Mon, Jul 10, 2023 at 10:16 PM
Houston, Texas (KTRK) – Sandhya Mahesh knew she wanted help when she was in eighth grade. During her skating practices at figure skating facilities around the Houston area, she noticed children with developmental disabilities.
Many felt fear when they first encountered the ice saying, “I really don’t want to be here. It’s cold. It’s scary. It’s tiring.”
But she also saw the remarkable transformation once the kids tried it and gained confidence.
Mahesh has been a part of Skate Therapy for the past five years.
Her outstanding work has been noted by ESPN as part of the Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award Scholarship Program in advance of the 2023 ESPY Awards.
The Shadow Creek High School graduate will put that money to good use when she enrolls at the University of Pennsylvania in the Ivy League this fall. Financial help is great, but the real rewards come from helping young people.
“They’re slowly starting to change. They’re excited every week to get out on the ice. It’s kind of a stepping stone when they decide they feel comfortable enough to skate on their own,” Mahesh told Eyewitness News.
Mahesh shares the experience with her sister, Tanya. Together, they play concerts to raise money so Skate Therapy can help more kids benefit from the program.
“It makes me proud, to say the least,” Tanya said.
Sandhya’s immediate goals include starting a Skate Therapy class in Penn. She will also focus on finance and computer science so that she can do more to help her community when she graduates.
“I can be good at computer science, and I can use it to create an app or something. But creating an app that has a strong social impact is definitely something that appeals to me,” said Mahesh.
Sandia is not the only recipient of this year’s Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award. Tune in on ABC13 on Wednesday, July 12th at 7pm to see the accomplishments of fellow Sandhya Award winners during the 2023 ESPYs..
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