“we walked in, and within a day, all the girls were embracing Audrey, and they all wanted to be her friend.”
Like many of her classmates, Audrey Chisholm wanted to be a competitive cheerleader. But because the Illinois teen has Down Syndrome, she was told she could join the team but couldn’t participate in the state competitions. So, after searching for a more inclusive team, her parents connected with coach Christine O’Donnell of Mokena Burros Pop Warner. “You’d think that everyone would be raising an eyebrow: ‘Is she going to help us win a second state championship, or is she going to pull us down?’” Audrey’s continued on page 8 6 / INSIDE Pop Warner
