In January 2024, after five months of hard work, Antrone “Juice” Williams received his Non-Medical Independent Transportation Provider license, something he takes great pride in. To Williams’s knowledge, he is the first Special Olympics athlete to receive this certification. Through his new role, he believes he’s making a tangible impact within the disability community.
But it was events years earlier that made the accomplishment of obtaining the license even more meaningful.
William’s life spiraled in a direction he wasn’t expecting when he had a medical scare in 2012. Seemingly healthy leading up to this event, Williams had a massive stroke on September 26th, 2012. And just like that, he found himself with a new normal.
Following the stroke, he was in a medically induced coma. During this time, he could hear everything people said, and comprehend his surroundings but because he was in a coma he was unable to communicate. It was like he could repeat everything said to him in his mind but was not able to verbalize it or get anyone’s attention.
After coming out of the coma, Williams had to relearn how to walk, talk and run. However, despite the obstacles he faced, he kept a positive mindset and outlook for the future.
While he had already been a Special Olympics Ohio athlete for many years, competing in basketball, bowling and golf, it was after his stroke that he realized the true power of Special Olympics. He credits the organization and his mentor, Eric Johnson, who he met in 2021, with helping him overcome some of the darkest times in his life.
“I'm just blessed to be a part of Special Olympics because I was going through a lot of depression and it helped me,” Juice says. “It's been helping me through my journey.”
His journey back to “normal life” has not been without bumps along the way, but Williams has crafted a new normal, finding his place as a Special Olympics athlete leader. He’s served on his local Athlete Input Council and had the opportunity to travel for public speaking engagements. “It means a lot because I'm making a huge impact, not just in my community but throughout the national community,” Williams says about his role as an athlete leader.
Those opportunities and the leadership skills learned through Special Olympics led Williams to want to make an even bigger impact on the disability community.
“I know many of my fellow Special Olympics struggle with finances, some don't have a good parent, or anything like that to help them along the way, and there are so many that are not getting good healthcare,” Williams says with a lot of passion. “That's why I wanted to advocate for and support my peers as much as possible.”
In January 2024, after five months of hard work and a lifetime of preparation, he received his Non-Medical Independent Transportation Provider license, something he takes great pride in. To Williams’s knowledge, he is the first Special Olympics athlete to receive this certification. Through this role, he believes he’s making a tangible impact within the disability community.
During days he’s on the clock in this new role as an Independent Provider, you’ll find him driving his clients to their everyday obligations and different appointments, including work, volunteer opportunities, and educational programs. He says, “I don’t mind driving long distances because I’m helping others who need it.” He feels very fortunate to have the freedom to do the things he likes. He acknowledges that not everyone within the disability community can do that and values giving others that same freedom. He also hopes that his journey will encourage others to overcome their own challenges.
“Be great in what you do and believe in something that you know,” he shares. “My advice would be to study if it is something that you truly want to do.”
Williams believes certain things are meant to happen in life, and you can learn valuable lessons and skills from adversity. He is thankful he was put in the position to make a positive difference in people’s lives and find a meaningful way to support his family. He encourages other Special Olympics athletes to use their voices and life experiences to create change in their communities as well.
