Can an Aspie be athletic??

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I had the strangest thing happen recently: I was considering giving up sports because I felt uncoordinated and could barely keep up with low level competition (and was dumped outright by one group). Suddenly, I get asked to fill it for a high level hockey game with literally one hour notice. It was like I was a completely different person! I was performing moves I didn't know I could do and while I lost rather badly, I played exceptionally well. Even the referee came up to me after the game to congratulate me on a great game.

I also was nervous about joining a higher skill level softball team as I have struggled in a coed recreational league. Even as the new guy, I am second in batting average on the entire team. I believe I have figured out that it's not because I am naturally uncoordinated but my mind goes a mile a minute, too fast for the slower, recreational leagues so my brain and body are out of sync, I then get frustrated and the ugly cycle begins. When I am playing at a skill level above me, I don't have time for my mind to either wander.

Sounds cool to me.

Sometimes, I do better when I don't "think" so much.......

Sure we can, I'm riding some bikes today. Got a new pack that should be nicer than the Timbuk2 bags in the city for some wheelies.

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what is the definition of "Athletic"?

one Aspie, one day, "riding some bikes"?

doesn't say anything about all the other autistics in the world.

doesn't say anything about any other day.

doesn't say the distance or time.

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has anyone on Wrong Planet won any athletic competitions or taken part in travel teams?

any impressive athletic awards/accomplishments?

many articles about autism claim that. state that usually autistics do not like and are bad at athletics.

but of course the solar system contains plenty of autistics. and not all of them fit the stereotype.

although many of them do.

Of course!

Sure, why not? I'm not athletic myself, but I know autistics who are

An aspie can be fit as a fiddle, unfit as a fumble, in between like a fence sitter... of course it's possible but we do face a lot more challenges finding reasons and pathways to things we may like to aspire to. I wouldn't claim to be in athletic form but I am in reasonable shape through changes over many years, I used to be a junkie scacrecrow as I had no knowledge of nutrition or exercise. I didn't really inhabit my body or mind for a long time as I was quite flooded by the stresses and demands and never lost bad habits from childhood but I can say I am on the low levels of 'athletic' and can improve on that eventually.

I'm an international level athlete, I've represented my country a few times. My plan is to go to the 2020 Olympics. I started off in solo sports but have moved into a team sport. I struggle with it massively but am making progress through sheer determination.

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What sport and what awards?

Wheelchair basketball. I've only been to 'friendly' tournaments so far, but it's the World Cup next year so I'm hopeful to go to that.

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For a long time I was afraid to swim. After that I was afraid to dive. After that I was and continue to be afraid to dive off the three meter springboard

And when I was on the high school swim team four years it was just junior varsity.

I began tennis lessons at the late age of 50 and have been taking lessons for two years. I am excited about my continuing improvements in every area, including my endurance. My instructor says that if I keep with it, I could one day enter senior tournaments. Meanwhile, I dream of watching an actual professional tournament, meeting Denis Istomin and writing his life story. I would also like to meet Nadal and Federer.

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9th and 12th grades, played girls' team tennis. tennis team. public high school. played about 3 matches or so. it was fun. but kind of meaningless and not worth the effort.

drag around tennis racket all day long. get told off by the coach. whatever.

now what i do is just walk seven miles a day. five days a week. if someone bothers me, i avoid and ignore him. if he proceeds, then i take a videotape and tattle to 911. granted, plenty of precious lil "people" are smarter, faster, stronger, more attractive, richer, and more socially adept than me. (fine). but there is no socially awkward situation where they get to tell me off the way the tennis coach had the nerve to tell me off.

I thought about becoming a professional tennis player.
It's totally possible, though the after/pre game new conferences they have would be a nightmare.
Even NT's find it irritating.

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What competition did you win such that you could have gone pro

Autism doesn't stop college football player from his dreams