Meet Our Ambassadors

Hi, I’m Kristen! I became an intern with Kinetic Kids in the summer of 2011. I always knew that I wanted to work with kids, but I wasn’t quite sure what that meant. As as intern,  I quickly realized this was exactly where I was supposed to be. Working closely with program directors, coaches, volunteers and, most importantly, the athletes changed the course of my career path in the most challenging and rewarding way.

After graduating from TAMU-CC in August 2011 with a Bachelor’s in Kinesiology, I went on to be an assistant special needs preschool teacher for two years with NEISD. After resigning from teaching, I worked for ten months as a care taker for two little girls, one of which was a three year old little girl named Caroline who is on the autism spectrum; Caroline – through her joy, determination, refusal to be pigeon-holed by a label and inability to accept societal limitations – taught me everything about autism. Her older sister, Vivian, showed Kristen the love and dedication of families of those with autism. After the girls moved in the spring of 2014, I accepted a job as a Registered Behavior Technician; providing ABA therapy for children on the autism spectrum at a pediatric clinic. I have been there, learning every day, since.

To say Kinetic Kids was the jumping-off point is an understatement. I am so excited to share the mission and joy of Kinetic Kids, and another small part, again, of its growth and success.

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My name is Rachel Benke and I have been doing Kinetic Kids since I was 5 years old. Kinetic Kids has helped my self esteem and has allowed me to be part of a team. I love Kinetic Kids because it provides a fun and safe place for me to do Cheer and CrossFit, my favorite sports that I cannot do anywhere else. I am so excited to be an Ambassador for Kinetic Kids so I can spread the word to others and allow them the opportunity to be included in this amazing, life changing opportunity. I am raising money for Kinetic Kids in hopes to maintain a long lasting future for this organization and tea ability to expand opportunities to other kids down the road.

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My name is Maria Cruz, Grandmother to three Kinetic Kids and fan of this organization! I believe in everything Kinetic Kids does for our kids and community! I appreciate your support as I work to keep kids kids with special needs in the game.

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My name is Jakob Curnutt, I have been participating in Kinetic Kids most my life. I love sports and making friends and Kinetic Kids has allowed me to do those things.  I am asking for your support as I spread the word and make a difference so other kids can have the opportunities that I have had.

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I am Ambassador Rhaya and a spina bifida princess. I want the world to know that a diagnosis is a motivator. As an ambassador, I will be advocating for inclusion through sports.

The inclusion will consist of love, fundraising and awareness. Kinetic Kids is the bridge that connects us all. I look forward to representing my family. Your support will create countless smiles. XOXO

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Please type Princess Rhaya Edison in Additional Comments when making a donation.

I absolutely love what Kinetic has done for my son Kullen. It has allowed him to be involved with sports in a meaningful way to him. Kinetic Kids allows Kullen an opportunity to be who he uniquely is, all while learning a sport and allowing social opportunities with other children and adults. His love for sports has grown because of Kinetic Kids, from the directors of each sport to the amazing volunteers, he has loved every season he has participated and his growth over the years has been amazing to see. Because of the impact Kinetic Kids has on my son, I couldn’t help but jump on the opportunity to become an ambassador. I want everyone to know about the amazing things Kinetic Kids is doing for our kids and our community. I look forward to spreading the good news of all that Kinetic Kids is and what we can become with the support of our city.

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Please type Stephanie Flores in Additional Comments when making a donation.

My name is Emily George, Fan of Kinetic Kids! What I love about Kinetic Kids is that it’s able to impact everyone who simply hears about it. For the last five years I have been lucky to friend a current Kinetic Kid, Ashley, who has been a participant in Kinetic Kids for many years.  Simply through hearing of Ashley’s family’s support of Kinetic Kids  and love for the work done by Kinetic Kids, I have been able to see the difference that Kinetic Kids has made in the lives of those who are involved. Being a part of making that difference is what excites me about being an Ambassador. I have always cared for other people very deeply and am always looking for new ways to have an impact on those around me.

