October 19, 2008 – Athletes for Hope helps the Make-A-Wish Foundation® Grant a Wish for One Special Little Girl

Athletes for Hope and the Make-A-Wish Foundation worked together to grant a wish request for 9-year-old Sara from North Carolina in October 2008. The Make-A-Wish Foundation approached AFH about getting in touch with U.S. Gymnastics Gold Medalist Shawn Johnson during the national Gymnastics Superstars Tour. AFH was able to coordinate the match and set up a special day for Sara.

Sara met her wish escort, Amanda, before heading over to the venue. Sara was dressed in regular clothes, but confided to Amanda that she was wearing her lucky leotard underneath. Sara hoped it would bring her good luck when she met Shawn.

Sara has Hodgkin’s lymphoma and has been going through treatments for quite some time. She has been a gymnast for many years and was a Level 4 performer before being diagnosed. Her treatments are going well, so she has resumed practicing with her gymnastics team again.

Sara, accompanied by her parents and best friend, had many questions for Shawn about gymnastics and the Olympics. The two gymnasts had plenty to talk about. Eventually, Sara showed Shawn her lucky leotard she was wearing under her T-shirt. That prompted Shawn to invite her out on the floor to practice some routines.

Sara performed her floor routine, and Shawn said she was impressed. The pair decided to keep going, and Sara showed Shawn her beam routine while Shawn spotted. They also practiced on the uneven bars and worked on Sara’s back tucks with the help of other gymnasts. The time flew by – soon they realized they’d been practicing together for more than an hour!

Next, Shawn and the other gymnasts, including AFH member Nastia Liukin, decided to invite Sara to perform that evening during intermission. They let her pick which routine she wanted to do, and Sara chose the floor.

The wish family left for a few hours so Shawn and the other gymnasts could warm up and get ready for the show. While walking around the concourse, Sara spotted an official USA Gymnastics leotard for sale. She told Amanda that she wanted to wear that instead of her lucky leotard to perform at the show. As part of her wish, Sara received the new leotard – now she was all ready for her big night in the spotlight!

During intermission, Shawn introduced Sara to the crowd and talked about granting her wish that day. Sara performed her floor routine dressed in her new leotard to the music of her favorite Hannah Montana song, “Who Said.” She received a standing ovation from the crowd, and Shawn later said to Sara that she hardly ever gets a standing ovation – only when she wins a gold medal!) Sara felt wonderful, and her parents had tears in their eyes watching from backstage.

After the performance, in their dressing room, Shawn signed 15 autographs for Sara to take back to her team. Everyone said their goodbyes, and Sara enjoyed a limo ride home. Sara said that her wish turned out so much better than she could have ever dreamed when she decided to meet her favorite gymnast.

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