Dastan Ordabay: Kazakhstan’s Trailblazer Paving Way For Athletes with Autism

Maria de Santos is 23 years old and two years ago her life took a turn. She was diagnosed with autism, a condition of neurodevelopment that had always accompanied her, but no one around her had named her. At that time, for her, everything began to make sense. Her way of communicating, of seeing the world responded to a reason. Mary says that she had to “learn again to be” and found in art a language of her own with which to express herself. She …

Dastan Ordabay: Kazakhstan’s Trailblazer Paving Way For Athletes with Autism

April marks Autism Awareness Month, a time to celebrate the achievements of individuals with autism and advocate for greater inclusivity in sports. Virtus introduced the II3 competition class as a full medal event at the Virtus Global Games in 2023, creating a dedicated space for athletes with autism for the first time ever in the