Sportable, Central Virginia’s premier adaptive sports club, is proud to announce Hannah Smith is an ESPN Sports Humanitarian Award winner as a Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award honoree. Smith will be recognized during ESPYS Week in Hollywood, California on Wednesday, July 10. The awards will be featured in studio programming and during The 2024 ESPYS, which will air live on ABC on July 11 at 8 p.m. ET.
“Hannah’s dedication and passion for adaptive sports exemplify the true spirit of the Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award,” said Hunter Leemon, Sportable Chief Executive Officer. “Her leadership and advocacy not only inspire our athletes but also bring awareness and opportunities to the adaptive sports community on a global scale. We are incredibly proud of her achievements and honored to have her as part of the Sportable family.”
Now in its tenth year, the Sports Humanitarian Awards sponsored by PENN Entertainment is a celebration of the impact made by athletes, teams and sports industry professionals who are using sports to make a difference in their communities and throughout the world. The Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award celebrates and honors young people who are using the power of sport as a catalyst for change and making a positive impact on society.
“Sports has the ability to bring people together and drive positive change to make a difference in communities that need it most,” said Kevin Martinez, vice president of ESPN Corporate Citizenship. “ESPN is proud that the Sports Humanitarian Awards will once again recognize athletes and sports figures who are using the power of sports to make a difference in communities across the globe.”
Smith was born with spina bifida and was introduced to adaptive sports at the age of eleven through Sportable. Since joining Sportable a decade ago, Smith has become a competitive wheelchair basketball player and advocate for the promotion of adaptive sports globally. She developed and launched Sportable’s inaugural wheelchair basketball camp and women’s wheelchair basketball clinic.
As part of a US State Department-sponsored adaptive sports cultural exchange to Turkmenistan in 2019, Hannah served as a youth ambassador representing the USA. In 2023, Hannah also created the See It, Be It storytelling project, a social media initiative aimed at showcasing the diverse career aspirations of youth with disabilities and inspiring young people to pursue their dreams.
“I am deeply honored to receive the Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award,” added Smith. “I hope this recognition helps more athletes and individuals with disabilities discover adaptive sports. I am so grateful to God, my family, and the mentors who have supported and challenged me throughout this journey.”
