Help the Aspden Family Reach Rio!!!
Donation protected
Support the Aspden family as they prepare for Rio!
Hannah's Story:
In the summer of 2000, as the world was preparing for the summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Sydney, Australia, Hannah Aspden made her "debut" onto the world stage as a 6 week premature little baby! But from day one her strength and determination were evident.
Hannah was born without her left leg, but she has never let that slow her down, or hold her back from pursuing her dreams! She learned to swim at age 4, and had a natural ease in the water. By age 5 she was competing for the Greystone Gators summer league swim team, and at age 8 started her year-round competitive career with YOTA (YMCA of the Triangle Area). Her hard work and natural ability led to quick success in the pool. At age 10 she entered her first "paralympic" swim meet, and the camaraderie she felt on that pool deck was immediate.
By age 12 she was named to the U.S. Paralympics Swimming Emerging Team roster, and by age 13 she was named to the National Team roster. Over the past 2 years she has had the chance to represent her country both in the U.S. and abroad, and is currently ranked 4th in the world in the 100m backstroke (S9 class).
Hannah became very ill in November of 2015, and her recovery is still an ongoing process. Thankfully she has improved enough to where her swimming is back on track and she was recently honored with a selection to the U.S. Paralympics Swimming team for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games!!!
All of this success could not have happened, first and foremost, without God. Our faith has carried us from that first day in the hospital, and His hand has been on Hannah every step of the way.
It also takes a village of support - family, friends, coaches, teammates, fans. We are thankful that you are there to celebrate the successes with us, but more importantly we appreciate your prayers and encouragement through the rough times.
The training and travel that Hannah does year to year can be very expensive. And while her expenses are covered for certain things, there are still lots of other expenses that are paid for by her family (especially due to the fact that at her age she often has to travel with a parent.)
We have had several people ask about how they could help support our family as Hannah continues on her Paralympic journey, so we have decided to set up this GoFundMe page as a place for donations to support Hannah's preparations, as well as helping enable our family be able to go and watch her compete at the 2016 Paralympic Games. Seeing Hannah compete in Rio and cheering her on as she represents her country as a part of Team USA is a dream come true for us, and we so greatly appreciate your support!
Thank you!
TJ & Jennifer Aspden
*Funds raised will go directly to expenses incurred related to preparations and travel to Rio. Any funds that may be be raised in excess of this will go to support ongoing training and travel expenses for Hannah.
For updates on Hannah's journey you can follow:
Hannah's Athlete Page on Facebook
Hannah's Team USA Profile Page
Hannah's Story:
In the summer of 2000, as the world was preparing for the summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Sydney, Australia, Hannah Aspden made her "debut" onto the world stage as a 6 week premature little baby! But from day one her strength and determination were evident.
Hannah was born without her left leg, but she has never let that slow her down, or hold her back from pursuing her dreams! She learned to swim at age 4, and had a natural ease in the water. By age 5 she was competing for the Greystone Gators summer league swim team, and at age 8 started her year-round competitive career with YOTA (YMCA of the Triangle Area). Her hard work and natural ability led to quick success in the pool. At age 10 she entered her first "paralympic" swim meet, and the camaraderie she felt on that pool deck was immediate.
By age 12 she was named to the U.S. Paralympics Swimming Emerging Team roster, and by age 13 she was named to the National Team roster. Over the past 2 years she has had the chance to represent her country both in the U.S. and abroad, and is currently ranked 4th in the world in the 100m backstroke (S9 class).
Hannah became very ill in November of 2015, and her recovery is still an ongoing process. Thankfully she has improved enough to where her swimming is back on track and she was recently honored with a selection to the U.S. Paralympics Swimming team for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games!!!
All of this success could not have happened, first and foremost, without God. Our faith has carried us from that first day in the hospital, and His hand has been on Hannah every step of the way.
It also takes a village of support - family, friends, coaches, teammates, fans. We are thankful that you are there to celebrate the successes with us, but more importantly we appreciate your prayers and encouragement through the rough times.
The training and travel that Hannah does year to year can be very expensive. And while her expenses are covered for certain things, there are still lots of other expenses that are paid for by her family (especially due to the fact that at her age she often has to travel with a parent.)
We have had several people ask about how they could help support our family as Hannah continues on her Paralympic journey, so we have decided to set up this GoFundMe page as a place for donations to support Hannah's preparations, as well as helping enable our family be able to go and watch her compete at the 2016 Paralympic Games. Seeing Hannah compete in Rio and cheering her on as she represents her country as a part of Team USA is a dream come true for us, and we so greatly appreciate your support!
Thank you!
TJ & Jennifer Aspden
*Funds raised will go directly to expenses incurred related to preparations and travel to Rio. Any funds that may be be raised in excess of this will go to support ongoing training and travel expenses for Hannah.
For updates on Hannah's journey you can follow:
Hannah's Athlete Page on Facebook
Hannah's Team USA Profile Page
Organizer
Jennifer Ensley Aspden
Organizer
Raleigh, NC
