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In Her Words

spiking down obstacles

Bunmi Akinnusotu sets her sights on sports for life: As a child, I was always the girl who jumped fences, ran through mud and loved competing against boys. Hoping I would become a little more “girly” and less physical, my mother enrolled me as a ballerina. She soon realized that while ballet kept me engaged, its pace was not a fit for my active and energetic personality. Through sports, I was surrounded by inspiring and incredibly respected coaches and mentors, I developed a healthy perspective what it meant to be a woman, and I gained important leadership skills that helped me become a successful woman. While I no longer jump fences and run through mud, I am still drawing on my experiences as an athlete to take me through life. Read More

challenging oneself

McKenzie Meehan shoots for ever higher goals: Sports have played an integral part in my life. As a child, I loved playing outside with my sister, parents and cousins. I became involved in recreational sports at a young age, participating on soccer, basketball, softball and track teams. As my passion for athletics continued to grow, I began to play sports more competitively. My participation level in sports gradually increased until I joined Scorpions Soccer Club, a competitive club team, which required a great time commitment. When I joined this team, I could no longer play basketball, but it was a sacrifice I was willing to make. I did not view the time commitment as a burden; I instead enjoyed every moment of my athletic career and viewed each higher level as a challenge. Read more…

breaking icy barriers

Avery Stone overcomes cold feet to realize her dreams: When I was seven years old, my parents placed me in a youth hockey program at Brown University. The first day, I hated it – my equipment didn’t fit, and I was freezing and miserable. In an effort to convince me to stay, my mom – taking a parenting shortcut that was rare for her – bribed me: if I stayed in youth hockey for the rest of the season, she would give me a trophy. Reluctantly – but excited about my prospects – I agreed. Read more…

living the dream

Sara Hogan casts her love of sports: Since I was a little girl, I always knew I wanted to be on TV. Growing up watching Pat Masters, and Karen Adams on the local news, I admired their confidence and ability to tell a story as well as, if not better than their male peers. When I was little, I grew up in a neighborhood full of boys, and “tomboy” was a nick name I became accustomed to. I spent most of my free time playing street hockey, dodge ball, tee ball and anything that involved being active and getting out of the house. I loved being the center of attention, and I found that by playing sports as well as succeeding in school I was able to accomplish my dreams and become not only a person on TV, but a sportscaster. Read more…

why a girl should run for her life

Roisin McGettigan-Dumas is loving every step: After 20 years of participation in the sport of running, I achieved my dream of competing in the Olympic Games. I can still remember where it all began, as a young girl growing up in Ireland and how much I loved to run. I wasn’t always the fastest in my class, but I was usually near the front of the pack. My talent for running didn’t come in the form of some supernatural ability, it came from my passion-driven commitment, dedication, and my openness to learning and self-improvement. Sport has given me so much more than an Olympic experience. Read more…