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Meryl Davis: Olympic Golden Girl and Dyslexic

Categories: Learning Disabilities

Dyslexic Meryl Davis and Charlie White Source: Wikipedia As she glides across the rink, figure skater Meryl Davis makes it look easy. She is an Olympic medalist and world champion winner, but one activity that has not come easy for Davis, who has dyslexia, is reading. Though she was diagnosed with dyslexia in the third grade and struggled with reading all through high school, her learning disability did not hold her back from pursuing her dreams of skating, or of attending college. Currently a student at the University of Michigan, Davis is studying cultural anthropology and Italian. She is also a competitor in the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. In between time on the rink, Davis and her ice dancing partner, Charlie White, answered questions via Skype from an elementary school class in Texas. The teacher, who detailed the experience on the Classroom Champions blog, described how Davis connected with a dyslexic student in her class.
"It is okay to think differently," Davis said.
It's a small statement, but one that can inspire a child to feel confident about who they are and what they can achieve, no matter what their differences may be. Read the entirety of the Classroom Champions blog here.