Day 6: My Olympic Mission
Impact Beyond Paris
Yesterday, I promised you all that I would share my Olympic mission with you. After the last Olympics, I realized that once you leave the village and go back to the US, everything goes back to normal. You still have to go to school, go to work, and do the same things you did before. People forget you are an Olympian, and life moves on.
I recognize that being an Olympian is an incredible accomplishment, but the hard truth that people don't want to admit is this. At the end of the day, most people will forget your name and what you have accomplished unless you’re in the top 1% of the 1%.
I also recognize that during this unique time in my life, I have a voice and a platform that I would normally not have. I want to use this time to do something impactful that will last beyond my time here in Paris and hopefully beyond my lifetime. I have decided to call this initiative Impact Beyond Paris.
What is Impact Beyond Paris?
The idea originated after I met a woman named Mary Kamau on a plane. She shared that, twenty years ago, she felt called by God to do something drastic. With her own personal money, she and her husband built a school in the slums of Kenya, and her selfless leap of faith has changed thousands of lives. She started an organization (Missions of Hope International) that has built many schools and hospitals in Kenya, impacting the lives of over 25,000 kids over the past 20 years.
After speaking with her, I was so moved by her unwavering faith in God and his call for her that I decided to sponsor a child at the Pangani school. Her name is Teclar, she is six years old, and her favorite subject in school is math. She loves to sing and someday dreams of being a police officer. With my donation, she has resources such as clothing, food, and supplies (sponsor a child here).
My Mission is this: I want every child at the Pangani school to be sponsored by the end of the Paris Olympics. I can not do this alone.
There are 243 children who are currently unsponsored, and it only costs $40 a month ($480 a year) to sponsor a child. If you or an organization you know wants to help me change lives, I would love for you to consider donating. If you can’t donate, please share this blog post with your community and help me on my mission of using my platform to have an impact beyond my time here in Paris. Let’s change lives together. Mary and Missions of Hope did not ask me to do this; I am doing this because it is something I truly care deeply about.
Alison, I am so impressed with your perseverance and strength. You kept going in the Olympic Diving competition even after you were injured, instead of just dropping out. I also admire that you’re not just doing this for yourself or to win medals and recognition, but to draw attention to the needs of others who are less fortunate. I am a fourth grade teacher. I am going to tell my students about you and what you are working for. When school starts we will have a fundraiser to help sponsor a student or students. We in the United States often take our access to a free education for granted without realizing the advantages it gives us, and that others don’t have these advantages. You are an amazing athlete- it takes so much skill and dedication to even make it to the Olympics. But we are seeing that you are also an inspiring human being. Thank you for your work, grace, sportsmanship, courage, generosity, and for speaking for those who may not have the chance to speak for themselves.
Alison, I am so glad you had the opportunity to meet Mary. She and her husband Wallace are great people. I have had the pleasure of working with them and MOHI for the last couple of years. True down to earth people trying to share their love for the people of Kenya. My husband and I sponsor two boys in MOHI. Our oldest is a senior this year at Turkana high and our youngest is in third grade in Joska. I highly recommend you visiting the pangani school. The school is nestled in the Martha Slums and it is and unbelievable sight.