Being a Kinetic Kids Ambassador would allow me to make an impact, not only on those in my community, but in other communities around me. However, I don’t want to put my energy into just any program, but one where my difference will matter and my impact will last. Which is why I am proud represent Kinetic Kids specifically.

I truly believe this program changes lives. Those involved in  Kinetic Kids have experienced lasting effects of the joy that is spread by this organization.  I am excited to be a part of this amazing, supportive, loving, difference-making, caring, impactful, joyful, and positive community by serving as an Ambassador!

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Click below to donate and please type Emily George in Additional Comments.

I am excited to be an ambassador for KineticKids. Kinetic Kids has been a huge part of my life and I love that everyone with a disability is included. Kinetic Kids has provided a loving community and has embraced me and all those that participate.  I am excited to be an Ambassador so that I can have the opportunity to tell others how wonderful these programs are and how life-changing the experience is. I love meeting new people and making friends. Kinetic Kids has provided a platform for me to do this!

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Please type Sheldon Getfield in Additional Comments when making a donation.

My name is Ashley and I love Kinetic Kids because it provides me with the opportunity to be who I am and the opportunity to participate in all the sports that I like. I am excited to be an Ambassador so I can help people, share my story and encourage others to participate in whatever form they desire. I am excited to represent Kinetic Kids and educate the community on how they can get involved and change the lives of those with special needs.

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Please type Ashley Jansky in Additional Comments when making a donation.

Hi, I am Matthew, Kinetic Kids Athlete and Ambassador. I am so excited to represent Kinetic Kids in this position as I have a strong passion for the opportunities Kinetic Kids provides and I want to reach out to others and inspire them to join in and experience this life-changing program. I hope to also impact the growth and success of Kinetic Kids so that more kids can participate and have the opportunity to play adaptive sports and make lifelong friends like I have. Kinetic Kids has instilled confidence in me to lead and I am looking forward to elevating my leadership skills while meeting others and making an impact in our amazing community.

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Please type Matthew Jeffery in Additional Comments when making a donation.

My name is Cameron Laurent and I love Kinetic Kids. Since I was 3 years old I have participated in many sports and activities and some several times. I have done swimming, basketball, gymnastics, theatre, drumming, biking and even dancing! I guess you can say Kinetic Kids is like a second home for me. I can be myself and they understand my needs. The staff is always incredible and the volunteers have big hearts too. I am very excited to be a Kinetic Kids Ambassador to be able to share my story and spread awareness about the wonderful programs. As an Ambassador it’s very important that I raise funds for Kinetic Kids because it has changed my life. I want to help by doing my part so the organization can continue to bring smiles to kids like me.

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Please type Cameron Laurent in Additional Comments when making a donation.

Hello, I’m Cara Laurent and I am a huge Kinetic Kids supporter. My older brother Cameron is a Kinetic Kid and I have been cheering him on from the sidelines since I was a toddler! I love the joy and confidence he gets from participating and being part of a team. If it wasn’t for Kinetic Kids, my brother and other special kids like him would not have a cool place to experience sports and other fun activities.

As a Girl Scout, we believe that we should make the world a better place. Kinetic Kids does exactly that and this is why I am excited to be a Kinetic Kids Ambassador. I believe in their mission and I want to spread the word about the wonderful things they do. I would also like to raise funds so that the organization can continue to impact special families like mine.

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My name is Haven Lewis and I am currently a junior in high school . As someone who wants to be a therapist for kids with special needs, I think being able to work with Kinetic kids is an amazing opportunity. I love how this program allows kids who are different to come to a place with other kids just like them. It’s a safe place for them and it’s one of the very rare places in this world where they aren’t treated as being different. I think the thing that excites me the most about being an ambassador is being able to work with other kids and make new friends. This opportunity also allows me to spread awareness about the program and get more people talking about this program and all the good it’s doing. I want to represent Kinetic Kids because you’re giving these kids a chance to play sports that the might not have been able to do otherwise. These kids get to feel get to feel including and experience joy. They just get to be a kid in a judgement-free zone.  I am excited to represent Kinetic Kids!

