A Note from Alina: Happy Thanksgiving from YC
Friends of YC,
There is so much good happening at YC! On Thanksgiving, I would like to share a note of gratitude penned by a participant, Alina. Alina is an eighth grader at Greenbriar Junior High in Parma. She was adopted from Ukraine and came to the United States with her family three years ago. She found YC through a PT at her school.
Speaking little English and initially and understandably shy, she quickly found a home at YC, connecting first with a welcoming and warm program staff, with teen volunteers who saw Alina as a teammate and friend, and with fellow participants, whom Alina could easily identify with because of similar age, interests, or shared disability. At YC, Alina was uniquely connected with people who genuinely got to know her as a person, an athlete, and an artist.
This past Summer, Alina had surgery on her legs. It was pretty intense and prohibited her from walking for a while. Now, at school and through PT, she’s working hard to walk on her own, with ever straighter and longer strides. But a wheelchair can be freeing too. At YC, she’s now comfortable jumping in a basketball wheelchair because that’s where she can go fast, doesn’t need to hold anyone’s hand, and fully express herself as an athlete.
Last year, when she was hesitant to try a wheelchair for basketball, I told Alina about Tatyana McFadden, America’s most decorated Paralympian in track and field, with an astonishing 22 medals since the 2004 Olympics in Athens. I gave her a signed poster from Tatyana that had been in my desk drawer for a while, along with a Tatyana trading card. Then I showed her a track racing chair and explained how wheelchair racing worked. Instantly, I saw the excitement on her face.
Alina made the connection that Tatyana, a sport icon adopted from Russia and brought to the United States as a little girl, could compete on her high school track team, change laws in Maryland, train as a athlete at the highest level, compete on the world stage, advocate for equal access, run countless marathons, and be a role model to millions of people with and without disabilities. In short, Alina could see herself in Tatyana. This magic is happening at YC in real time. Young girls, just starting out as Mini Campers, see themselves in Alina.
(I cannot wait to get her on a track this spring!)
Recently, we have seen Alina fully embrace independence. She wants to do everything on her own. She’s going toe-to-toe with the staff at her school to allow her more autonomy and independence in the classroom, on the bus, in the cafeteria… wherever she sees an opportunity to challenge those who assume that she cannot do a task on her own.
Every yarn of this web contributes to Alina’s personal growth as an athlete, a leader, and an advocate. At YC, she has plenty of role models: fellow participants, teen volunteers, staff, and alumni. She thrives in the YC culture of inclusion, acceptance, independence, and full embrace of finding your true self. A few weeks ago, at our annual Awards Night, Alina was presented with YC’s prestigious Athlete of the Year Award, alongside teen volunteer Katie Goodman, a senior at St. Joseph Academy.
While Alina’s thoughtfully handwritten note heaps thanks on YC, we are eternally grateful for the indomitable spirit of Alina and the countless other young people, participants and volunteers, who bless us with their boundless energy and passion for life. We are so thankful for our strong YC community, growing stronger every day.
With love and gratitude,
Chris
Chris Garr
Chief Executive Officer
Youth Challenge
