My next goal!

 Wow, three years ago today I swam across Okanagan Lake. I can believe that I did it in under three hours. It felt like the water is my space that I am free of having cerebral palsy, and I can imagine that I am a dolphin in the free water. When I was young, I always wondered what if I wasn’t born with cerebral palsy. Would I be a swimmer in the Olympics like my twin sister, who was a swimmer, and I get to watch her swim, and she went to the national championships? I was so proud of her, and then I got into Special Olympics swimming, and I felt like I could be like her.

That is when I got in the water. I imagine myself in her body, and I know that it is strange. But it honestly was a good thing to have that kind of energy in my life to push me to be active. And there was a lady who was my physiotherapist, and she and I had a relationship that I couldn’t even begin to explain, but it was a hate and love relationship. Occasionally I was doing something that she got angry with me about, and I said I don’t care. But she was so much more than my physiotherapist, and I wondered if I would just listen to her and not be so anxious about what she would like me to do. I had a mini stroke nine years ago, and I had to take off a year from working out or being active, and I just couldn’t do anything for myself, and that was a big mistake on my part. I was so scared that I couldn’t do anything for myself, and I would lose my independence. So I went back to working out, and then I got back into the water again, and I felt like my old self. I feel like I want to push myself, so in the summer my roommate and I went out to Okanagan, and we saw Swim Across the Okanagan. So I decided to go to the swim. I decided to do the swim when I turned 40 so that I had a year and a half to get ready for the swim. And then COVID came, and that world stopped, and I felt like I had to find something else to do for me to keep active, and I just didn’t want to break all of my independence. 

At the time I just watched a show called Amazing Ninja Warrior, and then I thought to myself that I would like to do something like that.  So I go online and see if I can find a place here in where I live that I can go and get some workouts, and then I find a place called Corfit, and then I work with a personal trainer, and she is a wonderful person, and I am so happy to be able to work with her. I don’t know if she would ever know that I am so grateful for her because she has helped me with the control of my hands, and I don’t shake when I put something down.  

I have a goal that I really want to do two other swims next summer. Because I feel like I won’t be able to do another swim like that.  I won’t stop working out, but I know that it’s been easy for me to do big accomplishments like swimming across Okanagan Lake. I’m not going to let my disability define me, so I won't stop being active, so I will continue to do everything that I can until I can’t do anymore.

My inner voice!!

  I’ve accomplished a lot in my life, but there’s still much more to do. However, I have a major issue with Premier Danielle Smith’s latest policy change. I don’t believe she fully understands the impact of her decisions on people with disabilities.  She mandates that certain individuals with disabilities actively seek employment, on a seemingly random basis, but she’s not creating any jobs or providing assistance in finding work. Fortunately I’m not required to actively search for a job myself; I’m still receiving AISH and don’t have to work.

I know I lack the knowledge to work, so perhaps I should have fought harder in high school to not be in a special needs class and earned a real diploma.  That way, I could have gone to college or university to pursue a degree in something I love. Sometimes, I wonder if I had more education, I might consider psychology. However, I know that if I get my high school diploma and then go to university and secure a job, I’ll be off AISH. I’d be happy with that, but I value my independence more than just going out and getting a job.

Danielle Smith is a terrible premier who doesn’t truly care about Alberta. She only cares about herself and wants what she wants. I feel like she doesn’t want to be with Canada so she can go to her friend Trump. She’s trying to turn Alberta into a state of the USA. She and Trump are the same type of opportunistic people who don’t  care about anyone or anything but themselves. They both hate people with disabilities. She only sees us as a drain on her budget.

A part of me wishes she could experience life as a person with a disability and living on AISH for a week. I don’t care if she reads my blog and dislikes what I wrote about her. She’s not the right person to be Premier of Alberta. When I wrote letters to her about AISH and Access of Calgary, her office responded with a standard response without acknowledging any of the issues.

For all the people with disabilities who can work full-time jobs, they shouldn’t be eligible for AISH. Those on AISH should be able to work part-time or volunteer if they choose. I also believe AISH should be at least $3,000 per month, and should be increased for inflation annually.

Access is my biggest issue in my life!

On Friday morning, I was waiting for access to pick me up from my apartment to go swimming at Westside. The pickup was scheduled between 10:10 and 10:30 a.m., so I was expecting to be picked up around 10:40 a.m. However, I received a message saying I would be at Westside at 10:49 a.m. I messaged my friend, who was also waiting for me, to call access to find out what was happening. They informed her that they had arrived at Westside to pick me up and take me home, but I was already home and waiting for my pickup to go to Westside. I knew this couldn’t have happened on my end because I always book all my trips online, and my itinerary always starts from my apartment. I decided to take the city bus instead, as it was conveniently located in front of my apartment. I went to the bus stop and waited for the bus, which arrived ten minutes after eleven. I arrived at Westside twenty-five minutes later.

I felt like I had made a decision to go on the city bus and swim, and I was disappointed that my access trip was canceled. I sent an email to access to explain the situation, but they responded by saying that I had booked the trip that way. 

Sometimes I just want to take the bus to go out and don’t have relie on access but I don’t know if I should do that because sometimes where I have to go I don’t know which bus I need to take. But when I go to Westside I have to go outside of my house and then go to the bus stop and get on the bus and then it takes me right to the ctrain and Westside is right there.