KAYLA SCHADEGG | 20 Under 40
Written and compiled by KELLY POTTER and LAUREN JURGENSEN | Photos by JOHN BURNS
Kayla is the new parent and medical outreach specialist for Down Syndrome Innovations. Upon moving to Topeka, she made it her goal to give back to the community and create the future her family envisioned for their daughter with Down syndrome. That meant embracing, supporting and creating spaces that are inclusive, accepting and understanding of all.
When she’s not wearing her advocate hat, she teaches gymnastics at Capital Gymnastics and Athletics. She has been coaching and teaching young children to be resilient, confident, caring and inclusive for nearly 12 years, and prides herself on making athletics accessible to any child.
What’s the biggest professional goal you’ve accomplished?
There are several national Down syndrome organizations and most of them host some kind of annual conference. Last year, a friend prodded me to submit a session proposal to one and I was accepted. I was able to speak to a room full of parents and self-advocates about how to establish and run a successful medical outreach program, and ended up being invited back to the same conference this year to lead the team of volunteers serving the policy and advocacy team.
What is non-negotiable for you?
I refuse to change myself for anyone or anything. I spent many of my early years dealing with bullies. I pursued theatre in high school and spent hundreds of hours quite literally practicing being someone else to escape who I was. As an adult woman, I have been blessed to be surrounded by some incredible role models who have helped me to accept and appreciate who I am, and to stand strong in my values, my goals and my self-worth.
If you could choose one superhuman ability, what would it be?
I would love to be able to teleport! A perk of being a military spouse and a pageant queen is that I have friends literally all over the globe, but travel is time-consuming and expensive! If I could teleport, I could visit any of them any time I wanted.
