Brittany has been a participant with Power To Be in Vancouver for five years, and in that time, describes having experiences that created incredible, incomparable life impacts, for Brittany and for others.
Brittany says, “Power To Be has helped me to gain confidence and work more to help my community,” and shares about giving back by intentionally building community and offering support. Brittany is in the process of applying for volunteer roles that center working with animals in need and says that this volunteership was inspired by participating in Power To Be’s community.
Brittany explains that so much confidence has been built by programs, most notably by trying adaptive, supportive paddleboarding and progressing from kneeling to standing. Brittany exclaims, “my legs were shaking, but I ended up standing up with the support of Power To Be staff surrounding me.” This acts as a metaphor for what Power To Be always strives to do – a 360 degree kind of support that empowers participants to succeed. A treasured memory Brittany shared was of skydiving on the lower mainland in April 2022, an experience that was sponsored by Power To Be. Brittany describes skydiving as a lifelong dream, saying, “I’m not afraid of heights: I like roller coasters and being up in the air and upside down. I’ve wanted to fly ever since I was 5 years old – I used to try on a broomstick in the backyard after seeing the movie Kiki’s Delivery Service!” This dream of flying led Brittany to start working toward the goal of skydiving.
Brittany says, “my friend Jennifer and I started working to raise money for me to go skydiving,” and adds that Jennifer even decorated a bottle to help Brittany store any funds raised. Brittany says that when former Power To Be staff member Manu heard about this, Manu reached out to offer a Christmas gift: a gift card for skydiving. Because of this, Brittany got to experience nature from a bird’s eye view! Brittany describes the experience as amazing and unforgettable.
Brittany’s adventurous spirit really shines through. “I love roller coasters, heights, and the thrill of being in the air,” Brittany says. Because of Power To Be, Brittany describes being able to experience adventure and challenges that will never be forgotten. Brittany looks forward to continuing to engage in our adaptive programs.