Avril Lavigne performed publicly for the first time in more than a year at the Opening Ceremony of the 2015 Special Olympics World Games on Saturday night in Los Angeles.
As the torch was lit to officially kick off the games, the 30-year-old Canadian pop star belted out her new single “Fly.” The inspiring track includes the lyrics: “There’s a light inside all of us. Soon, you’ll find that it’s your time to fly.”
Lavigne has been absent from the stage since revealing last year that she is battling Lyme disease,which left her bedridden. She wrote on Instagram Saturday that she was “honored” to be a part of the Special Olympics.
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“Honored to have performed my song ‘Fly’ at the opening ceremony for the Special Olympics tonight,” the singer shared on Instagram following the performance. “All proceeds go to support the Special Olympics.
“This was a very beautiful night for me. Congratulations to all the athletes. Thank you to everyone who supports the Avril Lavigne Foundation. It has been a difficult year fighting through Lyme Disease for me and I am so happy to have made it on stage tonight for the first performance in a year.
“Thank you for having me and please enjoy my song ‘Fly’. I wrote this song to encourage people who are facing challenges, to encourage strength and to empower.”
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The Special Olympics World Games Los Angeles 2015 will be broadcast on ESPN, and will run through Sunday, Aug. 2. Watch the video of Lavigne’s performance below.
Honored to have performed my song Fly at the opening ceremony for the Special Olympics tonight. All proceeds go to support the Special Olympics. This was a very beautiful night for me. Congratulations to all the athletes. Thank you to everyone who supports the Avril Lavigne Foundation. It has been a difficult year fighting through Lyme Disease for me and I am so happy to have made it on stage tonight for the first performance in a year. Thank you for having me and please enjoy my song Fly. I wrote this song to encourage people who are facing challenges, to encourage strength and to empower. Xoxo
A photo posted by Avril Lavigne (@avrillavigne) on
Jul 25, 2015 at 9:57pm PDT