Category: Good News Stories

Good News Stories

On By roberthansen1317In Christian life, good day, Good News Stories2 Comments

I have not done one of these in awhile, long overdue.  Tired of all the bad news, check out some of these websites, and there are many more, to see uplifting stories.

Naive by Andy Grammar –

Thank You For Being You by Brady Rhymer –

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from goodnewsnetwork.org

When Kenyan Team is at Disadvantage Because of Their Shoes, Israeli Squad Buys Them All New Cleats

When the Israeli women’s lacrosse team noticed that their opponents on the Kenyan team were playing at a disadvantage, they resolved to fix it.

The Israeli team beat Kenya 13-4 during their match in the Women’s Lacrosse World Championships in Ontario, Canada last week.

Though the victors were happy to have won, they noticed that the Kenyan team was playing without cleats.

Since the two teams also happened to form solid friendships with each other during their time on and off the field, a few of the Israeli players asked their parents for help buying proper footwear for their new international friends.

With the help of tournament officials, the Israeli girls met up with the Kenyan team the day after their match and gifted them all brand new cleats.

Needless to say, the resulting joy between the two teams was particularly contagious.

“A brilliant win today on the slippery surface thanks to [Israel Lacrosse] and our cleats!” wrote the Kenyan team’s Twitter page.

“The support from all around the world for our African Queens is priceless and hugely humbling,” they added. “The attention on and off the pitch for these players is more than all the nations competing combined… and rightly so.”

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from goodnewsnetwork.org

School Superintendent is Using His First Ever $10,000 Bonus to Pay For Students’ College Applications

Rather than pocketing his first ever $10,000 bonus, this public school system superintendent is using the money to cover the college application fees of his high school students.

44-year-old Grant Rivera, who has been the superintendent of the Marietta School District in Georgia since 2016, says that he is eligible for the bonus every three years if he receives a satisfactory performance review.

Rivera is donating the bonus to the Marietta Schools Foundation so that it can help students who apply to colleges ahead of regular application deadlines.

“I don’t believe that a bonus provided by the board should be earned on the backs of the teachers,” Rivera told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “My hope is that it’s an incentive for kids to do the right thing.”

Of the 500 high schoolers in the graduating class, Rivera estimates that 150 to 200 students will apply to college.

If the application fees of his students exceed the amount of his $10,000 donation, he plans on paying out of pocket in order to cover the additional expenses—if there is any money leftover after his students have finished with their applications, then the funds will be used to finance college bus tours in Georgia.

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from sunnyskyz.com

Neighbors Raise $50,000 In A Week To Help Special Needs Friend Keep His Home

August 6, 2019

Lamar Harris is a special needs adult with the mental abilities of a preteen. He has lived in his house in Gloucester Township, NJ, his entire life.

But Harris risked losing his home in weeks if he didn’t pay $50,000.

neighbors raise 50k for man to keep home

When neighbors discovered that he was days away from losing the home he’d grown up in, they rallied and raised more than $67,000.

As a result of the death of his family members, his reading deficits, and his inability to understand finances, Harris had fallen behind in his property taxes. They have not been paid since his father died in 2015.

So when he received a legal complaint that threatened him with foreclosure as a result of unpaid taxes and interest payments, his friends scrambled to help.

Terri Fretz, who has known Harris for 38 years, set up a GoFundMe page to try and settle his debts.

“We, his neighbors, have all banded together and have been watching out for Lamar since his dad died. This problem just recently came to light and is too big for just his neighbors to handle,” Fretz wrote on GoFundMe.

And in just one week, they raised enough money to satisfy the lien and pay almost all of his 2019 taxes.

Harris was so thrilled when he heard he’d be able to stay in Cherry Circle, he called everyone on his street and met them in their yards to celebrate, Fretz told CNN.

She posted an update on GoFundMe to thank everyone who donated.

“We want to thank the hundreds of wonderful people who found room for Lamar in their hearts. You are all proof that kindness can make a difference in a person’s life in a big way. We have raised the money needed to pay off the lien that was placed on Lamar’s home. He is very grateful and understands the kindness that has been bestowed upon him. All donations that he continues to receive will be applied to Lamar’s future and current needs (attorney fees, current year taxes, home maintenance). All money will be deposited into a bank account set up solely for the Lamar’s benefit. There is still good in the world. There is still hope for us all.”

