9-Year-Old Mixed Abilities Athlete Hits ‘The Grid’ And Shows Malta How It’s Done
When young Andrew Bonett was faced with the challenge of completing an obstacle course, there was only one solution: to kick ass. This, despite having been diagnosed with Spina Bifida.
During a private obstacle course event organised by The Grid team, 9-year-old Andrew took the bull by the horns and got down and dirty with some of the toughest challenges on the track.
That meant everything from rope-climbing to military crawling to sifting through a jungle of heavy suspended tires, alongside his parents and friends.
@lovinmaltaofficial Young Andrew Bonnet did not let his #spinabifida get in the way one second 💪😍 #fyp #fypmalta #lovinmalta #malta #thegrid #kids #inspirational ♬ Pieces (Solo Piano Version) – Danilo Stankovic
He completed the entire challenge with no obstacle left unscaled.
Lovin Malta reached out to Rachel, Andrew’s mother, who couldn’t hide the pride behind Andrew’s most recent accomplishment.
“Andrew has been involved in sports since he was three years old through swimming and horseriding. He is actively involved as a paralympic athlete,” Rachel began.
“But the thought of him completing ‘The Grid’… we thought that was impossible.”
The word ‘impossible’, evidently, did not exist in Andrew’s vocabulary. And so he took the challenge with his parents by his side.
“Along with my husband, we supported Andrew throughout the course. Together, we are a team. And wherever our son goes, we will follow and push and pull and carry. Whatever it takes.”
The young athlete completed the course to a chorus of applause from his friends, many of whom walked the walk beside Andrew.
“All his best friends accompanied him,” Rachel added. “They waited for him and gave him support where necessary. But they always let him face the challenge alone because they know him and his abilities.”
“The mutual respect and understanding between Andrew and his friends manifest itself every day in normal school life.”
The journey was only made possible through a pilot project in which Andrew’s School – San Andrea – is actively participating.
The project – ‘I’mPOSSIBLE’ – is a collaboration with the Malta Paralympic Committee focused on teaching children about the values of equality.
Through this platform, children are allowed to understand that even if different persons have different abilities, it does not mean that they couldn’t work together.
The school embodied this principle, having insisted that Andrew hits the course head-on. And following his achievement, even they couldn’t hide their pride.
“It was a day we’d never forget. Andrew participated in The Grid together with his classmates. He proved to us that there is no limit that can’t be broken and that determination and courage can get you to experience things you would never be able to imagine,” they wrote on Social Media.
Andrew’s stunning showing in The Grid serves as a lesson to many who may think that our own abilities may not measure up to the difficulties life presents.
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