'My perseverance is unstoppable.' Paralympian Sandy Dukat inspires at Goodwill breakfast

Sandy Dukat, a Canton native and Paralympic medalist, says her family's no-excuse policy helped her excel in life.

"The one thing my siblings never gave me was a 10-second head start," Dukat said. "I wasn't allowed to make excuses, and that is a gift that has proven irreplaceable. I am the person I am today because of my family and this community."

Dukat was the keynote speaker Thursday for Goodwill's Report to the Community breakfast event.

The event was sponsored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame and took place in its Nash Family Event and Conference Center. Former NFL lineman Bobby Bell was also in attendance in support of the Hall of Fame's Hall of Famer Residency Program.

Speakers who preceded Dukat's speech included introductory comments from WKYC anchor Stephanie Haney, Hall of Fame Chief Communications Officer Rich Desrosiers, Goodwill Board of Directors Chair Luke Cleland, Goodwill Chief Operating Officer Mark Trew and Goodwill President and CEO Anne Richards.

Richards said the nonprofit Goodwill served 17,000 people last year across 10 counties in two states and has diverted 25 million pounds of material from local landfills. She said three new Goodwill locations opened, which include a center in Willowick, a bookstore in North Canton and a clearance sale outlet in Cleveland. However, Richards said, the organization is facing some hardship.

"We've got competition for physical donations like we've never had in our 106-year history from for-profit thrifters who frankly have a lot more money, but we're different," Richards said. "We're not trying to sell shirts; we're helping sexual assault survivors and the homeless get hot meals and find and retain jobs."

Sandy Dukat's storied career

Dukat spoke at length about her experience as an athlete with a physical disability. Dukat was born missing her femur and needed an amputation above the knee when she was 4 years old. Now 52, the youngest of four said her family and community were pivotal in building her self-efficacy and esteem.

Dukat said she participated in sports throughout her childhood, taking interest in the high jump when she attended Crenshaw Middle School. In 1996, she was introduced to the Paralympic Games, and she won two bronze medals for alpine skiing at her first competition, the Winter Paralympics in Salt Lake City in 2002.

"When I received those bronze medals on the podium, there was no place I'd rather have been," Dukat said. "Here's the beauty about bronze: they call your name up first and you stand there the longest."

Dukat also won a bronze medal in the Winter Paralympic Games in Turin, Itality, in 2006, three bronze medals at the 2004 World Championships in Austria and a gold medal at the North American World Cup in 2005.

"I wake up every morning with that prosthetic leg at my bedside and that hurdle I've had all my life reminds me of who I want to be," Dukat said. "I see myself full of strength, full of confidence, and my perseverance is unstoppable. That's how I navigate my life."

Dukat closed by telling attendees to take hold of the opportunities in their life and to do what they can to help others find and embrace such chances.

"It's not what happens to you, it's how you handle and respond to what is given to you," Dukat said. "The bench wasn't the place for me so it wasn't where I was going to let myself be put."

Goodwill's 2024 community breakfast and awards

The event also featured awards and videos highlighting recipient stories.

Carlos Elder was awarded the Edgar J. Helms Outstanding Achiever Award, named after the founder of the Goodwill movement. Elder was shot in the head twice, putting him in a coma for six weeks. He now works from home investigating fraud cases for Walmart with the assistance of Dragon Dictation Software, a speech-to-text application.

Betty Thompson was named Graduate of the Year. The pandemic forced the closure of Thompson's previous employer, and she developed numerous health issues after the loss of her mother, who was her primary support system. Ever since receiving a referral to return to work at Goodwill, she has worked a sorting job.

Gavin Gorski was awarded the Achiever of the Year Award. Gorski, who has autism, was housebound for eight years with little social contact and was connected through Goodwill to help find work. He has since worked at Marc's in North Canton, where he stocks shelves.

Sue Gardner was awarded the Ken Weber Servant Leadership Award, named after the previous Goodwill CEO who died in 2016.

Two awards were given to local organizations. The Massillon Recreation Center was awarded the Employer of the Year Award, and the Girl Scouts of Northeast Ohio were awarded the Collaborative Partner of the Year Award.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Paralympian medalist Sandy Dukat speaks at Goodwill breakfast