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from sunnyskyz.com

60 Farmers Harvest Crop For Neighbor Battling Cancer

August 13, 2019

Sixty farmers in Washington came out and harvested the wheat crop of a neighbor who is battling cancer.

60 farmers help man with cancer harvest wheat

Larry Yockey owns a 12 hundred acre farm in Ritzville. But he has stage 4 skin cancer and can no longer work his fields.

So, his neighbors came out with their equipment. They were able to complete three weeks worth of harvesting in just six hours.

“It’s not describable the gratitude I have for what’s going on,” Yockey said.

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from MSN.com

In Sanford, police say the homeless population has increased significantly in recent years. In response, they’ve formed a new task force to help get the homeless the resources they need to get back on their feet.a bowl of food cooking on a stove: Chicken and vegetablesMeanwhile, there’s another group that’s helping at the same time, a family that immigrated to Maine from Jamaica years ago.Inside One Love Cuisine on a Monday morning, you’ll find jerk chicken sizzling on the grill and vegetables being slice up and plopped in the stockpot.

It looks like any restaurant kitchen. But these meals aren’t meant for customers.

“I’m going to bring some food for Darian and Tammy first,” said Lisa Tomlinson. “They’re over by that camp over there.”

Lisa Tomlinson whips up some favorite family recipes for people who can’t afford them at the restaurant, and can barely afford anything, at all.”Hey, George!”

With help from her brother and sister in law, Tomlinson feeds Sanford’s homeless as often as they can. Sometimes daily.

“I’m back!”

She doesn’t just provide them with a hot meal.

“Nice to meet you, Rob. Hey Devin.”

She knows many of them by name and makes an effort to find out who they really are.

“You talked to your mom? That’s awesome.”

For some, those meaningful conversations and big hugs mean more than the food she delivers.

“At first it was kind of like, ‘woah, who is this person? What do they want?’ said one man. “You know it felt like they wanted something from us they can’t just be going out of their way for us. Then it started it became every day she brings us a meal. She tells us she loves us, she takes care of us.”

“Just to see the human compassion that the woman has is quite amazing,” said Detective Eric Small.

Detective Small says he also is working to provide hope and give the homeless the resources they need, by way of a new task force which consists of four members of the Sanford Police Department.

“Last week officers spent time giving out shoes or giving people socks, or t-shirts or toiletries. Driving people to doctor’s appointments or to take a shower or to get their medicine,” he said.

Help can come in many forms. For Lisa Tomlinson, lending a hand is one place to start. And for that savory Jamaican dish, the only compensation she needs is a smile.

Tomlinson and her brother came to the states from Jamaica years ago. Tomlinson served in the U.S. Navy and her brother, Rohan, is the owner and head chef of One Love Cuisine.

Good News by Mandisa –

We Need Some Good News

On By roberthansen1317In Christian life, Good News Stories4 Comments

WESTERVILLE, OH (WCMH) — The Tunnel2Towers Foundation, established in the wake of the 9-11 attacks, will pay off the home mortgage of Westerville Police Officer Eric Joering. Joering was shot and killed in the line of duty last Saturday.

The Tunnel2Towers Foundation honors the memory of Stephen Siller, a New York City fireman who strapped on his fire gear and ran through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel to get to the World Trade Center towers during the Sept 11 attacks. He died saving others.

The foundation focuses its resources on extraordinary cases of first responders with young families and who are killed in the line of duty.

Joering and his wife Jami have three young daughters.

Frank Siller, Stephen’s older brother, is CEO of the foundation and made the announcement today in Westerville. “It takes a burden off of them,” Siller said. “Jami will never have to think about another mortgage payment.”

Every year the Tunnel2Towers foundation raises money with a run that re-enacts Stephen Siller’s last run – through the tunnel to get to the towers.

In the past three years the foundation has paid off more than $5 million in mortgages of first responders killed on duty according to Siller. “These guys are such heroes,” Siller said. “They run into these situations and they know any day that they could give up their lives. So I think as a community, as a country, this is what we should do.”

Click here to donate to the charity. 

source: NBC4i.com

Seattle News Station Pays Off Medical Debts For 1,000 People

February 13, 2018

After hearing Washington state medical debt stories for an investigative report, Seattle News Station KIRO 7 decided to do something about it.

jesse jones pays off debt good news radio station
Jesse Jones / KIRO 7 News

The news station worked with New York-based charity RIP Medical Debt and bought $1 million worth of medical debt owed by viewers in the area for $12,000.

