“Inclusion is Magic”: Special Olympics Athlete Jessica Cranton on the Power of Finding Your People

Jessica Cranton remembers the exact moment her life changed. She was at her computer, typing a carefully chosen, deeply personal phrase into a search bar: “disabled figure skater.”

It felt like a long shot. She’d loved skating since she was a kid, watching competitions on TV with her Nan, gliding at public rinks with her mom, feeling in her bones that she was meant to skate. But for years, there were voices all around her telling her she couldn’t.

Even teachers and doctors tried to put her in a box—listing the things she’d “never” do instead of asking what she wanted to do.

“Growing up with a disability, I probably heard more about how inconvenient my challenges were for other people than what they liked about me,” Jessica shares. “That made me afraid to try new things. It felt like there was this expectation of failure before I even had a chance to try.”

But that Google search over a decade ago led her to Special Olympics.

And Special Olympics gave her everything she’d been looking for: a team, a purpose, a rink full of people who accepted her exactly as she was.

“I don’t feel that way anymore,” she says of the old doubts. “Now I feel safe, loved, confident, self-assured—and so myself. Those hurtful words don’t sink so deep into my heart anymore because I know different. They’ve lost their value. I’ve found my true value because of inclusion and Special Olympics.”

Over the past ten years as a Special Olympics figure skater, Jessica has become not only a decorated athlete but also a passionate champion for inclusion. At the Special Olympics World Winter Games Turin 2025, she skated to a deeply personal song—her way of thanking her coaches, family, friends, and herself for “the most breathtaking, connection-filled adventure of a lifetime.” She brought home a gold medal for Canada.

For Jessica, no medal could mean as much as the community she’s discovered.

She’ll tell you her proudest moment wasn’t standing on the podium—it was hugging her niece after her performance at her first National Games, hearing her say she was proud. It was standing alongside her best friends at Opening Ceremony, sharing gratitude just to be there together.

“My coaches have really helped make me into a strong, independent, kind, resilient person,” she says. “I wouldn’t be who I am without them. Special Olympics helped me find my people who believe in me—and I know if you join, you will find your people too.”

Jessica speaks openly about the challenges she’s faced. Before skating, anxiety was a barrier she believed she couldn’t overcome. But sport helped her see another path.

“Skating showed me the value in how hard work could reshape things in a really positive way,” she explains. “Overcoming that challenge really taught me to be proud of myself. I’m still here, still learning, still growing, still skating and loving myself. That’s one of the most profound things about skating: there’s always a way forward even when you can’t see it. You just need to slow down and find the right way to look at things.”

Ask Jessica why inclusion matters, and she doesn’t hesitate:

“Inclusion is magic. Friendship is life-changing. Connection builds strength, and sport unites us all. The world simply needs more kindness, more joy, more understanding—all of which inclusion brings in abundance.”

She wants people to know that having a disability doesn’t make her less.

“I live a beautiful life filled with people who see my value even if I need extra help sometimes. Sure, there are things that might take more time to learn or achieve, but they don’t make me less. I am a whole, amazing, fulfilled, brave, resilient person.”

To anyone struggling to be themselves, she shares the advice she wishes she’d heard sooner:

“The right people will like you just the way you are. And if you haven’t found those people yet, keep looking. Maybe sign up for Special Olympics—that’s where I found my people who didn’t ask me to shrink myself or pretend to be someone I’m not.”

“The right people will greet you every time you show up with, ‘I’m so glad to have you here today no matter what.’ Whether you’re happy, sad, mad, struggling, winning, or losing—it won’t change how they feel about you. The right people will see your challenges as things to face together, not as limits.”

And for those who could choose kindness more often?

“Maybe that means you need some kindness yourself—and I hope that finds you. Maybe come hang out with us Special Olympics athletes. We’re the CEOs of kindness and loving people just the way they are. And the world needs more of that.”

Jessica Cranton is living proof that inclusion isn’t an abstract ideal. It’s the difference between giving up and trying again. Between isolation and connection. Between believing you don’t belong anywhere and knowing you’re exactly where you’re meant to be.

Because inclusion is magic.

And Jessica Cranton wants the whole world to know it.