Athletes for the Barefoot Autism Challenge

 Are you ready for this? In collaboration with the Barefoot Autism Challenge, the Des Moines Rugby Club and 515 Run Club are teaming up to bring an event of barefoot activities!

On April 28th from 5-8 pm, people can join in for some barefoot rugby and running as well as local vendors, food trucks and more! It'll be at the Des Moines Rugby Club in West Des Moines for anyone who's interested.

Shoutout to my friend Anna for helping put this together

Busy Mom's Boutique is one of the first vendors and will sell dirty sodas and loaded teas

The spots marked in red are the best places to park and the spots marked in blue are where we recommend snagging a spot so you can cheer on runners and rugby players. Bring your own chairs and blankets!

Barefoot Autism Challenge week 1

 April is here! That means the Barefoot Autism Challenge starts! It's been a great week for the Barefoot Autism Challenge so far! I'll give you a rundown of each week this month.

To start, I was interviewed on Hello Iowa on channel 13 by Megan Reuther. I shared highlights from the past few years of my challenge as well as shared an upcoming event that will be put on by the Des Moines Rugby Club and the 515 Run Club. More on that in a future blog post. And with that the Barefoot Autism Challenge officially got underway.

On Autism Awareness Day, I went to Grant Ragan Elementary school in Waukee where they have a whole day showing fun things related to autism to the students. Megan Trader's first grade class had me talk about my challenge and we did a little barefoot walk around the school. We were going to do it outside but for weather reasons had to stay inside.

Even after we did the walk, some of the kids didn't even want to put their shoes and socks back on which I can relate to. But they did have to go back on before lunch. I'll definitely be back for next year.

My friend Alicia from Talk Play Junction was there too

There's still a lot more to come for April but I'm excited to celebrate 10 years of my challenge! Stay tuned for more.

Barefoot Autism Challenge fun coming up

 It's March. And that means it's the start of spring! A time of renewal, a time of change, and a time that makes us want to free our feet! That's right. The Barefoot Challenge is a month away. I have a lot to look forward to next month. The Des Moines Art Center barefoot tour, getting the opportunity to share my challenge on a podcast and at a local school, and sharing it with my young adult ministry. I can't wait to see what April has in store.

But this April, I'll be short of one supporter of my challenge. March 10th, Canadian barefooter Sue Regan Kenney sadly passed away of cancer. Sue's family, friends and everyone in the barefoot community will miss her passion for being barefoot, cold plunges, and just living life to the fullest. 

Rest in Peace Sue.

Valentines Day

 It's Valentine's Day this weekend. I know that a lot of autistic people they want to find love and everything. There's the show Love on the Spectrum showcasing autism and dating. You can find it on Netflix if you want to watch. But what about other Valentine's Day activities? Like other holidays, you can have sensory friendly activities, have exit plans if celebrations get overwhelming, and including special interests.

If you're going on a date with someone who's autistic, it can be a bit tricky at times. Seeing Love on the Spectrum I have seen how tricky it can be. There can be challenges with social cues and managing emotional expressions; that being said people with autism often bring honesty, loyalty and can bring unique experiences to the relationship. If you establish routines, be open about expectations and respect boundaries, I'm sure the relationship will be a success.

I hope you all have a fun Valentines Day! And keep an eye out on the details coming to the 2026 Barefoot Autism Challenge.

Barefoot Autism Challenge 2026

In 2017, I created the Barefoot Autism Challenge as a mere way to get the late, great Barefoot Runners Society more active. As we enter the TENTH year of the challenge, my idea is to look back on the past ten years and honor the legacy the challenge has left.

I have shared the challenge many places throughout Iowa and even in other states through mutual friends and business trips through Wells Fargo. Themed challenges took place in 2020 during a time with much uncertainty and I got that figured out after a trial and error. My challenge was even shared through Special Olympics during the 2022 USA Special Olympics, and in 2024 I did a barefoot tour of the Des Moines Art Center

Barefoot Art Center Tour

Barefoot exercise

Earthing with Olive

MomCast DSM launch party

Des Moines Therapy Neighborhood

Whatever this year has in store for the challenge, I'm excited to see what comes next. Maybe revisiting old events and exploring whole new opportunities. In any case, stay tuned for the new promotional video and put your best "BARE" foot forward for autism awareness. Also keep an eye out for new merchandise from my Zazzle store.

Barefoot Autism Challenge closing out 2025

 I hope everyone had a great time with the holidays. I hope 2026 will treat you all well and is filled with autism advocacy and fun. I look forward to seeing what the Barefoot Autism Challenge will have for next year as the challenge comes to it's tenth year!

Autism on Reality TV

 If there's one thing that gets people talking, it's reality TV show competitions. You either love them or you hate them. Other times people watch them for the drama or because they see people who remind them of their own lives. In the case of autism, it's not that represented on reality TV because some people haven't disclosed it or they try to keep it a secret so other contestants won't take advantage of the fact or just want people to see those individuals as themselves and not autism. Here are some examples of autistic people on reality TV.

To start, Ian Terry was on Big Brother 14 and 22 as well as Traitors. Ian was to this day the only winner on the autism spectrum although he was diagnosed in between his Big Brother seasons. Ian was known for his analytical approach to the game where he first won $500,000 but come the all star season, he was the first person to be on the jury. Terry even represented the United States in the 2021 World Backgammon Team Championship in Trier, Germany. He'll be on the 2026 season of The Traitors.

Speaking of Big Brother, we now have Britini D'Angelo. A member of the Jokers from Big Brother 23, Britini was sadly on the chopping block from week 3 to 5 but saved herself by winning a veto on week 5. But week 6 housemate Kyland Young (more on him later) won Head of Household and D'Angelo tried to make a deal with him to keep each other safe. But Kyland was focusing on other targets and the Cookout convinced him Britini was the bigger threat landing her as the first member of the jury. She revealed to the jury that she hid her autism because she wanted to see people for herself, but the jury was very accepting of her and was proud for saying she has autism. D'Angelo is a kindergarten teacher and a black belt in taekwondo and MAN CAN SHE RAP!! She even rapped for me in a Cameo video congratulating me on getting picked for Team Iowa for the USA Special Olympics.

Onto Kyland Young, he too was on Big Brother 23 but he was placed 4th and was a member of the jury as well. The difference from him and Britini was he was diagnosed with autism AFTER the show and on the launch of The Challenge: Battle for a New Champion. Currently he is competing on the Amazing Race with his girlfriend Taylor Hale. I'm making this blog prior to the finale so you'll have to watch and see how they survive the final leg of the race.

You either loved Survivor 48 or you hated it. I loved it! Especially since the castmate I was rooting for needs no introduction. Watch episode 5 of that season or read my blog about Eva and you'll know what I mean Eva Erickson was the first Survivor contestant to be openly autistic. She is working towards her PhD, captain of the Brown University Men's Hockey Team, and the runner up of her season. If Kamila didn't cut Eva off about blindsiding Shauhin, I feel like Eva could have won with Joe being a tie breaker between her and winner Kyle, but she said that the friendships she made on the show even if they weren't allies, were far more important than winning a million dollars.

Other autistic reality show personalities include Amber Borzotra from Big Brother and the Challenge, L Rodgers from the Voice, Adin Boyer, Sam Finelli, and James Durbin from American Idol and Demi Burnett from the Bachelor franchise. Feel free to give those guys a follow to see more of their autism journey.