Successful para-athlete and mentor participates in Rodman Ride for Kids

The following guest post was submitted by Partners for Youth with Disabilities, one of MMP’s Partner-level programs that participated in the Rodman Ride for Kids on Sept. 29.

Juan Martin Botero, Partners for Youth with Disabilities mentor and Cambridge resident, rode for the fourth consecutive year for Partners for Youth with Disabilities (PYD) in the Rodman Ride for Kids on Sept. 29. Botero raced a 25-mile cycling course, and rode with William Connors, a PYD Board member, and Steve Taub, a first-time rider and supporter of PYD.

In 2010, Botero finished the 25-mile Rodman Ride course in 3:20, twice as fast as his personal goal. He was diagnosed with Ataxia more than a decade ago, and just over five years ago began using a wheelchair for greater mobility. The neurological dysfunction brought on by Ataxia affects gross motor coordination, so Botero uses adaptive equipment such as his recumbent bike, the Greenspeed Tadpole, for cycling training and racing, as well as his daily commute. Such equipment enables him to continue following his passions for the outdoors and travel, which culminated in his climbs in recent years to Mt. Kilimanjaro’s summit and the bottom of the Grand Canyon.

Botero wants to encourage young people facing challenges: “For this reason I believe in Partners for Youth with Disabilities. I became a mentor because I hope I can share my strengths and my stories, and I can show them that we can all climb Kilimanjaro in our own terms.” He has served as a mentor through the Mentor Match program at PYD since 2009.

Team PYD can be found at www.rodmanrideforkids.org under “Juan Botero,” “William Connors,” or “Steve Taub” as participants. For more information on PYD, please go to www.pyd.org.

The Red Sox Mentoring Challenge and Partners for Youth with Disabilities

Since 2005, Mass Mentoring Partnership has teamed up with the Boston Red Sox for the Red Sox Mentoring Challenge, an initiative designed to recruit more caring Massachusetts adults as mentors. We’ve just launched the 8th year of the campaign, and we’re highlighting programs that participated last year and made successful matches through the campaign. This is a post from mentor Doug Upton with Partners for Youth with Disabilities.

1. Tell us a little about yourself and your mentee, what mentoring program you’re involved in, and how long you have been matched.
   I’m a 44-year old man who moved to Boston over 12 years ago. I’m a volunteer with Partners for Youth with Disabilities‘ (PYD)  Mentor Match program, a program that matches mentors with young people who may share similar experiences with illness or disability. I was matched with my mentee Manuel in February of 2008, and we are approaching five years together as a match. Manuel enjoys visiting the library and museums, and taking a walk through the city when the weather’s nice. He’s always ready to cheer Boston’s home teams!
2. How did you hear about the Red Sox Mentoring Challenge and what prompted you to get involved as a mentor?
   I became motivated to become involved as a mentor after spending over a year recovering from a tough illness. I decided that it would be good idea to help other people – the way so many people helped me. I came to PYD in 2007 after looking for opportunities to work with youth, and specifically youth with disabilities. Prior to learning about PYD, I had tried to work as a volunteer with youth that had experienced an illness like I had. In trying to do so I met great resistance until coming to PYD. As a person who has experienced stroke, I have a lot of common experiences that can help Manuel navigate the learning delays and other challenges he has due to his condition.
3. What lessons have you drawn from the Red Sox team and its players about what it means to be a mentor and a role model?
   Like the Red Sox team, being a mentor means always being there in the field – whether we’re winning or we’re losing.
4. What has been the most rewarding aspect of being a mentor?
   Seeing the growth and maturity of a very promising young man, full of potential. Recently,  Manuel initiated a conversation about going to college, and how he’s contemplating choosing a school outside of Boston. He’s eager to have a sense that he can live independently. I was very happy to hear him speak in these terms and to give this so much thought. I have no doubt that his sense of confidence and his maturity is a real result of the opportunities provided by PYD, including the Mentor Match program and Access to Theatre.
5. What would you say to those who are on the fence about mentoring (i.e. those who think they do not have enough time, expertise, etc)?
   It’s surprising how easy it is – all I need to do is lend an ear or be there for somebody.Manuel’s personality has come out in the time we have spent together, and I have witnessed him becoming increasingly comfortable in social situations. A couple of years ago, I worked as an English as a second language teacher and brought Manuel on a field trips with my students to the Harvard Museum of Natural History. Manuel had a fun day with the other kids and helped me with some of the teaching, he was helping the students learn names of (the glass) flowers, and of course he had them in stitches by the end of the day with his comic routines. Our relationship is a great example of a mentoring relationship that is beneficial to both mentor and mentee.

