BILLINGS — Billings Senior's Luisa Rivera has made her presence felt for the Broncs wrestling program last February when she helped the team to its third consecutive girls state title while placing fifth individually.
While the junior grappler's accolades on the mat will continue to pile up over the next year and change, her biggest impact at Senior has nothing to do with her athletic performance.
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"My freshman year I took a unified P.E. class, and ever since then I fell in love with working with special needs kids and helping with Special Olympics. I do a bunch of sports with them as their unified partner," Rivera said.
Rivera showcases a fierce side of her on the wrestling mat, but she’s really tenderhearted and caring. That’s what led her to becoming a unified partner in the first place.
“I always just looked in school and all the special needs kids were getting looked at different," Rivera said. "They should just be treated with respect and as normal people. It made me want to show them they're normal people, because they are, and just show them love."
As a unified partner, Rivera suits up and participants in the events, helping guide the Special Olympians while providing a positive voice. During this time, she’s built some core lifetime memories.
“One of my favorite memories is just playing soccer and whenever somebody made a goal we were so excited for them, high-fiving them and they were so proud of themselves," Rivera said. "They were so proud of themselves.
“It's just so enjoyable to see them happy. It just changes my personality when I'm with them, because it just makes me so happy just to be around them."
You can bet that’s a shared feeling between the Special Olympians and Rivera.
