Appearing on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio, Ricky Starks discussed his past of working with disabled children and helping AEW with autism inclusion at live events.
It all started when he used to be a gymnastic coach and taught disabled children.
“It’s very important to me [working with charities and organizations outside of the ring]. I used to actually, before pro-wrestling, for a part-time job, I used to be a gymnastics coach. So I would go to different schools and it’d range from ages one to six. And so I would help kids with their motor skills and things like that, agility. It included some kids that actually had autism and other disabilities, so, to me, it’s very important to go out and do these things just because I like to give back.”
“It’s cool to have an impact on someone else’s life, you know. To them, I’m just a wrestler. But on the other side of it, this person now has a memory and they feel good, and they can understand that things can be done because they are hearing from someone that they may look up to or whatever the case may be. I work with Culture City when it comes to autism inclusion at our shows, and make sure that they have these sensory rooms, and people can enjoy wrestling without having to be so stressed out, you know, ultimately having a bad experience. The experience should always be good when it comes to wrestling.”
Quotes via
Wrestling Inc.