Laurie's Story (As Told By Tina)
Turnstone staff get a front-row seat to countless milestone moments thanks to supporters who believe in possibilities for people with disabilities. A long-time staff member, Tina, recalls one special story she was involved with:
In the summer of 2006, Turnstone brought Power Soccer to Northeast Indiana and over 20 people attended the initial demo. Two teams formed started practicing, and before they knew it, the teams were headed to Indianapolis, ready to compete in Power Soccer Nationals.
It was clear that Power Soccer proved to meet a big need in the NE Indiana community – previously, no sports opportunities existed for people in power chairs. Access to sports is critical for all people with and without disabilities and the start of this program allowed participants to experience the many benefits that sports provide - including improved self-confidence and opportunities to create strong relationships.
For example, during the early years of Turnstone’s Power Soccer program, three women who went to elementary school together reconnected and built a strong friendship. Outside of Power Soccer practice, they began having “girl’s night out” together every Friday.
When it was time for their first game at Nationals, one of the group members, Laurie, became overwhelmed by the number of athletes zooming around on four full-sized basketball courts. She was afraid to go out on the court, but her coach told her, “No, Laurie, you are part of this team and we need you to play.”
Laurie allowed her determination and competitive spirit to shine and she built up the courage to go out on the court with the rest of her teammates. Laurie wasn’t one to sit on the sideline in life, and she certainly wasn’t going to start by sitting out in her new-found sport.
About a month later, an editorial appeared in the local paper. It was submitted by Laurie, who was thanking Turnstone for bringing Power Soccer to Fort Wayne. She mentioned that she had never been able to play a sport before, let alone consider herself an athlete. But, now, at the age of 40, she had become a valued member of the inaugural Flyers Power Soccer team.
Laurie had already graduated from high school and gone on to college where she became an engineer and landed a full-time job post-graduation. While Laurie had found personal purpose and success, finding Turnstone and Power Soccer helped her discover passions she thought were previously unreachable. Not only had Power Soccer allowed her to finally become an athlete, but because of the confidence and toughness built on the court, Laurie now had the confidence to purchase her own home.
“I always keep this story in mind when people come [to Turnstone] and they want to know what they can do. I always remember the possibilities we were able to create for Laurie,” said Tina.