One thousand people will be getting letters in yellow envelopes that have a KIRO 7 sticker on them to let them know their medical debt has been forgiven.

source: sunnyskyz.com

He Asked For 10 Volunteers To Shovel Snow For Seniors. Over 100 People Showed Up

February 11, 2018

A man in Chicago asked for 10 volunteers to help him shovel snow for the elderly and the response he received will restore your faith in humanity.

Jahmal Cole, who runs a nonprofit community group called “My Block, My Hood, My City” posted the request on Twitter on February 9.

man asks for help shoveling snow for seniors Chicago

Over 100 volunteers arrived to help shovel snow, Chicago’s WGN 9 reported.

Many people who do not live in Chicago made donations to My Block, My Hood, My City, whose mission is to help underprivileged teenagers overcome poverty by taking them on explorations focused on arts, culture, and community service.

120 volunteers shoveled the sidewalks at more than 50 homes, mainly where the elderly live.

“I met somebody from Rogers Park, Lakeview, Hegewisch — they say Chicago is segregated, but obviously people care about other people in our city,” Jahmal Cole said.

 

man asks for help shoveling snow for seniors Chicago
Twitter / @formyblockchi

source: sunnyskyz.com

Hundreds welcome 3rd-grader back to school after fight with cancer

Scott Stump
TODAY
  Bridget Kelley, 8, was just hoping for a return to normalcy on her first day back in elementary school after a 15-month absence for cancer treatments and a stem cell transplant. Her classmates and their parents made sure the third-grader’s return on Jan. 2 was anything but normal, thanks to a special greeting the Kelley family will never forget.
As Bridget walked to Merrymount Elementary School in Quincy, Massachusetts, she was met by hundreds of students, parents, teachers and police officers holding colorful signs welcoming her back to school. “It was almost overwhelming,” Bridget’s mother, Megan Kelley, told TODAY. “She felt so special and so welcomed after such a long and hard road.” “Her classmates wanted to let her know, ‘You were out for 15 months, but we absolutely did not forget about you,” Kristin Healy, a school parent who helped organize the gathering, told TODAY.
They stood out in 4-degree weather to make sure Bridget knew how excited they were for her return. “There were parents crying,” Healy said.  “It was amazing.”The heartwarming scene, which included officers from the town, county, and state police, had Kelley, 40, and her husband, Dan, 42, almost worried that it would be too much for Bridget. Members of the local and state police, as well as the sheriff’s office, joined in the celebration of Bridget’s return. “When we saw all the people we thought she could be overwhelmed and embarrassed,” Kelley said.  “But she raised her arms like ‘Victory!’ and she soaked it in. She totally went with it, and that made it that much more exciting.”
Bridget was just beginning the second grade when she was diagnosed in September 2016 with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a type of blood cancer. She spent 88 days in the Boston Children’s hospital undergoing chemotherapy and surgeries. Her condition required a stem cell transplant in March when she didn’t go into remission right away, her mother said.
Bridget’s initial diagnosis came after she went to get a swollen tonsil removed, and an MRI revealed it was something much worse. “We were completely blindsided,” Kelley said. “We just thought she was getting her tonsil out. “Bridget’s 3-year-old sister, Shannon, was the donor for her stem cell transplant. She could only have limited contact with people following the surgery because she was on medication suppressing her immune system. Bridget had her own bedroom, a special diet and limited contact with friends that had to take place outside the house. “She had to live in isolation,” Kelley said. “We couldn’t have anybody in the house. She understood that the cancer was serious, but it was almost more devastating that she wasn’t able to go to school or soccer or dance or birthday parties. “While Bridget was out of school, families in the community arranged to regularly bring meals to the Kelleys and raised money for the family and cancer research. Bridget was able to get tutoring during her time in the hospital so she could graduate to third grade and remain with her classmates.
source: today.com
Christmas has come early for around 200 families in Pennsylvania. An anonymous donor settled around $40,000 worth of layaway holiday gift bills at a Walmart store in Everett over the weekend, according to The Associated Press. The big-hearted stranger, whom store staff have nicknamed “Santa B,” pulled a similarly generous stunt at the same outlet last year. Kristen Martin, who’d put her children’s Christmas presents on layaway this year, told NBC-affiliate WJAC-TV how much the gesture meant to her: “I think it means more to me, but I think they’ll (her children) be happy. I remember when I was growing up for Christmas. I was just telling my mom the other day that I want my kids to have Christmas like that.”
“I think they have lots of treasures in heaven,” Martin added, in praise of the mysterious benefactor.Similar acts of generosity have also taken place in other parts of the country, as the countdown to the holiday season continues.
Staff at a diner in Scottsdale, Arizona, received a $2,000 tip on a $17 tab over the weekend, while the Shawnee Police Department in Kansas has been handing out $10,000 in cash on behalf of an anonymous donor.
source: Huffingtonpost.com
Good News by Mandisa – 
Miracle by Unspoken – 
He Still Does Miracles by Hawk Nelson – 

