03.01.2019

WE ARE: MADISON DE ROZARIO

United We Win is Under Armour's year-round initiative celebrating culture, heritage and diversity of athletes around the world. In honor of Women's History Month, and rooted in our belief that sports have the power to inspire, change and unite the world, we are proud to share stories from the women of Under Armour. 

This is a lesson Madison de Rozario learned early. When a rare autoimmune disease started attacking her body at the age of four, leaving her in a wheelchair, de Rozario might have been expected to give up sports. In fact, she did the opposite. Madison doubled down on playing sports with her family and at 14 found herself at the Beijing Paralympics Opening Ceremony.

 

Madison has since won a total of 11 medals from the Paralympic Games, World Championships, and Commonwealth Games. And while sport still drives her to incredible heights, she recognizes that the medals are the least important aspect of what she does.

 

“I think it’s an interesting time in sport to be a female athlete. I think as women in sport we have to be so much more than just athletes,” she says. “If you can be authentically yourself and be the woman that you choose to be regardless of any input from anywhere external, then that is more than enough.”

 

Madison knows that it would be easy—even expected—for her to feel as though her body is imperfect. She adamantly rejects this notion. Instead, Madison is passionate about using her platform to help girls love their bodies, extolling the fact that there is no such thing as a perfect body.

 

In a world where it’s common to get lost in the perfection pervading social media, Madison de Rozario is sending a powerful message that we need to hear: By defying expectations and daring to be yourself, you may just find your calling and reach a higher podium than you ever thought possible.

 

“You don't have to be what you're expected to be.”

Madison de Rozario

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