Media
Blind athlete inspires young women
Determination leads to success, Olympian says
By Julie Baxter,
The Coloradoan
Stretching Themselves: Pudre High School sophomore Samantha Gracey, left, and Elizabeth Lopez, a junior at Fort Collins High, participate in a drill at the kick-boxing presenation during the Journey 2000 conference for young omen at Colorado State University on Friday. The event features discussions on women's issues and career opprtunities.Every journey begins with small steps. Those were Nancy Stevens' simple words of wisdom to 300 area junior high and high school girls Friday morning as she kicked off Journey 2000: A Young Women's Conference at Colorado State University.
More than 300 young women in ninth through 12th grade descended on the Lorry Student Center for the second annual conference on women's issues and career opportunities.
Topics of discussion ranged from eating disorders and body image to being an everyday champion and turning obstacles into opportunities. There were talks on career possibilities such as veterinary medicine, police dispatching and fashion design.
Stevens gave the keynote address, calling on her experiences as a blind athlete and her determination never to give up on her goal of being an Olympian. Stevens, who competed in cross country skiing in the 1998 Paralympics in Nagano, Japan, told Journey attendees there were many times she thought of just quitting and settling for a life that never included the Olympics.
"How often do we always have an excuse?" she said.
But Stevens never let excuses keep her from pushing beyond her limits - first as a child riding a bicycle outside the familiar terrain of her own neighborhood, and later as an adult when she tackled downhill and cross country skiing.
"You can either quit or go on," she said.
Mixing songs with inspirational and insightful messages into her keynote address, Stevens told the students that the journey never ends, for oven if one leg is over, another is waiting to begin.
Students were inspired by Stevens' message as well as the 26 community presenters who gave workshops on topics ranging from coping with loss to volunteerism. "There are a lot of things in our community that put women down, that don't give women inspiration or courage," said Poudre High School freshman Amy to have things like this because it gives you a common bond with people -that you can succeed."
One the Move: Rocky Mountain High School Sophomore Robyn Hightower gets her arms moving in the kick boxing class.PHS freshman Elisabeth Mooney, 15, said the presentations were invaluable. She attended one on veterinary medicine given by local vet Cat Cross. Mooney learned that the field was predominantly male 20 years ago but now is filled with female professionals.
"I'm learning about all the different opportunities for women. ... It shows that women can do all kinds of stuff," she said.
Lesher Junior High freshman Nichole Bowen, 15, said the event also gave her the opportunity to make new friends and catch up with old ones.
"It's cool to interact with people from different schools," she said.
The Journey conference began in Loveland five years ago and has expanded to include conferences in Fort Collins, Boulder and Greeley, said Cathy Kainer, Poudre School District community relations coordinator.
Caption of top photo: Stretching Themselves: Pudre HIgh School sophomore Samantha Gracey, left, and Elizabeth Lopez, a junior at Fort Collins High, participate in a drill at the kick-boxing presenation during the Journey 2000 conference for young omen at Colorado State University on Friday. The event features discussions on women's issues and career opprtunities.
Caption on bottom photo: One the Move: Rocky Mountain High School Sophomore Robyn Hightower gets her arms moving in the kick boxing class.