Living With Mild Cerebral Palsy

Daryl Perry
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  • Personal Journals

Living With Mild Cerebral Palsy is my personal perspective on navigating everyday life, fitness, movement, body image, mindset, and staying as active as I can with Cerebral Palsy. I’m Daryl Perry of Your Level Fitness, and I share honest solo conversations along with occasional guests. I’m not speaking for everyone with cerebral palsy. I’m simply sharing my experience, what I’ve learned, what frustrates me, and what I’m still figuring out along the way.

Episodes

  1. 3d ago

    Living Between Two Worlds With Mild Cerebral Palsy

    Living with mild cerebral palsy can sometimes feel like living between two different worlds. In the non-disabled world, people may immediately see me as disabled. They may notice the way I walk, make assumptions about what I can do, or even question whether I belong in certain spaces. Then there is another side of the experience. Within the disabled community, I have also had people minimize my disability or suggest that I am not disabled enough because some of the things I struggle with are not immediately obvious. That can leave you in a strange middle ground. In this episode of Living with Mild Cerebral Palsy, I talk openly about what that experience has felt like for me. I get into wanting to fit in sometimes, feeling guilty because other people have greater physical challenges, constantly feeling like I need to prove myself, and wondering whether the drive to keep accomplishing more can sometimes come from a lifelong fear of being behind. I also talk about something I think is especially important. Your experience does not have to be compared to somebody else's before it becomes valid. Someone else having a different experience with cerebral palsy does not erase yours. Your ability to adapt does not mean things have always been easy. And appreciating what your body allows you to do does not mean you are never allowed to feel frustrated, exhausted, or weighed down by it. Sometimes you can appreciate yourself and still wish you could blend in. Sometimes you can be optimistic and still acknowledge that this is hard. Sometimes simply giving yourself permission to recognize those thoughts is part of learning more about yourself. If any part of this episode connects with you, spend a few minutes writing about your own experience. You do not need a perfect journal practice. Write a few sentences, make a list in your phone, or simply put the thoughts somewhere outside of your head. You deserve to know how you feel about your own life. Get the journal prompts that will help you to continue to unpack your thoughts and feelings: https://yourlevelfitness.com/email

  2. 6d ago

    Ableism, Accessibility and Personal Responsibility With Cerebral Palsy

    Ableism is a word that comes up constantly in disability and cerebral palsy communities, and I have mixed feelings about some of the ways I see it discussed online. This episode is my perspective. I am not speaking for everyone with cerebral palsy, and I am not telling anyone how they should feel about their own experiences. I absolutely believe accessibility matters. There are barriers, systems, workplaces, and environments that should be more accommodating to people with disabilities. I have also experienced situations where accommodations were not provided, where I felt underestimated, and where I had to work harder because of cerebral palsy. But I keep coming back to another question. What are you going to do with the situation you have? You have every right to be frustrated. You have every right to be angry about things that are unfair. I have those moments too, especially when my body does not cooperate, when I am exhausted, hurting, injured, or wondering what my mobility will look like in the future. The question for me is what happens after that. In this episode, I talk about growing up without the online cerebral palsy communities that exist today, being told very matter of factly as a kid that I had been dealt a difficult hand, working jobs where accommodations were limited or nonexistent, and what it is like living with what would generally be considered mild cerebral palsy. I also get into something I think the internet makes particularly difficult. Everything can quickly become us versus them. I believe we can advocate for accessibility while also asking ourselves what we can build, change, adapt to, or pursue within our own circumstances. Those ideas do not have to compete with each other. Cerebral palsy affects what I can do and how I do certain things, but it is not the entirety of who I am. Whatever your level of disability, your interests, creativity, experiences, and perspective still belong to you. You can acknowledge what is unfair. You can advocate for change. And you can still ask yourself what you want to do with the life and circumstances you have. Want to hear more stories and conversations from people living with cerebral palsy? Check out The Cerebral Palsy Perspective Podcast: https://yourlevelfitness.com/cerebral-palsy-perspective

  3. 07/21/2025

    Choosing to Blend Out

    Show Links: Purchase Zach’s Books: https://www.zacharyfenell.com/my-books/ Check Out Zach’s Blog: https://www.zacharyfenell.com/blog/ Subscribe to Zach’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/zacharyfenell Connect with Zach on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zacharyfenell/ Episode Description: In this episode, Zachary Fenell joins me to talk about what it really means to live as actively as possible while navigating life with cerebral palsy. We dive into the assumptions people make about disability, the pressure to “prove” your condition, and how deeply personal the concept of struggle truly is. Zach shares stories about college, marathons, and the moment he chose to stop blending in and start owning his story. We explore how internal validation trumps external approval, why visibility on social media can be both empowering and draining, and how everyone's path to self-acceptance looks different. From humorous moments to serious reflection, this episode highlights the importance of being seen for who you are—not just through the lens of a diagnosis, but as a full person with interests, goals, and strength. Zach reminds us that comparison steals joy, and I couldn’t agree more. Our stories matter. Your story matters. And no matter what the world sees on the surface, only you truly know your journey. You don’t need to prove your disability to anyone. You don’t need permission to be yourself. This is about owning your truth, taking pride in your progress, and blending out. Please share this episode with anyone you think would be interested in listening to it. For comments, questions, topic ideas, possible collaborations please email daryl@yourlevelfitness.com

  4. 07/19/2025

    Living With Mild Cerebral Palsy: My Experience and Perspective

    What does living with mild cerebral palsy actually look like day to day? I’m Daryl Perry of Your Level Fitness, and this podcast is where I share my personal experience navigating life, fitness, movement, body image, mindset, and everything else that comes with having mild cerebral palsy. I’m not here to speak for everyone with CP. Cerebral palsy exists across a huge spectrum, and everybody’s experience is their own. What I can do is talk openly about mine. Some episodes will be straightforward solo conversations about things I notice in everyday life. Others will explore staying active, dealing with physical limitations, navigating insecurities, adapting when something does not go as planned, and figuring out what it means to appreciate yourself while still acknowledging the frustrations that can come with disability. You’ll also occasionally hear conversations with other people who have cerebral palsy and different experiences from mine. There is no perfect way to navigate this. I’m simply sharing what living with mild cerebral palsy looks like from where I sit, what I’ve learned along the way, and what I’m still figuring out. If you want to hear more stories and conversations from people across the cerebral palsy community, check out The Cerebral Palsy Perspective Podcast: https://yourlevelfitness.com/cerebral-palsy-perspective

  • 4 Episodes

About

Living With Mild Cerebral Palsy is my personal perspective on navigating everyday life, fitness, movement, body image, mindset, and staying as active as I can with Cerebral Palsy. I’m Daryl Perry of Your Level Fitness, and I share honest solo conversations along with occasional guests. I’m not speaking for everyone with cerebral palsy. I’m simply sharing my experience, what I’ve learned, what frustrates me, and what I’m still figuring out along the way.

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