Nationwide — Meet Baileigh Sinaman-Daniel, a 22-year-old African American basketball participant at Lesley College, who has made historical past as the primary NCAA Division III girls’s basketball participant with one arm to attain in a collegiate sport.
Baileigh, born with one arm, confronted many challenges rising up, particularly in basketball — a sport she beloved because of her childhood idol, LeBron James. Her largest setback got here in highschool when her coach reduce her from the workforce in her senior yr. As a substitute of giving up, she used the rejection as motivation, reaching out to a whole lot of school coaches seeking a possibility.
After spending two years at Warren Wilson Faculty, Baileigh transferred to Lesley College. Her perseverance paid off when she made her first collegiate basket — an extended shot close to the three-point line that swished via the web.
“I type of simply shot the ball with the anticipation that I must go and get it again on a rebound,” Sinaman-Daniel instructed 11 Alive. “When the shot really went in, I used to be extra so shocked.”
Her coach, Martin Quite, instantly known as a timeout to have fun the achievement, marking the second in historical past.
Baileigh’s success on the courtroom hasn’t come simply. She needed to develop distinctive strategies to adapt to taking part in with one arm, adjusting her capturing and ball-handling abilities. Her dedication has made her one of many hardest-working gamers on the workforce, serving to Lesley attain the playoffs for the primary time in 14 years.
As she continues to make historical past on the courtroom, she hopes her journey will encourage others to pursue their goals, regardless of the obstacles.
“When individuals take a look at me, I simply hope they see me as Baileigh. I hope they see me as a basketball participant and in addition see me as any individual who’s prepared and capable of do the whole lot that everyone else is doing,” Sinaman-Daniel mentioned.