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My name is Arturo Liendo, Jr, I started Kinetic Kids programs in the Fall of 2008 with swim and since then I have participated in almost every program offered. Currently, I participate in the competitive division – San Antonio Xtreme.  I love making friends and being able to participate in different sports which are adapted to my physical needs. I am excited to represent Kinetic Kids as an Ambassador and share how meaningful Kinetic Kids has been to me. I am looking forward to the opportunity to let others know what Kinetic Kids can offer which will allow them to accomplish so much in life as it has allowed me to.

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My name is Gabriel Longoria, and I have participated in many Kinetic Kids programs since I was 2 in 2008! One thing I love about Kinetic Kids is that you can always have fun doing the sports you love, even if it means starting from the very beginning. Something that excites me about being an ambassador is that I will be able to help other people in the Kinetic Kids programs to have fun also! Kinetic Kids is important to me and fills an important role in the special needs community. I want to thank all the people in Kinetic Kids for helping me to understand how important we all are in the world and how much love we all have for each other.

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My name is Valerie and I am the proud parent of my Kinetic Kid, Sophia! We love Kinetic Kids because it’s our family! The people you feel the most comfortable with, the ones who help or are always there to help in any way possible. Having that comfort is very rare but I am so glad we have found it and have been a part of it for years and will continue to be! I am excited about being an Ambassador with Kinetic Kids and developing lifelong relationships and being able to help our kids and community! Spreading the word is an amazing thing, especially when you have or may know anyone in a situation to help get them to a sense of normalcy. I can definitely say that is hard sometimes to do and relate entirely to it. Things change every day!

I want to represent Kinetic Kids because I believe any child or adult can! Besides being a parent of a Kinetic Kid, I have seen and heard numerous amounts of difficulties. I would love to be out there representing for you and making anything possible, I love this family!!!

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Please type Valerie Paz in Additional Comments when making a donation.

I have loved Kinetic Kids from the first moment I witnessed their inclusion and passion towards every child. Ever since my brother and I were little, I always saw how much talent and passion he had for everything especially when it came to athletics. It hurt my heart to see he was excluded from the things he loved all because he had Downs Syndrome. When my family discovered Kinetic Kids, I was quite hesitant at first. I feared my brother would be excluded or even judged. However, Kinetic Kids proved me otherwise. Right from my brother’s first day with Kinetic Kids, I saw him express his talents and even talents I never knew existed in him. Kinetic Kids not only included him but included every child present. Kinetic Kids gave me a feeling of happiness and satisfaction as I watched my brother participate in swimming, basketball, baseball, tennis, bike camp, and dance lessons. I like to think of being an ambassador for Kinetic Kids as one of the greatest opportunities that I have ever been given. After having a sibling participate in Kinetic Kids for years and myself a volunteer for Kinetic Kids, my love and appreciation for their programs has significantly grown. When my brother first started Kinetic Kids, I remember telling my friends about all the programs Kinetic Kids offers for children with special needs and how proud I was to finally see my brother playing on a sports team knowing it was his dream.

Kinetic Kids allows children with special needs to benefit in ways they never believed and grow to become an athlete. After witnessing my brother grow as an athlete with Kinetic Kids, I am beyond excited to spread the wonders of Kinetic Kids to other families so that their own children may also get to enjoy the incredible experiences that Kinetic Kids has to offer.

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Please type Kathryn Pearson in Additional Comments when making a donation.

My name is Emma and I am proud to be a Kinetic Kids Ambassador because I believe people should learn, know, and support Kinetic Kids. My sister, Sarah, a Kinetic Kids participant,  loves being involved in Kinetic Kids and I think other children with special needs will too! I hope as an ambassador I can share my story and encourage others to participate and enjoy programs like my sister does.

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Please type Emma Pichler in Additional Comments when making a donation.

