalyst that catapults autistic females onto the path of creating positive stories of their very own, one thing is for sure we cannot do it on our own, hence why its so important for amazing people like Molly to step forward and share their experiences.
1. What prompted you to explore Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and have you trained in any other martial art or sport.
"I was sexually assaulted in the Army & thought this would be a good way to help me cope with my fear of men. Before walking into the gym I haven't left the house in 2 years except to go get groceries or go to the Veterans Affairs office , actually. It worked! I'm not scared of them anymore".
Molly proudly showing some of the medals and awards she has won whilst competing2. What Autism myths would you like to dispel?
"That men are the only ones that have Autism. Women can have Autism & are commonly misdiagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) or something else.
The myth that vaccines cause autism
That you can "overcome" it & be normal. I don't want to be neurotypical.
Just because someone is autistic doesn't mean they're going to have "all these symptoms". It could be as simple as a few major things. It could be a bunch of small things. No 2 autistic people have the same support needs".
3.How often do you train, and what would a typical days training schedule consist of ?
"As with most autistic people, my schedule is very very strict.
1 Hour studying previous days notes
1-hour focused BJJ in the morning
1-hour watching an instructional related to the AM class
lunch class then drilling(usually 1 hour on top of the lunch class)
3-hour nap
I play Elden ring for a little bit to clear my head. Usually about an hour
Back to the instructional from the AM class to go back over it along with my ankicards/flashcards refresher for this month's moves
Afternoon class. This is usually 5PM-7/8PM.
Log all my training for the day. Go over any rolling footage I have. Study one last time what I did throughout the day
I train like this 5x a week usually and on Saturdays is Open Mat. We have Sunday Open Mat here too! At Akagi BJJ. It's a very nice gym & the owner is very very nice. I like it here because they're very understanding & they make sure I feel safe & comfortable. It's the best!
4.What accomplishment to date are you proudest of ?
"Getting my Blue Belt in 8 months with 1 month off due to an injury".
5. What does Autism mean to you ?
"Studies show my brain processes sensory input(what we see, hear, feel, etc) 400% faster than an allistic person. What does that mean? If I can overcome the problems that come with Autism, I have a massive advantage on the mats.
It also means I have to do my best to be aware of how allistic people will take what I say. Autistic people tend to say what we mean directly. I can get frustrated when I ask a simple yes/no question & get a very long-winded answer".
6.What advice would you give to someone who is thinking of taking up a martial art, boxing or joining a gym?
"Make sure your gym is very aware of how it affects your life. Be more blunt than usual. Be upfront. You have to be careful because not every gym is going to be safe. Sometimes if I get a bad crossface (technique), I'll need to take 15-20 minutes to gather myself because it can be very overstimulating. Because of this I always make a gym aware I have Autism before visiting. I've done things to minimize the conversation & to make it known, but it's important they always know! I have had one gym, straight up tell me on Instagram to not come because they didn't want to "deal with the problems I'd be bringing".
It's crucial you find a gym that can accommodate. What does that mean? Your coach needs to understand that you may need to take breaks, at any time, for what may appear to be no reason at all. They need to know that you may get emotional if you're doing striking. That you likely aren't very social. I didn't know this, but it seems most people do BJJ for the social aspect. Go figure! So yeah! Just make sure they're aware of everything.
#DareToBeDifferent #ShiningThroughTheSpectrum #FightingForAutism #AutismAwarenessAndAcceptance #BrazilianJiuJitsu