Cerebral Palsy Strong

Cerebral Palsy Strong building spaces for belonging
we are |
a community-led 501c3
⬇️ share your story & become an active member!

linktr.ee/cerebralpalsystrong Our Mission
To build a cerebral palsy community where we make connections and find a sense of belonging while navigating life with a disability. We do that by:
Featuring real-life stories of people with CP — to promote better representation of disabled people in the media and to curate a shared experience. Organizing community-led events that celebrate coming togethe

r and creating space for discussing challenges and opportunities that are important to the disability community. Fostering awareness, education, and understanding about disability, CP Awareness Month, World CP Day and more.

join us next month for our 2nd annual virtual 5k co-organized by ! this year's theme is move with courage, and we're exc...
07/20/2026

join us next month for our 2nd annual virtual 5k co-organized by ! this year's theme is move with courage, and we're excited to see what that looks like for our community.

maybe this is your first-ever 5k and you're a little nervous, or you're challenging yourself to set a new PR! 🏃🏻‍♂️💨

no matter how you show up, we're glad you're with us to support our community. proceeds from this event directly fund our future programming and help fuel our mission!

doing hard things my way 5k— sat. aug. 30 - sun. sept. 5
✨sign up & participate virtually or get together with some friends IRL (link in bio)
✨run, walk, hike, roll or stroll — just complete a 5k— your way (because that's hard stuff!)
✨log your result on our race page during event week & snap a view pics along the way. tag so we can see & share your 5k on our feed!

you can join team cerebral palsy strong when you register if you want to be a part of a group, too!

06/15/2026

✨save the date ✨

we're coming back to new york city for our fifth cerebral palsy social!

join your fellow adults with CP for in-person community-building, connection-making, and a celebration of belonging.

saturday, october 3, 2026. more info coming soon. 🤍

05/08/2026

want to get moving more this summer? 🌿

we're organizing another virtual 5K with , adaptive athlete & runner with cerebral palsy who's pumped to come back for year two of the Doing Hard Things My Way 5K and support our community. This year's theme? Move With Courage:

“Doing Hard Things My Way isn’t just a catchphrase. It’s about showing up for yourself, falling and getting back up, moving at your own pace, and rewriting limits—your way.”

get all the details & sign up:https://runsignup.com/Race/NY/Hilton/DoingHardThingsMyWay5K. let's do hard things our way — together! 🤩

a l b e r t o • • "I have . I love skateboarding, I am an Xbox enthusiast, and I love hanging with my friends and fami...
04/13/2026

a l b e r t o • • "I have . I love skateboarding, I am an Xbox enthusiast, and I love hanging with my friends and family.

I have learned that cerebral palsy looks different on different people. My CP is unique because I love who it makes me. I am who I am because of my cerebral palsy — it's like one of my personality traits.

means to me that everyone who knows me loves me and accepts me and they know my struggles, obstacles, and achievements with cerebral palsy.

I want everyone to know that I have cerebral palsy and I am not ashamed of it. I love and accept myself and I accept my disability.”

e r i n • • “Hi. My name is Erin. I was originally born as Jee HyunJung in South Korea. I was born in breech position w...
04/06/2026

e r i n • • “Hi. My name is Erin. I was originally born as Jee HyunJung in South Korea. I was born in breech position which was likely the contributing factor for my . Because of my disability, I was given up for adoption.

My Cerebral Palsy is a mix of Ataxic and Athetoid. I use a wheelchair and use my mouth and head to do everything like typing, art, cooking, etc.

My experiences with having Cerebral Palsy have been a range of having physical pain to people feeling sorry for me or ignoring me to pill fatigue and equipment changes. It's a lifelong condition which pushes me to move forward and live life the best I can. I currently reside with my husband and pets. I create art and digital designs.

I've learned to adapt and think outside the box and never give up. I would say it's just as important to give yourself grace when it feels like you have to prove yourself. Life is a journey, not a competition.

I think means living the best life you can in spite of the condition. It takes inner strength and fortitude to keep going with Cerebral Palsy.”

t i m m y • • “Being a first-generation scientist with comes with some unique challenges. One of which is being the f...
03/27/2026

t i m m y • • “Being a first-generation scientist with comes with some unique challenges. One of which is being the first person in my family to seek and earn a doctoral degree. The other is the lack of representation within the biomedical sciences. In other words, growing up I have never seen a scientist that ‘looked like me’.

Then there is the combination of these two. Prior to me being born, my parents came to the United States as Vietnamese refugees. This added another layer of complexity when it came to navigating the complicated U.S. healthcare system. Despite these seemingly insurmountable challenges, my parents taught me to be independent and encouraged me to live a ‘normal life’ as much as possible.

