Speaking up: GiGi’s Participants are inspiring the world!

Public speaking isn’t exactly for the faint of heart. Let’s face it: whether it’s for school, work, or a public event, the thought of giving a speech or presentation makes most of us uneasy, and for good reason; it’s scary. Stepping on stage, speaking in front of a crowd, revealing who you are—it’s all nerve-wracking.  

 No matter who you are, it takes confidence to give a speech in front of a crowd. 

Two weeks ago, GiGi’s Playhouse held our 2024 Annual Leadership Conference. Attended by 66 of our Playhouses and startups, the conference allows our staff, volunteers, board members, and participants to come together and learn from one another! Beyond this collaboration, our conference features speaking opportunities. 

…Lots of them. The five-day conference featured 80 sessions and 96 different speakers! Some notable speakers included staff members, board members, industry leaders, and even Hall of Fame keynote speakers who doubled as death-defying jugglers. Though there were so many incredible speakers, a special group of speakers stood out above the rest: 

Our participants. 

On Saturday, Luke Tyrell, a participant and self-advocate from GiGi’s Playhouse Detroit, took to the stage to speak and inspired all our attendees. Presenting a PowerPoint, Luke eloquently shared his story and GiGi’s impact on his life while detailing how he’s impacted his community. But the inspirational moments weren’t over.  

Later that night, GiGi Gianni, the namesake and Chief Inspiration Officer of GiGi’s Playhouse, took to the stage during our banquet and awards ceremony to speak to the crowd. Though it was GiGi’s first time using PowerPoint, you’d never know it. She was confident, poised, and funny as she shared details about her life and talked about her growth has mirrored the growth and expansion of GiGi’s Playhouse! 

 Luke’s and GiGi’s speeches signified something bigger than overcoming jitters or stage fright; they represent years of hard work, determination, and resilience. 

Whenever anyone speaks — whether they’re having a casual conversation with a friend or speaking in front of an auditorium of hundreds — they’re using tons of muscles. The average person uses roughly 100 muscles every time they speak! For most people, talking comes naturally, so this doesn’t feel like exertion. 

But for individuals with Down syndrome, it’s a different story. 

Individuals with Down syndrome have low muscle tone; this low muscle tone makes speech and articulating words extremely difficult, requiring years of therapy, practice, hard work, and perseverance. 

Luke, GiGi, and our other adult participants, who introduced themselves and our speakers at our various breakout sessions, have persevered.  

Over multiple years, countless hours, and tons of therapy and practice, they’ve put in the work to overcome their low muscle tone, gain the strength to properly articulate words, and summon up enough air to speak clearly, loudly, and confidently! 

And because of their hard work, Luke, GiGi, and many others were able to get on stage, present, and inspire so many. 

It was a message fitting of our 2024 Leadership Conference. Through our FREE educational and therapeutic programs our 61+ Playhouses are empowering individuals with Down syndrome so they can all share their stories and be heard by the ENTIRE world!