Trevon Jenifer: From the Ground Up

by Alan Goldenbach

It’s impossible to walk a mile in Trevon Jenifer’s shoes, because he doesn’t wear any. Jenifer was born without legs, a condition called congenital amputation. Despite growing up in a poor, crime-infested neighborhood just outside Washington, D.C., Jenifer let neither his body, his environment, nor his family’s financial hardship deter him from pursuing dreams any two-legged person would have. Those pursuits were limited to wheelchair sports in his first 15 years, but Jenifer dreamed of playing with the rest of society. When his family sacrificed its savings for his safety and moved to a predominantly white, middle-class suburb before his junior year in high school, Jenifer, at the urging of his stepfather, decided to try out for the school’s wrestling team. Even though he had never wrestled and had no friends on the team, Jenifer yearned to play a contact sport and was ready for a new challenge. Not only did Jenifer thrive on the mat, he used his wrestling success to assimilate seamlessly into a new community. Classmates were awestruck by Jenifer’s abilities and independence, and embraced his charming and inviting personality. He quickly became the most popular student in the school. The life of young Trevon Jenifer is a study of determination, and a celebration of achieving overwhelming success in spite of adversity at nearly every turn. Throughout his life, he has accomplished what he has been told he could never do. This is his inspiring story—a tale of walking tall against all odds.

205 pages, Hardcover

First published August 15, 2006

Reviews

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trevon just helped the United States win its second consecutive Paralympic Gold Medal in Men’s Wheelchair Basketball with his tenacious spirit and incredible athletic ability. I enjoyed learning about his early life. He teaches important lessons about how everyone can find common experiences if they try hard enough.