“I knew Parker had Down syndrome before he was born. He was diagnosed in December of 1999 and was born in May of 2000. I was scared about him being born with a heart defect, because many kids with Down syndrome are, but his heart ended up being ok. He didn’t walk until he was 2. You could see delays, but I think part of the reason Parker was, and still is so active, is because he followed the lead of his two older brothers. He has his limitations, but he wants to be like all of the other kids and imitate them. Kids with Down syndrome have a slower metabolism, so when Parker is doing physical activities, he is burning fewer calories than someone who doesn’t have Down syndrome. Luckily, he doesn’t like to sit in one place for very long. He loves to swim. He used to just play in the water, but now he will go in a lane and do laps. He does Special Olympics swimming. He loves to run. He does 5k’s. He loves to bike. We went on a 23 mile tandem bike ride a couple of weeks ago, and he sat back there the whole time. It took over 2 hours, but he did it. I just think that says a lot about what he is capable of doing. You can see the positive impact it has on him, mentally and physically. He loves being active, but in order for me to push him to keep doing it, I have to stay physically active. I can’t just send him out on a bike ride by himself. I always have to go with him. I get parents asking me, how do you get him to run? How do you get him to bike, and be so active? The answer is simple: I do it with him. He makes it easier because he enjoys it. I’ve realized that the more I take care of myself, the better parent I can be for all of my kids. I just feel very lucky that me and my kids are healthy and happy.”