| Teen competes in Paralympic Games in Athens By Melissa Lauber
UMCONNECTION STAFF When Tatyana McFadden, of Linden Linthicum UMC in Clarksville, was three years old, she learned to walk — upside down, on her hands. Today, Tatyana is one of the fastest wheelchair racers in the world. She is an Olympian. She is 15.  | MELISSA LAUBER / UMCONNECTION | Tatyana McFadden, of Linden Linthicum UMC in Clarksville, recently participated in the Paralympic Games in Greece. |
This September, instead of starting her freshman year of high school, McFadden participated in the 100, 200, 400 and 800-meter races at the Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece. The Paralympic Games immediately followed the 2004 Olympics, held at many of the same venues. Her journey to Athens has been a remarkable one, said her mother, Debbie McFadden. When Tatyana was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, her caretakers at the orphanage where she lived prayed that she would die. Her spinal column was exposed, her mother recalled. “They couldn’t understand why God kept her alive. It puzzled them and they wondered what kind of life this child could possibly have,” she said. After 21 days, an operation was performed. Tatyana lived in stark and often ugly conditions in the orphanage. “Did I have anyone I loved? I knew who to turn to if I needed anything. I guess that was it,” she said. When Tatyana was 6, McFadden encountered her during a fact-finding mission while working as the presidentially appointed U.S. commissioner on disabilities. Touring Russia, McFadden walked into a room at the orphanage. Tatyana immediately claimed her as her mother. “That’s my mom,” she said. “Tatyana was born to be my daughter,” said McFadden, who admits she is not certain of the exact reason God saved Tatyana. “Maybe it was to be a world-class athlete. But I know God has plans for her.” Before she left for Athens, the congregation at Linden-Linthicum prayed for Tatyana and the 17 members of her family who accompanied her to the Paralympic games. In addition to a family, a wheelchair and the opportunity to pursue her dream, McFadden also gave her faith to her daughter. Tatyana knows God is with her and her spirituality is reflected in her style of racing. “I love competition,” she said. “I love going fast.” She is energized by the crowds, like the 24,000 people who cheered her at the qualifying race in Sacramento, Calif. But rather than defeating opponents, Tatyana focuses on doing her best. “Each time you try to beat your personal best, that’s the goal,” she said. To accomplish this, she trains for an hour a day, and often cross trains, playing basketball, ice hockey and swimming. Nothing seems to daunt her. She even goes up escalators at the mall in her wheelchair, her mother reports. McFadden is glad that her daughter is willing to strive. “Life is full of challenges,” she said. “You never give up. In our darkest hours we don’t always see the light.” As a parent, her job has been pointing Tatyana toward the light. She thanks her church and its pastor, the Rev. David Carter Rimbach, and his wife, the Rev. Joan Carter Rimbach, for making the building accessible — even carrying her places where her wheelchair was unable to go. The McFaddens find it difficult to understand that there are still churches that are not handicapped accessible. When Tatyana was adopted, she came to a land that had religious freedom, Debbie McFadden said. “Yet that same religious freedom is denied to some people by some churches.” Accessibility is essential, she said. “But the biggest barrier is attitudinal.” Having the right attitude is essential to racing and to life, Tatyana said. For those who would pursue their dreams, the young Olympian offers simple advice: “Just do it. If you want to do something well, practice makes perfect.” | 
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