At just 15-years-old, Holly Warn is one of the youngest athletes competing in Paris this year. For Miss Warn, who has cerebral palsy, the pool has always been a cherished escape. In fact, she could swim independently before she could walk.
“When my head is in the water no one is judging me – it’s freedom,” she says.
Diagnosed with cerebral palsy at five months old, Miss Warn first began swimming at the encouragement of Cerebral Palsy Alliance, who recommended hydrotherapy to build her strength and mobility. At a Cerebral Palsy Alliance hydrotherapy pool in NSW’s Allambie Heights, Miss Warn began participating in regular swim meets with other children with cerebral palsy.
“By 18 months old, she was swimming unaided,” remembers her dad, John. “It gave her incredible confidence and joy.”
And Cerebral Palsy Alliance stuck with Miss Warn in the years that followed, as she started to dream of being a Paralympian. Cerebral Palsy Alliance supports Australians with cerebral palsy to reach their dreams every day. Their biggest annual fundraising event is STEPtember, which returns again in 2024. STEPtember is the annual, virtual health and well-being fundraising challenge by Cerebral Palsy Alliance.
It works like this: you simply register, challenge yourself to move 10,000 steps a day for the month of September, and get your loved ones to sponsor you for your efforts. The funds you’ll raise support people with cerebral palsy across Australia. So you can both keep fit and healthy, and support a great cause at the same time. You can either register to STEPtember alone or, better yet, do it together with a team of up to 4 people – your friends, family or work mates. That way, you’ll get to enjoy a little healthy competition whilst fundraising together for people with cerebral palsy.
To read more about Holly, Cerebral Palsy Alliance and STEPtember, click here.
To register for STEPtember individually or as a team, visit the STEPtember website.
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