The Power of Inclusion: Athlete with Down Syndrome honored after winning world championship

    CARMEL, Indiana (WRTV) -- Sky Simpson's father never thought he would see his son shine on the world's stage.

“Never in my wildest dreams, ever thought that he would be on a world stage for anything," Stephen Simpson said.

He recalls when he found out his son would have Down syndrome.

"We knew ahead of time that he would have Down Syndrome," he explained. "We knew we needed to change the goals for him. There would be just as many important goals. There were just different ones."

Simpson was thankful to raise his son Sky in Carmel, where he was included.

When Sky graduated from Carmel High School, his father worked to find him a gym.

"I looked around and talked to Special Olympics, and they said, contact Moran Academy,“ he said.

"I’m a big believer in the barbells for everybody and everybody can lift heavy weights," Kyle Moran said.

Moran has been Sky's coach for the past couple of years.

"Watching him grow just socially and all that stuff and having the new confidence just to come in and train, that's been cool to see," Moran said.

Moran saw Sky's progress and submitted for Sky to compete in the International Powerlifting Federation’s World Open Equipped Powerlifting Championships in Iceland.

Sky and his coach went, and Sky won gold.

"Him up there on the podium with that gold banner, first place, and his name with the American flag. I saw that and I just started crying. I couldn't hold it in," Simpson said.

“It's not, like, a charity gold medal," Moran said. "Everything that every other powerlifter at the event had to do, he did."

On Tuesday, Mayor Sue Finkam and the City of Carmel honored Sky the same way the city honored its Olympic athletes this past summer: by naming a street after him.

Per a release, the street sign at Monon Green Blvd. and Range Line Rd. will be temporarily changed to "Sky Simpson Blvd."

"I love this city," Simpson said.

Sky's next challenge: winning back-to-back world titles.