Well, mom and dad, I hate to break the news to you, but there is nothing ‘normal’ about the letters, Ph.D. after your son’s name. There is nothing ‘normal’ about your son graduating with a perfect 4.00 GPA from a Master of Science in Neuroscience program. There is nothing ‘normal’ about how he is contributing to humanity’s understanding of the brain and what can go wrong with it.

Growing up in Vietnam during an active war, my parents knew life is not easy and that is what they taught me. They taught me to take life challenges head on and not to shy away from them. Using my platform on Instagram, I want to be the representation in the biomedical sciences that was lacking when I was growing up.

From a young age, I realized I was not like my peers (I was in a mainstream classroom). I noticed I walk differently; I wear AFOs whenever I leave the house, and I visit the doctors more than my peers. Then there is my ethnic identity being Vietnamese American in a predominately White school. Wow! I stand out a lot! However, I learned to embrace my uniqueness because speaking two languages since I was two-year-old seems cool.

I learned to use CP as a filter to keep the genuine people in my life.

is a reminder that I am more than my diagnosis, and I can accomplish big goals that seem nearly impossible at times. The road might be rougher when compared to my peers, but the destination is the same.”

j o e y • • “I was born premature at 28 weeks, and because of that I was diagnosed with at a young age. Growing up wi...
03/23/2026

j o e y • • “I was born premature at 28 weeks, and because of that I was diagnosed with at a young age. Growing up with my friends and family I was never treated any differently because of my disability. I’ve also never met anyone else with CP in person so the only way I had to see what it was like for other people was through social media like YouTube, Google or TikTok.

My [diagnosis] is spastic diplegia which affects my legs and hips. My balance isn’t very good. And I can’t do some things that my friends and family can. My experience with cerebral palsy has been one of acceptance. I used to say I wish I wasn’t disabled but over time I’ve grown to love who I am and learn that being disabled is ok.

Throughout the years, I’ve learned that CP makes me who I am and without it I wouldn’t be the person I am today.

What means to me is that it’s shown me that I’m not alone in the world and that there are other people out there who are in similar situations as myself.”

r i c h a r d • .fitness1 • “I was born with left-side hemiplegia. From the very beginning, my body worked differently, ...
03/21/2026

r i c h a r d • .fitness1 • “I was born with left-side hemiplegia. From the very beginning, my body worked differently, and I grew up being told what I couldn’t do. Movement was harder, balance didn’t come naturally, and progress often felt slow.

Fitness changed that.

Through consistent training, patience, and learning how to work with my body instead of against it, my strength, coordination, and confidence improved. Exercise didn’t ‘fix’ my hemiplegia — but it empowered me. It showed me that progress is possible at any level and that limitations don’t define potential.

That journey is what led me to become a personal trainer.

Based in Redditch, UK, I now help people of all abilities build strength, confidence, and independence through inclusive, supportive training. I understand what it feels like to feel overlooked, nervous, or unsure where you belong in fitness spaces — because I’ve lived it.

Today, I take great pride in helping others move better, feel stronger, and believe in themselves. Whether someone is disabled, new to exercise, returning after time away, or simply needs encouragement, I’m proof that fitness is for everyone.

is my ethos, the whole reason I have become a PT is to empower others that may feel the gym is out of reach — it isn’t.”

n a t a s h a • • “I'm 44 years old and I was diagnosed with at a year old. I require assistance with almost physical...
03/18/2026

n a t a s h a • • “I'm 44 years old and I was diagnosed with at a year old. I require assistance with almost physically tasks and have difficulties communicating. However, I didn't and don't allow it to keep me from accomplishing and experiencing all life has to offer. I graduated high school with a diploma and I have had relationships —I’m a mother and a wife.

My advice: don't let cerebral palsy make you feel incapable! Don't let anything stop you from being the best you that you can be. If there's a will, there's a way.

means having a determined spirit and a positive spirit. I embody this by just doing my thing and living a happy & full life with cerebral palsy!"

c o n n e r & m i l e s • • “This is my brother Miles. My family and I loved him so much. Miles changed who I am and ...
03/16/2026

c o n n e r & m i l e s • • “This is my brother Miles. My family and I loved him so much. Miles changed who I am and gave me a level of empathy for others I don’t think of would have without him. I got to witness what a man can be without ego — that was Miles, devoid of ego. Just pure love and kindness. Two of my favorite things to do with my brother: tell him about my dating problems (he thought this was hilarious) and play the guitar/sing with him. We both loved music. He passed away in July of 2021. I think of him every single day. I love you Miles.

has taught me what matters in life. What’s important, what’s not. And how immensely fortunate I am to have the abilities that I have.

to me means that my life has become more meaningful because of cerebral palsy. I’ve witnessed the incredible, undeniable strength it takes to overcome the challenges it comes with. I’ve never, ever met a group of people with more courage and resilience.”

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