Yoga Born Helps Student in Quest for Paralympic Dream

The latest effort to raise money for 16-year-old would-be Paralympian Andrew Haraghey took place at Yoga Born Studios in South Windsor on Saturday.

Haraghey, who has cerebral palsy and is one of the top adaptive ski racers in New England (he won five gold medals in seven events at the 2011-12 Disabled Sports USA Ski Tour last winter), is training for the 2014 Paralympic Games in Sochi, Russia.

But the training, which includes trips all over the U.S., including to Oregon, Utah and Colorado, costs money. A lot of money. Tens of thousands of dollars.

Indeed, the latest trip to train at the U.S. Ski Association summer training camp at Mount Hood, OR, where he worked with some of the top race coaches in the country, cost over $3,000 in airfare and lodging alone.

Enter area businesses like Yoga Born, which is owned and operated by Dawn Greenfield, that have stepped in to help Andrew realize his Paralympic dream.

On Saturday, patrons who took advantage of Yoga Born’s free Open Studio session could also buy water bottles and pieces of art that had inspirational messages written by Andrew on them; the proceeds of the effort were donated to the Haragheys for Andrew's training.

“I just love helping people,” Greenfield said on Saturday. “[The business] is a great platform to do this. If you can afford yoga, then, traditionally, you can afford to donate to help Andrew to ski. … I love it. It’s exciting.”

Or, as Greenfield’s partner Rob Nolan said, “I’m not going to the Olympics. I want to help someone else go.”

Greenfield met Andrew’s mother, Sheryl Haraghey, at a South Windsor Chamber of Commerce meeting in April. The two became fast friends, leading to Greenfield’s and Yoga Born’s involvement. (Check out the blog post for Sheryl's take on the matter here.)

The South Windsor yoga studio does a free open house for beginners every month, during which there is some fundraiser connected with it, Greenfield said. It was only natural, therefore, that the July and August open houses were dedicated to Andrew’s fundraising efforts, she said.

People who bought the art pieces, which were cut up from an original larger piece, then stuck them back in place on a grid. When the grid fills up, the pieces are taken down and given back to the people who bought them. Those people then have the option of having those pieces framed at Sheryl Haraghey's Frame Designs business located in South Windsr.

It’s one of several fundraisers in Andrew's name that have been indicative of the business communities in South Windsor, Enfield, Manchester, Ellington and Vernon, among other places.

“The business support has been amazing,” Sheryl Haraghey said. “I’m totally shocked. … It’s just bloomed. … It just restores your faith in humanity.”

Andrew has been equally blown away at the response of the community as well.

“I think it’s great that they’re really supportive,” Andrew said at Yoga Born on Saturday. “They’ve been a lot more supportive than I expected.”

Andrew’s next trip is coming in November. So Sheryl has been drumming up support by organizing various functions like a golf tournament in August and a motorcycle/car poker run scheduled for September. The next event is a car and bike wash scheduled for July 29 at 73 Hazard Ave. in Enfield.

While Sheryl has been taking care of the fundraising, Andrew has been doing his part in putting in the time and effort working with a personal trainer twice a week for two hours each session.

“It’s been a lot of hard work and dedication,” Andrew said about his goal of making the U.S. team. “I just keep trying.”

Andrew may well be training to compete in a world-class event, but he’s a wise-guy at heart.

When asked ‘How did you find out about Yoga Born?’ Andrew replied, “My mother dragged me here by the ear.”

It’s that spirit and sense of humor that have carried Andrew this far and, hopefully, a bit further.

“We never treated him any differently,” Sheryl said. “He’s been water-skiing since he was 10. It takes him a while to master it, but he’s excelled. ... He's a great kid who has overcome such adversity.”

For more information on Andrew’s quest for the 2014 Paralympics, visit andrewraces.com or call Sheryl Haraghey at 860-648-2112. For more information on Yoga Born, visit yogaborn.com.