Partners for Youth with Disabilities receives funding to train Big Brothers Big Sisters

The following blog article is courtesy of Kaela Vronsky, mentoring and National Center director for Partners for Youth with Disabilities, Inc.

Did you know that one in five Americans has a disability, most of which are invisible? Youth with disabilities are everywhere, and yet they often lack access to the same resources as their typically developing peers. These young people drop out of high school at twice the rate of those without, are three times more likely to get involved with the juvenile justice system, and are at significantly greater risk of being unemployed and living in poverty than their typically abled counterparts.

A PYD match from Mentor Appreciation Day 2012 in January

Partners for Youth with Disabilities (PYD) has been addressing these disparities since 1985 through one-on-one, group, and peer mentoring. In 2005, PYD’s National Center for Mentoring Youth with Disabilities was founded in response to inquiries received over the years from other organizations looking to receive training to better serve youth with disabilities. The National Center has presented at numerous local and national conferences and trained agencies such as AFC Mentoring, Girl Scouts, City Year, Boys and Girls Clubs, and others. This year, the National Center is thrilled to add Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay to this list!

In January of this year, PYD’s National Center received funding from the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation to provide customized, in-depth training to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western New Hampshire with the purpose of building their awareness and capacity to effectively serve current and future participants with disabilities. The training agenda includes an overview of inclusion, disability etiquette and communication, and programmatic tips for inclusive mentoring. PYD will use this experience to create a model that will be relevant and replicable to Big Brother Big Sister programs throughout the country.

For more information, go to www.pyd.org, or call Kaela Vronsky at 617-556-4075, ext. 14.

Extreme athlete and mentor rides again for Partners for Youth with Disabilities

The Rodman Ride for Kids is three weeks from tomorrow, and Mass Mentoring is one of the agencies to benefit from this annual fundraising event. We are lucky to have several mentoring programs riding with the MMP team, including mentor Juan Martin Botero from Partners for Youth with Disabilities. Juan’s story is incredibly inspiring.

Mentor Juan Botero from PYD

Originally from Colombia, Juan has been a Partners for Youth with Disabilities (PYD) mentor for more than three years.

Juan says he mentors because “I hope the kids have gotten from me as much as I have learned and am learning from them.”

He elaborates, “For example my mentee, Eric, recently introduced me to sled hockey. It is something completely new and amazing. Now I want to do it, seeing him, who has been practicing it for the past two years. It made me want to jump on the ice…But I would never have become interested in this if it was not for him. And that is what I hope I can give him eventually.”

Diagnosed with ataxia over a decade ago, Juan has continued to lead an active lifestyle in spite of the physical challenges brought on by this neurological dysfunction. Ataxia has affected Juan’s gross motor coordination, so he now uses adaptive equipment, including a wheelchair, to maximize his mobility. This enables him to continue following his passion for the outdoors.

Juan’s recent athletic accomplishments include a climb to Mt. Kilamanjaro’s summit and one to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, to name a few. An adaptive recumbent bike, the Greenspeed Tadpole, is his vehicle of choice for cycling training and racing, as well as his daily commute.

Juan recently made a presentation to PYD’s Making Healthy Connections group in Boston about his travel, participation in sports, and the importance of staying fit. He pointed out that because of his disability, it’s especially important for him to keep fit to stay healthy, as it is with others. He presented slides from all of his impressive athletic feats and shared his passion for sports and physical activity with the group. The youth were thrilled to see and hear about all of his accomplishments, and benefited from his positive attitude towards challenging oneself physically even—and especially—with a disability.

As part of Mass Mentoring’s team, Juan has competed twice in the Rodman Ride for Kids to benefit PYD. Last year, intense training paid off, and he finished the 25 mile race in 3:20, nearly twice as fast as his minimum goal. This year, Juan will ride 25 miles again to raise funds and awareness for the need for mentors for youth with disabilities. If you would like to make a donation to support Juan’s ride and his charity of choice, Partners for Youth with Disabilities (PYD), please donate here.

