Rebel Girls Celebrate Neurodiversity: 25 Tales of Creative Thinkers
8 BILLIE EILISH SINGER-SONGWRITER When Billie was little she and her brother spent their free time writing songs together She loved finding the perfect words to match the melody and hearing the way her voice moved through them all from soft whispers to airy high notes She always knew she wanted to be a singer When she was 13 Billie uploaded her song Ocean Eyes on a streaming platform Listeners loved it and the world wanted to see what Billie would do next Out of the spotlight though Billie was dealing with a neurological condition When she was 11 years old Billie noticed her body moving on its own She would raise her eyebrows wiggle her ears back and forth click her jaw or flex her muscles all without being able to control it Billie did not know why this was happening to her With help from her family and doctors she found out that she had Tourette's syndrome a condition that affected the nerves in her body It caused her tics the sudden movements that kept happening throughout the day Billie was relieved to know what was going on but she still had a hard time with the tics like when people would laugh at her That made her upset Over time Billie embraced Tourette's syndrome It's not like I like it she says but I feel like it's part of me Some of her tics have gone away as she's gotten older She still experiences others Through it all she's focused on what really matters her music Billie uses lots of different sounds from electronic beats and catchy bass lines to soft guitar chords and plinking piano notes Above it all her gentle expressive voice intones heartfelt lyrics Billie keeps speaking out about her experience with Tourette's syndrome She wants everyone to feel comfortable sharing what they're going through BORN DECEMBER 18 2001 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Bill X X X X WRITING BILLJE A SONG IS SO PERSONAL YOU HAVE TO HAVE TRUST IN SOMEONE YOU'RE WORKING WITH OTHERWISE YOU'RE NOT GONNA COME OUT WITH SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY YOU BILLIE EILISH Billj eili ILLUSTRATION BY PAULA ZORITE Z
BREANNA CLARK RUNNER Powerful strides carried a young woman swiftly around the racetrack Behind her seven other women raced for their chance at a Paralympic gold medal The stands were filled with thousands of people excited to see who would win As their cheers grew louder and louder Breanna Clark crossed the finish line Her heart raced She couldn't believe it she had won As a little girl Breanna was incredibly active and curious She enjoyed playing sports making friends and spending time with her twin brother Rashard When she was four Breanna's parents noticed that she was not like other children They took her to the doctor and found out that she was autistic Autism often affects how people talk act and think Breanna's parents were worried about her and her future But they didn't need to be concerned Breanna always knew what she loved being active She tried several sports but none of them were as fun as running In high school Breanna joined the track and field team That meant she got to run as much as she wanted She even started competing in races In 2016 Breanna qualified for the Paralympics an international competition for athletes with disabilities She won gold Five years later her powerful legs and incredible focus took her across the finish line at the Tokyo Paralympics She picked up a gold medal there too Breanna's victories make her and her family proud She keeps blowing past the competition all over the world BORN NOVEMBER 4 1994 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 10
6 I LIKE RUNNING BECAUSE IT MAKES ME FEEL FREE BREANNA CLARK ILLUSTRATION BY CARLA JAYE USA CLARK
