Sometimes, a young person is so amazing that others have to sit up and take notice.
Meet 16 year old Landis Sims from Elizabeth, Indiana. He is a young man who is making a difference for so many kids, as he inspires others to be the best.
Born limb deficient, Landis has no hands and no lower parts of his legs. Yet, he says that although he is legally handicapped, he does not see himself as physically handicapped. Landis is a baseball player. Yes, he is a quad-deficient person playing baseball! With the help of prosthetics and assistive devices to hold the baseball bat and more, Landis is living his dream to play baseball, all while inspiring other kids with disabilities to follow their dreams. Landis even threw out the first pitch at a Yankees game and spent time with the Yankees team!
And now, Landis is the subject of a film, which was 8 years in the making, titled LANDIS: JUST WATCH ME. The film was just released on July 12. The interview at the link below includes Bob Babbitt, co-founder of the Challenged Althletes Foundation, a group that has helped so many young people to pursue their dreams of competing in athletics.
https://www.kusi.com/meet-landis-sims-a-quad-limb-deficient-teen-baseball-player/
Here is a link to the movie trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7df8Z9qa-fE
Here is a lik to the film: https://landismovie.com/
Here is a link to information about Landis as a child. Even then, he was someone extra special.
https://www.challengedathletes.org/athletes/landis-sims/
I am overwhelmed by the sheer tenacity of this young man, and I hope you will take the time to learn a little more about him. He is making a difference to so many people - kids and adults. They look at his challenges and decide that if he can overcome his problems and challenges, they can overcome theirs. This young man is pure inspiration!
A picture of the movie poster from YouTube:
Visit Dede's web page for complete details on her award-winning book, STUDENT TEACHING: THE INSIDE SCOOP FROM A MASTER TEACHER. Many colleges have made the book required reading. Signed copies are available www.dederittman.com Dede is also a national speaker on The Three C's for Classroom success: Confidence, communication, and Creativity; Avoiding Teacher burnout; and many other inspirational topics.
I LOVE writing. And I love writing children's books- my newest passion. Although it will be a ton of work, I am looking forward to selling my books. Since I was a secondary teacher, I know that I have much to learn about elementary students, and I will have to follow my own advice and be my genuine self. However, I also know that I am passionate about helping kids who have to wear glasses, and that GRADY GETS GLASSES sends a positive message. I am willing to work hard and do all the things that also made me a successful teacher for 37
Teacher friends- let me know if you want me to read GRADY GETS GLASSES at your school. I am willing to come in to discuss the creative writing process, why writing is important, and personal fulfillment through writing, along with reading my book. I would appreciate the exposure, and I would make signed copies available for purchase in your classrooms following the reading. Please email me at dederittman@gmail.com The website www.gradygetsglasses.com now has plush Grady bunnies for sale!
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Twitter @dederittman
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