Skip to main content

Belles vs. Basketball: SOARin' to New Heights

Ok, I’ll admit it: I was always too nervous to sign-up for SOAR when it was a wheelchair basketball day. SOAR is one of my personal Belle philanthropy favorites, and has been since my first year in Belles (it is now my fourth year in Belles). We basically get to have fun with kids who have autism, cognitive impairments or muscular dystrophy as they get their “Saturday workout on” in everything from martial arts to rock climbing. It is honestly the best way to begin a Saturday, as it always adds gratefulness, humility, beauty and so much laughter to my day. But back to wheelchair basketball. Yes, I was nervous when I found out that this particular Saturday, we would be playing wheelchair basketball. What if I just could not roll in a wheelchair, what if I fell off? All of these crazy doubts kept filling my head! Well, someone once said that the only way to conquer your fear is to face it, and so I strapped myself into the wheelchair and tried to push. And boy, was it tough work! The amount of arm work that goes into pushing it would give Popeye a run for his money (you know, the sailor who eats all the spinach). Of course, all of the SOAR kids were such experts, and they graciously offered to teach me how to veer left and right, turn, speed up and slow down in the wheelchair. I was amazed at their skill. Not only that, but they were excellent at shooting the ball into the basket! We got to laugh, joke and race each other in the wheelchairs. One of the kids even showed me his impressive rap memorization skills as he was effortlessly beating me in a wheelchair race across the court. But, on a deeper level, being in that wheelchair for 2 hours gave me at least a little bit better of an understanding of what those who must use a wheelchair each and every single day must go through. I have so much admiration and respect for those people. And this was just another incredible lesson that a Bruin Belles philanthropy event had taught me about life. 

 Maryam Nouh
Distinguished Belle
Fourth Year Bruin Belle

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Senior's Reflection

A Senior's Reflection   As my time at UCLA and Belles comes to an end, I want to reflect on all the experiences I’ve been lucky enough to have over the past years. I am so grateful to be surrounded by so many great people, many of whom I have found through Belles. This community has given me so much and I could not be more appreciative. It provided such a welcoming and open space for me to grow as a person when I first arrived on campus at UCLA after a full year of online school. With the time I have been given in Westwood,  I have been challenged academically, learned to embrace independence and time alone, and have learned more about myself in the process. That is truly a gift.   That being said, some of my favorite and most impactful Belle events have been Meals on Wheels and Baby2Baby. Meals on Wheels was an amazing experience, and I truly felt like I was making a difference in the community. Through this organization, we packed meals and distributed them to older adu...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Bruin Belles Community

When asked what Bruin Belles is all about, we summarize our focus on community service and women’s leadership, as we are united under these integral fundamentals. Yet, the experience of Bruin Belles extends far beyond those five words. Bruin Belles as an organization and the Belles in it are incredibly well-rounded. Attending community service events, campus sports and arts events, and women’s leadership events throughout every quarter connects Belles to fellow Belles, fellow students, the UCLA community, and the Los Angeles community at large. The wholistic nature of the events and goals of Bruin Belles provides Belles with the opportunity to enrich their UCLA experience. The significance of all the experiences that Bruin Belles provides is augmented by the caliber of the women themselves. Every Belle with whom I’ve had the incredible opportunity of becoming friends with is grounded, passionate, ambitious, and compassionate. I don’t use these words lightly. Regardless of major or inte...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Sense of Belonging

Being surrounded by the incredibly driven, selfless and compassionate individuals that are Bruin Belles has been so fundamental to me finding a sense of belonging at the immensely intimidating and overwhelming institution that is UCLA. I am continually inspired by the ubiquitous drive to serve and learn among belles, despite the wide diversity of academic interests, campus involvements, and career aspirations. BBSA has allowed me to give, learn, and grow in ways I would have never expected, all while having a lot of fun. Some of my best memories range from making meaningful connections over coffee at Kerckhoff, engaging in hands-on philanthropy projects, and networking with incredible alumni and connected professionals.  To be frank, this quarter was both mentally and physically exhausting for me as I continue on my search to find my interests and niche at UCLA. However, seeing Belles every week kept me energized, positive, and motivated as I navigated through draining back-to...
Post a Comment
Read more