“Envision the outcome and the journey will appear,” is the motto Conrad Miller-Fabregas lives by.
Conrad, an Assumption University student from Mesa, Arizona, got involved with Special Olympics Massachusetts in April of 2024 when he ran the Boston 5K for the Xtra Mile team. Little did anyone know the incredible human that would be entering our mission...
His whole life, Conrad felt that he was different, but it wasn't until last year as an adult that he was diagnosed with Autism and that is when everything started to make sense.
The Boston 5K may have been his first time with Special Olympics MA, but it surely was not his first rodeo. When he was in high school, his mother, Valerie, encouraged Conrad to volunteer with Special Olympics as a coach because she knew he had special needs and wanted him to feel a sense of belonging. Conrad coached Special Olympics swimming, track and field and took part in hiking programs with Special Olympics Arizona.
Through working with Special Olympics athletes, Conrad felt comfort in the familiarity, but he was also inspired.
Being diagnosed with Autism changed his entire life for the better. Everything began to make sense, and he was able to work through the challenges he used to face with a better understanding. He was also able to get the accommodations he needed to move to Worcester and become a college student at Assumption University.
“I’ve been a lot happier because I now know why I do a lot of the things I do,” Conrad said. “It’s also allowed me to realize what my strengths are and use them.”
Conrad will be running the 2025 Boston Marathon in support of Special Olympics MA in hopes to not only fundraise money for the organization, but to inspire other athletes. He wants to be a mirror for others like him to show them when you find out what your strengths are, there is nothing that can stop you.
“I always talk about cultivating your genius gene,” Conrad said. “I want to show them that they have a genius gene that they can also cultivate.”
Learn more about Conrad's Marathon Journey
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