Maddie Lewellyn is a silly, sassy, 18-year-old senior at Crawfordsville High School. She is also an avid athlete who has been involved in sports like basketball, bowling, track and golf from an early age. She also competes in Special Olympics.
Maddie was born with Down syndrome, a condition that occurs in about one in 640 newborns.
It wasn’t an easy pregnancy for Candy Lewellyn, Maddie’s mother, which made her consider the possibility of Maddie being born with Down syndrome. She was on bed rest for most of the pregnancy.
Although she suspected something may be different, Candy and Maddie’s father, Chris Lewellyn, didn’t learn that Maddie had Down syndrome until she was born.
“Because I was older when I had her I was also already high-risk,” Candy said.
The CDC reports the risk of having a baby with Down syndrome increases with a mother’s age.
During her pregnancy, Candy declined additional genetic testing because she knew the results didn’t matter. She had no intention of terminating the pregnancy or giving up her child.
It hasn’t always been easy taking care of Maddie. She’s been through early intervention treatments and open-heart surgery at the age of 4. Despite any health issues or developmental struggles, Maddie has persevered and does everything with a smile on her face.
She may be a little different than most of the students at her school. Yet, she’s never let that be a hindrance.
October is National Down Syndrome Awareness Month and meant to bring awareness to the condition and encourage acceptance and inclusivity.
Candy said Maddie has always been included and welcomed in every corner she’s existed.
Maddie has always been drawn to sports, even as a baby.
“We would go and watch Mara [Maddie’s older sister] when she was in basketball,” Candy said. “She just sat on my lap and watched them go back and forth.”
Candy said athleticism runs in their family. Her paternal grandmother, Wilma Lewellyn, was an ardent softball player up to the summer before her passing this year at age 85. She also played volleyball and bowled throughout her life.
Maddie has participated in the Special Olympics since she was eight years old, and her coaches have become life-long mentors and friends. Candy said Maddie has a village of support surrounding her.
Maddie has bowled for the high school team since her freshman year. Her coaches are husband and wife, Chris and Leslie White. They’ve known Maddie since she was eight. Their daughter also participates in Special Olympics alongside Maddie.
This year, Maddie joined the high school golf team after reconnecting with Coach Erin Gilland. The two initially met when Maddie was in second grade. Gilland was working at her school as a computer lab teacher and often covered lunch breaks in Maddie’s classroom. Gilland was excited to see her one day at a Special Olympics golf practice and immediately reached out to Candy about the high school golf team.
It was an exciting season for Maddie. She was gifted a custom golf club from one of her Special Olympics coach’s — a driver she received right before her first match.
Maddie made friends with other girls on the team and got to be silly with her coach.
Maddie’s mom and coaches shared that she loves to run and often tries to race with people. She even tried to race Gilland, who was in a golf cart, once during practice.
“It was my first season coaching, and she brought a lot of fun. She just made it calmer,” Gilland said.
The season was good for Maddie, and her coach said she made a lot of improvement.
Now that the golf season has ended, Maddie is bowling again with her high school team. Bowling is one of Maddie’s favorite sports.
Last year she won at conference with her Special Olympics bowling team and they even made it to regionals.
Her bowling coach, Leslie White, said Maddie gets sassy and competitive with the other girls at practices.
“If they don’t get a strike. She’s like, one pin, one pin!”
Maddie gets on the girls if they don’t hit all the pins and playfully teases them.
“Come on girls, Maddie will say. And I’m like, Maddie, you just threw it in the gutter,” Leslie said.
One of Leslie’s favorite things about Maddie is her ability to make anyone laugh.
“You can be down, you can be mad, you can be sad and you can look at Maddy and she’s gonna make you laugh,” Leslie said.
Everyone who knows Maddie mentions her sass, but also her infectious smile and laughter.
Maddie is well known for her positive energy that emanates and affects the people around her.
