3 sisters go from homeless shelter to Junior Olympic Games
Every morning, three young sisters wake up together with their mom in one bed in a Brooklyn homeless shelter. Every afternoon, they train in a sport that they hope will put them on a path to a better life.
Tai Sheppard, 11, and sisters Rainn, 10, and Brooke, 8, all have blossomed since taking up track and field a year and a half ago, rising to the top tier of age-group national rankings and earning a spot in the Junior Olympic Games, now underway in Houston.
Tonia Handy, the girl’s mom, works answering phones at a car service. She’s been raising her family alone for nearly a decade, enduring constant financial hardship and even tragedy.
She always managed to make ends meet until early last year, when she and the girls were evicted from their apartment for failing to pay the rent.
The girls got into track when their baby sitter, looking for some kind of activity to keep them occupied, signed them up for a track meet that did not require any entry fees.
It just so happened that the founder of the Brooklyn-based Jeuness Track Club was at the competition scouting for new talent. By the end of the first day, they were asked to join the team.
The mission of the team is to keep girls on track, both academically and athletically to set them up for college scholarships.
The sisters are well on their way.