Three-time Paralympic gold medalist Trevon Jenifer visited Alexandria on Tuesday, and gave some advice to kids at the Dunbar Alexandria-Olympic Boys & Girls Club in Old Town.
Fresh from visiting the White House with the U.S. Paralympic Wheelchair Basketball Team, the 36-year-old Maryland native talked about his desire to win.
“Just because you grow up a certain way doesn’t mean that that’s your destiny,” Jenifer said. “I go out and take what I want, and I’m very active, right?”
Jenifer scored 14 points in the gold medal game against Great Britain in the Paris Paralympics.
The event was moderated by NBC4 anchor Jummy Olabanji and sponsored by Comcast, the latter of which also donated 25 laptops to the club.
A number of wheelchair basketball players from the Fairfax Falcons also listened to Jenifer.
Nuri Abdus-Salaan has been with the Falcons for nine years and wants to compete in the Paralympics in 2028. The 17-year-old knows Jenifer and a number of the other members of Team USA.
“It’s a really good community in the basketball world,” Abdus-Salaan said, adding that the trick to greatness is practicing harder after practice, when you’re alone. “When you’re practicing by yourself and put the most effort into what you do when nobody’s watching you, that’s how you can perform at your best.”
