Endeavor Games 2018

It’s been a week since the Endeavor Games 2018 took place in Edmund, Oklahoma. For those who don’t know, the Endeavor Games are competitions for athletes of all ages with physical disabilities. These games are great opportunities for athletes to display their talents in a proper and competitive setting against all individuals with similar disabilities.

This is Knit-Rite’s second year as a sponsor for the Endeavor Games, and I maintained a booth to display our products. We introduced a few of our items to athletes who were competing, as well as their parents and friends.

Introducing our products, such as the pink prosthetic Soft Socks and SmartKnitKIDS seamless sensitivity socks, to parents of young athletes was satisfying, because I witnessed them recognizing that we are able to meet their child’s needs. We also had a few parents and kids who recognized our products and thanked Knit-Rite for our high quality socks. It is always rewarding to work for a company that makes quality products and hearing it from others.

In addition to being a representative for Knit-Rite, I also got a chance to be one of the athletes at the games. I participated in 400m sprint, table tennis and for the first time ever, a weight lifting event. My husband challenged me to try something new this year, so I tried weight lifting for fun. I might not have performed my best, but I can’t wait to use the experience and the spirit of the competition to train and compete again.

The past two years, I‘ve been running long distance races (including my first marathon) with non-adaptive athletes. I am used to being a curiosity for other runners and as a result, I am often starred at, which is a natural human instinct. Since the Endeavor Games focuses on athletes with various physical disabilities, I was honored to compete with athletes just like me. It was awesome! I didn’t feel like I was judged or looked at all the time because we all had differences. There were no questions or staring. Instead, there was a competition and lots of love and support.

One of my favorite things at the Endeavor Games, was seeing a younger generation proudly competing while having the times of their lives! It was uplifting seeing everyone’s support while cheering each other on. Whether it’s a veteran powerlifting over 200 pounds, a 2-year-old boy competing in his first wheelchair race, or even a young lady trying table tennis for the first time, each of these moments will be embedded in the memories I’ll always hold of the Endeavor Games 2018!

I finished the week with some table tennis. This was a fun addition to my experience at the Endeavor Games because it was a little bit of nostalgia. I used to play this sport competitively back home in Belarus as a child. The experience showed me that I was able to pick up my childhood skills that I developed along the way and use them for fun and competitions in the games. The best part was making new friends and new memories.

It was a wonderful event full of positivity, hugs, smiles, encouragement and no judgment! It was an honor to be there as Knit-Rite’s representative and introduce our amazing products to everyone. It was also a pleasure to be there as an athlete and compete against those who are on the same level as me. I can’t wait to go back next year and make new memories, meet new friends, compete and introduce even more people to Knit-Rite. …And who knows what else I might try! See you next year at the Endeavor Games 2019!