For the last two years, Alex Singleton has worn a black rubber band on his right wrist. It was a gift from his older sister, Ashley.

The band's message is simple: Rethink. Respect. Reconsider. And while the band is as light as a feather on Singleton's wrist, the words emblazoned on it carry a lot of weight for the 26-year-old linebacker.

The words are the motto of an initiative out of Singleton's home area of Ventura County, California called Project R, whose mission is to "discourage the use of the R-word so that people with disabilities may be empowered and recognized as individuals with qualities and abilities who offer significance" to the community, according to its Facebook page.

The message resonates with Singleton for a number of reasons, but chief among them is the person who gifted him the wrist band to him two years ago, Ashley.

Ashley was born with Down syndrome, a genetic disorder caused when "abnormal cell division results in an extra full or partial copy of chromosome 21," according to the Mayo Clinic. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, about 6,000 babies are born with Down syndrome each year, which is about one in every 700. Although Ashley was among the one in 700, if you ask her younger brother, she is by far the best athlete in the family.

Ashley has competed in the Special Olympics for more than 20 years in swimming and bowling, collecting a slew of accolades along the way. She also works with Project R to create a better life for those who have mental disabilities.

All of this makes Ashley more than just a big sister for Alex. She is his role model and inspiration to give maximum effort in all of his endeavors.