If you would like more information on PYD, please go to www.pyd.org. We hope to see Juan, other riders with and without disabilities, and all of our supporters at the Rodman Ride again on September 24 in Foxboro!

Program highlight: Partners for Youth with Disabilities

Building on our recent interview with Matt Costigan, today’s post focuses on mentoring from a program staff member’s perspective.

Jeff Lafata is the mentor match specialist at Partners for Youth with Disabilities (PYD) in Boston.

MMP: Tell us a little bit about your mentoring program and your role.

Jeff: PYD is committed to empowering young people with disabilities to reach their full potential. We do this by providing high quality one-to-one and group mentoring programs for youth as they strive to reach their personal, educational and career goals.

PYD offers a variety of mentoring programs for youth with disabilities such as Mentor Match, Access to Theater and Making Healthy Connections.

PYD’s Mentor Match program serves youth with disabilities between the ages of six and 24 within the Greater Boston area. Youth are paired with a caring adult (some of whom share a similar disability) who serves as a role model and offers support and guidance. Our matches sign on for a one-year commitment that includes weekly contact and 4-6 hours of monthly in-person activities that take place in the community.

The power of mentoring has great effect on both the youth being served and the mentors that are volunteering their time.

MMP: Why do you feel mentoring is important?

Jeff: Studies have shown that mentoring youth can have a powerful and positive impact in reducing substance abuse, improving grades and self-esteem and promoting social and cultural enrichment.

All young people need to be able to have supportive role models in their lives that they can look up to and trust. One of the greatest things that the Mentor Match program brings to its youth is the ability to be matched with a mentor that shares a similar disability.

The friendship and guidance these mentors offer is uniquely powerful. That the mentees can see their own future in their mentors’ success can significantly increase their self-esteem and understanding that their disability does not need to stop them from achieving their goals in life.

MMP: Your program is participating in this year’s Red Sox Mentoring Challenge, an initiative designed to recruit more caring Massachusetts adults as mentors. Which Red Sox player do you think is the best mentor on the team?

Jeff: Although the Red Sox team is filled with men that would all be great mentors, if I had to pick one it would be Dustin Pedroia.

Dustin understands what it is like to be told that you will not be able to reach your goals due to circumstances out of one’s control. However, Dustin did not listen and instead he persevered to prove those that doubted him wrong.

Dustin is smaller than most major league baseball players, and this was something that he was made all too aware of as he was growing up and pursuing his dream of the major leagues.

Those in his life told him that he was too small to play baseball but he did not listen, he worked hard and stayed focused on his goal. Not only did he reach his goal and is now playing for the Boston Red Sox, he is also the American League All-Star three years in a row.

He is a great role model for young people when it comes to working hard and pursuing your dreams and passions no matter what others tell you.

MMP: If you have personally been a mentor, tell us what that experience has been like.

Jeff: I am proud to be a mentor through our Mentor Match program. I am a mentor to a 17-year-old young man with Autism and a hearing impairment. Although we have only been matched for six months, our relationship has made a great impact on both of us.

When I first met my mentee, he would not leave his house except to go to school. Now, whenever I show up at his house he is always ready to go out for a fun activity.

Since being matched we have been able to go to the zoo, Museum of Fine Arts and the movies, along with just walking around his community, playing video games and enjoying smoothies in the Arboretum. These fun activities have helped him to come out of his shell and learn more about his community.

When we talk about the power of mentoring, we always hear how great it is for the youth but so often people forget to share the great effect it has on the mentor as well. My relationship with my mentee has had a great impact on my life. I am lucky to learn just as much from him as I am hoping that he learns from me. It is an amazingly mutual relationship of growth and understanding.

The one thing I would want potential mentors to understand is that the time commitment is small but the benefits for both of you are immeasurable.

MMP: How can people learn more about mentoring opportunities with your organization?

Jeff: If anyone is interested in learning more about our Mentor Match program or becoming a mentor, they can go to our web site www.pyd.org or contact me anytime at 617-556-4075 ext. 18 or mentormatch@pyd.org.