Good News Stories 2/27/17

On By roberthansen1317In Christian life, Good News Stories4 Comments

The signs of spring are here.  Spring training baseball, Nascar had its first race yesterday, people are talking about March Madness, and we had five blue jays in our yard yesterday. That is good news for us that do not like winter, but that is not good news that changes people or the world like the following stories.

Alyssa Kamm thought she had more than two years to plan her wedding. But she found her prep time cut to three weeks after learning her father had cancer.

The abbreviated schedule came courtesy of more than a dozen strangers, business owners and managers throughout Rochester, New York, who donated flowers, a venue, photography, music and numerous other services to help give the bride and her groom their dream wedding on Feb. 4.

Just three weeks earlier, on Jan. 13, Alyssa learned her dad had been diagnosed with advanced multiple myeloma, which affects the bone marrow and quickly weakens the bones. Her dad began chemotherapy treatment immediately.

One of the women shared her family’s story and sought advice about nice but inexpensive venues and services on a Facebook page for Rochester-area wedding vendors.

Photographer Bethany Colburn spotted the post and immediately decided to help.

“It touched my heart and I knew I wanted to be a part of this,” she told TODAY. She immediately began messaging with a good friend of hers who is a DJ and the two “started chatting about who we needed to ‘tag’ in the post and how we could really make this happen for Alyssa and her family.”

Colburn, who donated a full wedding photography package, said she was excited to see the event come together so effortlessly.

“We are surrounded by negativity and sad stories and sometimes it’s easy to forget that there are still good people in the world,” said Colburn, who hopes vendors in other cities “continue to spread the love” by helping others in need.

Alyssa’s dad, Karl Jones, 55, said he was amazed at how so many people he didn’t know coalesced to help his family.

“All the vendors — we call them our fairy god dream team. They didn’t know us, and they just started offering their services and the ball kept on rolling. It shocked me,” he said.

“This is something that makes him happy, to let people know that there are good people in the world we live in,” she said. “This story, even though it’s rooted in something that’s really sad, and it stings for us, it has such a happy ending, and that gives him something to live for.”

source: Eun Kyung Kim -TODAY

February 3 was a big night in Norman, Oklahoma. The Norman High School Lady Tigers basketball team was facing its rival, the Timberwolves of Norman North. By the end of the fourth quarter, the Lady Tigers had a comfortable lead of 57-35 — for all intents and purposes, they had won the game.

But when the coaches sent in one player who had sat on the sidelines all night, everyone in the arena shared a victory.

That player was Lainy Fredrickson — a special-needs senior whose epic basket at the game’s close had the crowd (and the internet) going wild. Detrick Watts, a special education TA and assistant girls’ basketball coach, told TODAY that having Fredrickson on the team is “a blessing.”

“She always puts a smile on everybody’s face,” he said. “You know your day is going to be better just from coming into contact with her.”

“As coaches, you try not to show your emotions, especially during the game,” said Watts. “But the reality sets in that this is something more than basketball … it’s fulfilling a dream. For the coaches, and I think for the players, it’s something I’ll never forget.”

It made a similar impression on Michael Vanderburg, the alum who took the video. “It is a testimony to the awesome community of Norman, Oklahoma, and my alma mater Norman High School, and how there is still hope for humanity out here in this world,” he told TODAY. “If we just focus on the good instead of the bad, we could come together and really make a difference.”

source: Embry Roberts – TODAY

When Todd Steinkamp was told that his car wouldn’t make it all the way to a Wisconsin funeral he wanted to attend, he believed it was the beginning of a terrible day—but he hadn’t yet met the man who would turn it around.

