KAYLEN McDonald will always remember his 18th birthday as the day his dreams came true.
The milestone was made even more special when the Y (YMCA) Bankstown gymnast and coach was told he had qualified for the 2023 Special Olympics World Games in Berlin this month and would be representing Australia in Men’s Artistic Level Two gymnastics.
Kaylen was selected following his stellar performance at the Special Olympics National Games in Tasmania last year, where he won seven gold medals.
He will join a cohort of 7,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities from 170 countries who are set to compete in 24 sports at the World Games from June 17-25.
It will be his first international competition – a highlight of his 16-year journey with the Y.
Diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder, Kaylen began gymnastics at the Y Bankstown aged two.
“I feel good about the Y being inclusive of people with a disability because it gives us an opportunity to have fun, learn new communication skills, teamwork skills and make new friends,” he said.
His first coach was his grandmother who, as a child, also took gymnastics lessons at the Y Bankstown before moving on to coaching aged 16.
Kaylen recalled the moment he learnt he would be competing at the Special Olympics.
“My grandmother got an email and I heard her crying in her room. She gave me her phone so I could read the email and I also started crying,” he said.
The Y Bankstown Gymnastics Coordinator Jessica Mavridis described Kaylen as determined and a fun, energetic coach: “All his kids love being in his class because he understands them and completes activities with them that are challenging.”
