TAYLOR BENNETT

I'm an adventurous Canadian girl, Special Olympian, and advocate who was born with an extremely rare chromosome deletion, so rare in fact it doesn't even have a name.  At an early age doctors informed my parents that I would exhibit significant limitations in life, both physically and intellectually.

My family refused to accept this as my future and decided that they were going to give me every opportunity in life.  I quickly expressed an interest in travel, whether it was a local trail ride or a summer vacation exploring new places.  I am always up for adventure and take my biggest risks during these trips trying things outside of my comfort zone. I LOVE travelling with my family, off roading, overland camping, fishing, hiking, exploring and I'm not afraid to get dirty doing it.  

Having special needs can be hard, and for some of us who have difficulty reading and writing a photograph is a great way for us to communicate.  Travel and photography became an interictal part of my life as I was able to use my travel pictures to actively participate in classroom assignments like public speaking.   PowerPoint presentations gave me the courage to stand in front of my peers and I developed a passion for sharing my experiences.

Through my travels and photographs I want to show other children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities that anything is possible.  I hope my pictures encourage others to want to travel and discover the wonders of our special planet.  My goal is to raise awareness and promote ADVENTURE, INCLUSION and LEARNING for persons with special needs.