The driver was forced to pull his vehicle into the closest auto repair shop after it started making a dreadful grinding sound midway through his route from Iowa.

The mechanic, Glenn Geib, told Todd that his car would not be able to travel the remaining 70-mile distance to the memorial service.

Things looked bleak, but after seeing Todd’s reaction, Glenn offered up his own wheels as a substitute.

“I must have looked pretty stressed-out at this time because Glenn then reached into his pocket, pulled out the keys to HIS own vehicle and said ‘Take my truck. Fill it up with gas, don’t turn on the emergency lights and get going’,” wrote Todd on Facebook.

Not only was the younger man able to make it to his funeral, but his would-be terrible day was totally turned around.

“We sat and talked for a while when I got back as I thanked him and he told me more about himself. The 74 year-old mechanic with a grip of steel turned a terrible day into a good one with a great lesson… ‘just be kind and help if you can’.”

source : McKinley Corbley – Good News Network

A waitress who did a good deed for a pair of firefighters was overwhelmed when they returned the favor—for her father.

Instead of a bill for their breakfast, Liz Woodward brought a pair of New Jersey firefighters a thank you note. They’d just spent 24 hours battling the blaze at a local warehouse, and the waitress wanted to do something nice for them.

“Your breakfast is on me today,” the note read, along with little drawings of a fire ax and helmet. “Thank you for all that you do.”

Firefighter Tim Young posted the story and a photo of the note to Facebook, urging people to eat at the diner where she worked. But then, he found out the waitress had a GoFundMe campaign that she was using to raise $17,000 to buy her father a wheelchair-accessible van.

Turns out, the young lady who gave us a free meal is really the one that could use the help,” Young wrote in another post.

The firefighter’s plea spread like wildfire. His posts were shared thousands of times and 1,000 people donated more than $67,000 — $50,000 above her goal.

“This is just one example of how so many people in this world have incredible hearts and they pay it forward, so the circle keeps on moving,” Woodward told TODAY.

source: Terry Turner – Good News Network

Of course, there are much, much more but did not want to get this into 2000 words so hopefully, other bloggers joined in today to give us more #goodnews stories.

Check out www.goodnewsnetwork.org,  www.huffingtonpost.com/section/good–news, www.sunnyskyz.com/good–news, www.today.com/news/good–news, https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/good-news, abcnews.go.com/US/Good_News  as well as many others.

 

Change The World by Derek Minor (feat Hollyn)- 

Be The Change by Britt Nicole – 

What Love Can Do by Danny Gokey – 

Revival by Zach Williams – 

It’s A Beautiful Day by Mari Burelle – 

I Have This Hope by Tenth Avenue North – 

Beautiful People by Tim McGraw – 

 

 

 

Good News Stories Time

On By roberthansen1317In Christian life, Good News Stories8 Comments

It has been awhile since I did one and was thinking we are due.

However, let’s do it together on Monday 2/27. That will give you all weekend to search the internet, magazines, newspapers, news – yeah good luck finding good news stories there.

Then on Monday let’s all post good news stories.   Let’s #goodnews and send it out to the blogging world and maybe someone will take notice.

I know  NEVERADULLBLING   is up for  it right?

 

Until Monday, here are of the ones I have done in the past:

 

Good News Stories, Olympics Version

Good News Stories

Dear God, We Are Worth Saving

 

Sometimes It’s More Than A Game

On By roberthansen1317In Be The Change, cancer, Christian life, College football, everyday heroes, faith, God is there, Good News Stories, help somebody, how do you want to be remembered4 Comments

Image result for choosing to live a christian life instead of a game quotes

What a great first weekend of college football. The Buckeyes looked like they might be better than last years team. You know, the team that had a record number of NFL draft picks.  It is early. We will see how how the rest of the season goes.
It was great to see the upsets. Houston beating Oklahoma. Texas A&M beating UCLA in overtime. Wisconsin beating LSU. Clemson almost losing to Auburn. Tennessee almost losing to Appalachian State. South Alabama beating Mississippi State. Western Michigan upsetting Northwestern. Richmond upsetting Virginia.

Texas upset Notre Dame on Sunday night. Texas was my first choice of schools to go to but out of state tuition was/is too expensive so I became a Buckeye instead.

