Brookfield East High School senior, Hannah Christianson was a middle school student when she was first exposed to the power of Unified Sports on a family trip to Boston.
“Our family friends had this program at their high school and were telling us about the profound impact it had on their school.”
Unified Sports joins people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team. It was inspired by a simple principle: training together and playing together is a quick path to friendship and understanding.
Christianson’s younger brother has special needs and has participated in Special Olympic events, but only with other special needs individuals.
“For him it wasn’t as engaging because he wasn’t interacting with his typical peers.”
In spring of 2022, Christianson brought the idea of a Unified Sports basketball game to her Brookfield East High School Principal, Andy Farley.
In winter of 2022, the first ever Unified Sports basketball game took place in Brookfield featuring members of the boys and girls varsity basketball teams from Brookfield East and Brookfield Central. Mixing in with the varsity athletes were unified sports athletes.
“I think Hannah’s vision for Unified Sports is our vision with our school and community, and our society” Farley tells WTMJ. “I think Hannah’s an amazing leader and we’ve done everything we can to support her and more importantly, get out of her way.”
On Friday, February 7, Christianson – now a senior – played in her final unified Sports basketball game as a high school student/athlete.
While Christianson plans to attend college next year, she has no thoughts of leaving the program behind.
“I would do anything to help this program expand,” Christianson concludes.
Click the sound cloud above for the full story of Christianson’s vision becoming a reality, and a memorable night in the fieldhouse at Brookfield East.
