A first love can be life-altering. Suddenly every waking thought revolves around it, heart beating faster. The all-consuming nature of a first love may be too much for some people. But for others, it becomes a part of their soul, their identity.
That’s how Nora Schultz felt when she found her first love, dance, at the age of six.
“I was a rambunctious child, always moving,” explains the Special Olympics Utah athlete. “My mom thought it was a good idea to put me in dance when I was younger because of that. Dance has been there for me my entire life.”
Growing up, Nora felt lonely. She describes her experience in school as “difficult,” because the other students were not always kind to her.
“They didn’t want to be my friend because of my disability. I found it really hard to make friends,” said Nora.
When life seemed hard, Nora put on her ballet shoes, shedding the weight of isolation as soon as she got in first position. With every plié, each pirouette, she felt a connection to herself that gave her the confidence to shine on a stage.
In 2022, she began training and competing with Special Olympics in DanceSport. Though a shared love of dance was not always enough to help Nora find a place where she felt she belonged, something was different about Special Olympics. She had finally found her community.
“Dance has always been my safe space,” said Nora. “Now, Special Olympics is my safe space too.”
Now, at 24 years old, she has taken her dance career to new levels. When Nora found out she was selected to compete at the Special Olympics World Winter Games Turin 2025 in DanceSport, she almost couldn’t believe it. Her first reaction was, of course, excitement, but she found that nerves didn’t follow that feeling.
Being on stage for most of her life prepared her for this moment. With every practice and recital, her years of dancing through the hardships has brought her exactly to this moment.
“What’s most important to me is being able to come to World Games and show other people like me that they are able to do this too,” said Nora.
In the mountains of Bardonecchia, Italy, Nora may soon see her dreams come to life. She will once again put on her ballet shoes and face anything that life sends her way, proving that first love can be enduring after all.