Most of the SEC struggling to win or lost. Seven SEC teams losing in week 1.

Alabama  losing. Oh yeah, that was just a dream. They looked unbeatable , but they said that two years ago also.

All these great games, close games, upsets, etc…..

But sometimes it’s more than a game.

James Conner, star running back for Pittsburgh, coming back from Hodgkins Lymphona cancer.  He broke Tony Dorsett’s records that had stood for 38 years. He was invincible…until he wasn’t. He played in the first game in 2015 then was out the rest of the year battling for his life. You can read his story in his own words here :  http://www.theplayerstribune.com/james-conner-pittsburgh-college-football-cancer/

unnamedbb
photo credit : James Conner

Travis Rudolph, Florida State wide receiver,  was visiting a school and saw a boy eating alone. He sat down and joined him for lunch. The boy, Bo Paske, has autism and often eats lunch by himself. Travis says he didn’t think it was that big of a deal. We are all the same and one man can make a difference. You can read the full article here: http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/09/02/us/photo-of-fsu-football-star-sitting-with-boy-eating-alone-at-florida-school-charms-internet.htmlnyskyz.com.

photo credit : Michael Halligan, Associated Press.

 

Sarah Hill, the wife of Weber State’s head coach Jay.  She was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma. Weber State football players, coaches, family and friends shaved their heads in support.  At the end of each practice they chant How strong are we? Strong like Sara. You can read the story here : http://www.sltrib.com/sports/4275503-155/weber-state-football-wildcats-rally-around

(Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune) Sara Hill hugs her daughter Allie, 5, after she and her husband, Weber State football coach Jay Hill, talked about her battle with Hodgkins lymphoma and how the Wildcat family has rallied around her and her husband at Stewart Stadium, Wednesday, August 24, 2016. Weber State football players, coaches and family and friends shaved their heads in support of her chemotherapy treatments.
photo credit Leah Hogsten , Salt Lake Tribune

 

The one that really brought a tear to my eye is Nebraska. On July 23rd, they lost their senior punter Sam Foltz in a car accident. Michigan State punter Mike Sadler also passed away in the accident. On Nebraska’s first punt of the game they only sent out 10 players, the punter didn’t go out. They took a delay of game which the opposing team, Fresno State, respectfully declined. Tell me you don’t get goose bumps watching this video. http://www.ncaa.com/news/football/article/2016-09-03/nebraska-football-honors-sam-foltz-lines-10-men-first-punt?cid=ncaafbsocial_fb_sf35087046

 

Lions by Skillet – 

Cheer You On by Jordan Feliz – 

We March On by Hillary Scott and The Scott Family – 

Beyond Me by TobyMac – 

It’s Alright by Stephen Marley – 

Artists Stand Up To Cancer – 

 

 

Good News Stories, Olympics Version

On By roberthansen1317In Christian life, Good News Stories3 Comments

 

From goodnewsnetwork.org :

While Ellis Hill was driving Liz Willock through Philadelphia,Pennsylvania on July 26th, they were pleasantly enjoying some casual conversation to kill the time. Their talk eventually turned towards the Olympics and Ellis excitedly explained that his son Darrell Hill was competing for Team USA.

However due to a lack of funds, the father simply couldn’t afford to watch him perform.

Liz was saddened by her new friend’s plight, so after returning to her home, she created a Go Fund Me page asking for $7,500 to fly Ellis to Brazil.

Within two days, 150 backers had pushed them over their goal. Ellis was walking out of his church when a television station called him to announce he was going to Rio.

“I haven’t seen my son in a couple months because he’s been training,” Hill toldPeople. “I cant wait to see him and encourage him in person and let him know I’m 100 percent in his corner.”

Liz and Ellis have been in constant touch since the campaign’s success, and the two anticipate a lasting friendship for years to come.

Ellis Hill-Go Fund Me

from dailymaverick.co.za:

Zahra Nemati is competing for Iran in archery and while you might not think there is anything special about that, her story is quite remarkable. Nemati is a former black belt taekwondo competitor, but was paralysed in a car accident in 2003. Three years later she decided to take up archery, and within six months, she had finished third at the national championships against able-bodied athletes. In 2012, she won two gold medals at the Paralympics and qualified for both the 2016 Summer Olympics and the 2016 Summer Paralympics this time around.

