On the outskirts of Pittsburgh lies a small suburb named Mars. The town, with a bustling population of about 1,700, is most well-known for its name and popular roadside attraction, the "Mars Spaceship". This week, though, a new light is shining out of the humble and quiet Pennsylvania town: Max Lamm.
When you think about sports the first thing that comes to mind is your favorite team. For me, I think about the day the Phillies won the World Series and I sat in section 322 and celebrated with my dad and new found family and friends. With the growth of the internet and social media, and a new focus on this industry in the media, it has become clear that individual stories of triumph and success through the lens of sport can mean so much more than any game, any season, or any trophy.
Max Lamm is a clear example of how sport can allow a person to transcend barriers that our culture sets. The 13-year old from Mars is getting national attention after his 10-1 record during his first season as a wrestler. Being 10-1 is impressive enough, but Max did it blind.
At last year's Sport for Social Change conference, Eli Wolff spoke about the idea of "invisibility, visibility, invisibility". The thought is that often people first ignore those with disabilities. Next, a person may notice the person, but they will notice them for their disability. Finally, that person will see the person, but not notice their disability. Max is working to force people to skip the first two steps and notice him right away for what he is: a damn good wrestler.
Below is a video compiled by Bleacher Report on Max:
Kevin Murray is a Junior Sport Management major at Drexel, originally from Havertown, PA. In the past, Kevin has worked for Drexel Sport Management doing research on Title IX and collegiate sport, as well as for Drexel Athletics in multiple roles culminating in his first co-op in the External Relations department, where he still works part-time. Along with his duties as a Resident Assistant on campus and as the Vice President of Drexel SMTSU, Kevin just completed his second co-op with the Drexel Office of Institutional Advancement as a Student Liaison for their Alumni Discovery Initiative. You can follow Kevin on Twitter @kevinj_murray. Connect with Kevin on LinkedIn.
No comments:
Post a Comment