A Gifted Athlete with a Big Heart

Chloe Paquin, a senior at Scarsdale High School, is a gifted athlete with a big heart. Wanting other children to be able to enjoy the sports she loves so much, Chloe has been volunteering with Able Athletics, a wonderful organization that supports athletes with special needs, for four years.. According to their website, Able Athletics’ mission is to, “Empower children with disabilities through tailored sports programming, while providing educational training for volunteers in order to inspire a more inclusive future.”

In her time with Able Athletics, Chloe has acted as a sports clinic volunteer, has been a social media intern for the organization and even co-founded and served as the President of the SHS Able Athletics Club. She has also designed and run information sessions for Scarsdale High School and Middle School students on Non Sibi Days, Global Citizenship Days, and Human Rights Days where students are exposed to the challenges faced by children with special needs.

What’s more, Chloe also has also helped to run many Able Athletics “dedicated” games in collaboration with Scarsdale High School sports teams. Most recently, on Friday January 21st, Chloe organized a successful basketball game with her Girls’ Varsity Basketball team. As part of the game, the girls wore “Able blue” socks and all the families and fans participated in a point-a-thon where they pledged a small dollar amount per point the girls scored. The team had an exceptional scoring game where they scored 61 points and the point-a-thon ended up raising $2,250 for Able Athletics!

Describing her time as a volunteer, Chloe said, “I can honestly say that volunteering for Able Athletics has been my favorite and most rewarding experience throughout my four years in high school. Working with the Able athletes and watching them succeed, whether that means scoring a basket or simply running through an obstacle course, brings me a huge amount of joy and pride. I have been lucky enough to have developed close bonds with so many of the athletes and I feel incredibly grateful to be a small part of their success as they try to navigate the challenges that come along with being an athlete with special needs.”

Chloe added, “I’ve enjoyed getting to know the Able Community- not only the athletes, but the Able Athletics administrative team, as well as my peer volunteers. I feel that I have grown as a person and the Able athletes have taught me so much more than I could ever teach them. I have learned about inclusion and empathy and I will continue to champion these values both on and off the playing fields.”

Find out more about Able Athletics and learn how you can get involved here https://ableathletics.org/