Maya Sundberg competed in the Area Bowling Competition at TennPin Alley in Columbia, Tennessee, placing third in her bracket and finding herself on the podium.
Sundberg, 19 years old and from Area 6 – Maury County, was visibly exuberant as she was awarded her yellow ribbon on the stand.
She also sang the national anthem to kick off the event, which is something that she isn’t a stranger to doing. A couple of months ago she sang the national anthem at the home of the Tennessee Titans, Nissan Stadium, to kick off Music City Blitz.
“It was really exciting, and really just an honor to be there because not a lot of people get to do that kind of stuff,” Sundberg said.
“At first it was really nerve-wracking because it was a lot more people than here [at TennPin]. At first, I was like I’m not sure about this,” Sundberg continued, “but then I started thinking to myself ‘I got this’ and after that, it was a piece of cake. It was just the nerves that were building up to that.”
Singing in front of a massive audience like the crowd at Nissan Stadium is something that not everyone can do, and Sundberg even mentions that when she talks about how blessed she was to do such a thing.
If she sang at Nissan Stadium like how she did to kick off the Area Bowling Competition last Friday, then she for sure did very well.
Sundberg is also currently in a discussion to potentially participate in the upcoming Winter Games, and she actually has her eyes on skiing if she is chosen.
“I’ve tried ice skating before,” she said, “but I am just not very good at it. Skiing just seems a lot more exciting.”
Sundberg came to Tennessee from Seattle in the summer of 2021, and she already is really grateful to Special Olympics Tennessee.
“I get to participate in stuff that other people can’t really," Sundberg said about the organization. "And it’s amazing how much Special Olympics does for people with disabilities.”
