Aidan Easterling is a 21-year-old basketball fan from Dallas, Texas. He loves all aspects of the sport – from shooting hoops to pumping up basketballs, he finds joy in it all. His mom says, “Aidan was born to be an athlete. It’s just in his DNA – all 47 chromosomes.”
While Down Syndrome causes Aidan to have physical and cognitive limitations that limit his ability to compete at the same level as typical athletes, it doesn’t stop him from celebrating every shot, whether it goes in or not! According to mom, “Aidan’s superpower is that he truly and deeply plays for the love of the game.”
Aidan glows when he talks about things he loves. In addition to playing basketball, he also enjoys swimming, chicken tenders, bouncing on his trampoline, playing with his dog, Sam, and of course, cheering on his hometown team, the Dallas Mavericks! His favorite players are Luka Doncic and Dirk Nowitzki because he feels that they’re good teammates and leaders. Aidan’s sports dream is to visit the American Airlines Center where the Mavericks play and shoot hoops with Luka or Dirk.
The SMU Collegiate Dream Team has selected Aidan as their Dream Recipient and they will be working hard in the coming months to make that sports dream come true.