Photo: Zahra Nemati of Iran takes aim during the women’s individual ranking round of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Archery events at the Sambodromo in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 05 August 2016. EPA/YOAN VALAT

from dailymaverick.co.za:

Chris Mears, the Team Great Britain diver who won gold on Wednesday, was given a five percent chance to live in 2009 after he ruptured his spleen. While training for the Youth Olympics, Mears had picked up glandular fever,but was not displaying any symptoms. His organs were squeezed to the point where his spleen ruptured. He lost five pints of blood and was told it was unlikely he would ever dive again. He would later suffer a seven hour seizure and a three day coma. Remarkably, he recovered.

 

from dailymaverick.co.za:

The US Women’s Sevens team had a somewhat disappointing outing, but they were led through the campaign by the rather remarkable Jillion Potter.

Potter began her rugby career at university and made her debut for the Women’s Eagles in 2007. In 2010, when she was just 19, Potter broke her neck in the build-up to the Women’s World Cup. Somehow, she survived without any serious damage and she was back out on the pitch within a year. But another setback was not far away.

During the World Cup in 2014 she found some swelling underneath her jaw. She soon discovered that she had synovial sarcoma, a soft tissue cancer. Potter managed to beat the cancer and now she is an Olympian. While the US might not have quite managed the result they’d have hoped for, Potter is surely one of the most remarkable athletes at the Games.

 

from dailymaverick.co.za:

When Lopez Lomong was just six years old, he was abducted and taken to a prison in Sudan, where he was born. Towns people would help him escape and make his way to the Kenya border. He stayed there in a refugee camp for a decade before resettling in the US in 2001. In 2003, he was reunited with his mother who he thought had been killed in battle, and in 2009, he travelled back to Sudan to bring his younger brothers to the States. This will be his fourth Olympics, having made his debut at the Games in 2008. He will run in the 5,000m.

from dailymaverick.co.za:

For the first time at the Olympics, there is a refugee team taking part – all of whom have incredible stories to tell. Yusra Mardini is perhaps the most famous of the team. Mardini nearly drowned while escaping the conflict in Syria, feeling her country after her house was destroyed. The boat she was on began to fill up with water. Just four people on the boat – including Mardini – were able to swim. They pushed the boat for three hours until reaching land. She swam in the women’s 100m butterfly and although she did not advance, she won her heat.

Rami Anis is also from Syria and also fled the conflict aboard a dinghy, and while he did not advance from his heat either, he did set a personal best in the 100m freestyle – what better place to break your own record than at the Olympics?

Yiech Pur Biel is a runner from South Sudan who fled the civil war in his country and settled in a refugee camp. He only started running a year ago and while there are “no facilities in the camp, not even shoes”, he will take part in the 800m and says he wants to “show the world that being a refugee, you can do something”.

Another 800m athlete, James Nyang Chiengjiek, is also from South Sudan and also settled in a camp in Kenya. Like Biel, he speaks of not having the right gear to compete and in addition to getting good results at the Olympics, his dream is “also to help people. Because I have been supported by someone, I also want to support someone.”

Rose Nathike Lokonyen will also run the 800m having fled South Sudan and settled in Kenya. Like her other teammates, gear has not exactly been at the top of her priorities list – she only started training in shoes a year ago.

Also from South Sudan is 21-year old Anjelina NadaiLohalith, who will take part in the 1,500m heats over the weekend. She started running while still at primary school. South Sudan will also have a male athlete in the 1,500m, Paulo Amotun Lokoro. The 24-year-old began running after arriving at a refugee camp in Kenya and says that during his journey to the camp, “We ran to the bush and stayed in the bush. There was no food, we just ate fruit.”

Yolande Bukasa Mabika is a refugee form the DRC who took up judo after being put in a home for displaced children in the capital of Kinshasa. But her coaches would abuse her and often locked her up after losing games. While competing in Rio in 2013, she applied for asylum just like Popole Misenga. Misenga is also from the DRC,and lost his mother in the conflict. He also ended up at a home for displaced children and eventually applied for refugee status in Brazil.

Yonas Kinde, a 36-year-old from Ethiopia, is the oldest member of the team. He fled Ethiopia because of “political problems” and now lives under special protection in Luxembourg. He is a marathon runner who works as a taxi driver.

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