The Beautiful Lives Project gives people with disabilities the chance to play sports and puts together 35-40 events every year.

“Passing the basketball, shooting free throws and visiting with coaches were all things I dreamed of doing in my life,” Weiler said. “Allowing children and adults these same opportunities is life-changing for me."

The opportunity at Evansville inspired Weiler to give people with disabilities the opportunity to play sports.

“At Evansville, I was surrounded by people who believed in me,” Weiler said. “I wanted to help others be able to live their own dreams in life and experience sports and other activities.”

The event gives athletes the chance to experience "life-changing moments with the participants," Weiler said. At the start, a group of three to four baseball or softball players is paired with a few attendees; they spend the hour running through drills, playing catch and learning the sport.

Senior infielder Hannah Greer said she was reminded of the impact something as simple as softball can provide to someone. 

“It is an incredible opportunity to connect as a community and make such an impact on these kids' lives,” Greer said. “It makes you feel grateful for our own health; being able to see how smart and creative they are is really impactful. Seeing the smiles on their faces makes our whole week.”

Running the bases or catching a fly ball may be minuscule for student-athletes, and as the afternoon progressed, attendees' faces beamed with joy. MSU softball head coach Sharonda McDonald-Kelly said recognizing that sentiment puts it into perspective for her players.

“Softball is a game of failures,” McDonald-Kelly said. “You hope that they remember it's something they get to do and are so capable, and blessed to be able to do. We don’t all get to choose our path in life, but when we do, we get this opportunity to make the most of it.”

MSU baseball and softball were the first teams to host the Beautiful Lives Project back in 2022. For MSU baseball head coach Jake Boss, an event like this is a no-brainer for him and his players to participate in each year.

“For the guys who haven’t experienced it before, it may seem like just another thing that we have to do,” Boss said. “Once they get into it, it becomes a thing that they want to do and look forward to doing. It’s an incredible day for our program.”

Weiler plans to keep growing the Beautiful Lives Project with more teams and hosts who are invested in giving back and letting people with disabilities live out their dreams.

“I want to continue doing as many events as I can with people who want to help,” Weiler said. “When you do events with people that want to do them, they are successful.”