CINDERLLA OLYMPIANS

Every two years the world turns its attention to the Summer or Winter Olympic Games hosted by cities around the globe.

There, with the eyes of the entire planet upon them, thousands of top athletes test their skills and competitive spirit against the very best in their chosen events. Grace, speed, power and precision are on full display, each elite athlete striving for excellence.

What few of us see are the years and years of back-breaking training, self-discipline, and sacrifice that each athlete goes through trying to get a precious spot on their country’s Olympic team. While only one person can win gold, every athlete has achieved the rank of champion in representing their nation.

There are striking similarities between these dedicated athletes and the students who come to The Cinderella Project. Our students have set their minds on achieving the milestone of graduation, realizing their dreams through endless hard work, focus and dedication. These students often face huge challenges such as poverty, homelessness, disability, neglect or abuse to achieve their “gold medal” of high school graduation. This makes each and every one of them a champion in their own right.

So when these graduates step up to cross the stage at their Commencement Day, they prove to us that nothing is impossible. They have shown spirit, dedication, and stamina of Olympian proportions, and they too “own the podium” on their special day.

Each of us has a fire in our hearts for something. It's our goal in life to find it and to keep it lit. ……Mary Lou Retton

While the vast majority of us will not participate in the Olympics, each student in The Cinderella Project exhibits Olympic-calibre character and integrity. Inside each of these students burns a very special flame, the same courage and perseverance that the Olympians need to make a dream a reality even when the odds seem overwhelming. Despite dealing with some life’s biggest challenges, these students have found the strength to bring out their very best.

Like the Olympic athletes, these youth are an inspiration to us all. They show that within everyone’s heart beats the same desire to succeed and to be recognized for achieving hard-earned goals.

We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort………Jesse Owens

The students in The Cinderella Project often don’t often have positive influences in their lives, or people mentoring or encouraging them. They deserve to know how special each of them are, how much they are valued. With the community at large, we applaud them and celebrate their wonderful victories.

These students remind us of an important life-lesson—that inside each of us beats the heart of a champion.