Hi, my name is Maya and I am proud to be a Kinetic Kids Ambassador so that I can help spread awareness about this organization.  I am also excited to be a part of the success and growth of Kinetic Kids. The more kids that get to experience Kinetic Kids, the better. I am so excited to be a part of the team!

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My name is Elena Ramirez and I am a Junior at Brandeis High school. I am also a two-year member of the Lariettes dance team where I hold an officer position as an Executive officer for our pep squad. I am currently and have been a part of her team since freshman year. I’ve always admired and loved the idea of Kinetic kids, as it builds confidence and allows kids to learn new skills through play and teamwork. Being an ambassador gives me the opportunity to an organization much bigger than myself. This allows me to build on my leadership, teamwork, therapeutic skills that I will bring with me throughout life. I would love this opportunity to represent Kinetic kids because it allows me to interact and work with children of different backgrounds. Growing up, I have always wanted to make a positive impact in a child’s life, and working with Kinetic Kids gives me the chance to make a difference that will hopefully stay with these children for a long time.

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Please type Elena Ramirez in Additional Comments when making a donation.

I love that Kinetic Kids provides opportunities to kids who may not have the opportunity to be taken seriously in fields that Kinetic Kids provides otherwise. My brother has been a Kinetic Kid for as long as I can remember, and it has completely transformed his life for the better. I am proud to be an ambassador for this organization that does such wonderful things!

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Please type Olivia Ring in Additional Comments when making a donation.

My story begins with Tiffany Neal, my aunt, 10 years ago she introduced me to the world of Kinetic kids by taking me to wheelchair basketball during the winter season. This was the first event that made me fall in love with volunteering. The program had a genuine goal for kids with disabilities which was enough to get me hooked! Kinetic Kids has always been about community and providing kids with opportunities that never seemed possible. Since then, I have volunteered for numerous fall and winter programs, multiple events, and each event continues to pull me deeper into the passion of the community and program as I believe in this mission, and I believe in Tiffany as she has dedicated her life and career to helping others. This program has given me the opportunity to carry a passion for volunteering, speaking, and believing in Kinetic Kids.

Kinetic Kids has always excited me, the program, volunteering, and the opportunity to give back to kids has always meant a great deal to me. Being an ambassador is the opportunity to share that excitement and hopefully share the experience of volunteering with Kinetic Kids with others. The journey of the program and its rich 20-year history is a unique story that needs to be shared and I believe in the ability to share the story as the same experience that gravitates me to Kinetic Kids will gravitate another person to fall in love with the program.

Kinetic Kids has always held a beautiful representation of giving opportunities to others that never seemed possible. Which is the representation I want to hold and help others represent. As an ambassador for Kinetic Kids, I want to be able to help grow a program with beautiful goals, and an impactful mission statement because it gives me and others a passion to believe in. A beautiful community and passionate volunteers are the programs I believe in representing.

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Please type Stephen Saenz in Additional Comments when making a donation.

My name is Mike, proud parent of a Kinetic Kid, Nate! I  was born and raised in Hastings, Nebraska and joined the military in 2003.  I was blessed to met my wife, Melissa on my first duty assignment in Phoenix and spent the next 13 years traveling the world and living in Germany, Ohio, and now Texas.  It was in Germany where we welcomed Nathan and Caiden. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Criminology from Arizona State, a Master’s in International Relations from the University of Oklahoma, and a Master’s in Logistics and Supply Chain Management from the Air Force Institute of Technology.

As a military family, moving frequently was hard on everyone, but an even greater challenge for my son with autism.  Riding bikes is something Nate loves but he was struggling when riding without training wheels so we signed him up for “I Can Shine”.  To say it was amazing is an understatement, by day two Nate was riding way too fast and never slowed down.  He has since graduated to a mountain bike and is trail riding now.  Even more amazing, he is riding dirt bikes and ATVs now!

Kinetic Kids changed our lives in many ways. It’s my hope through the Ambassador program, I can give back a little bit of what has been given to my family.

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Please type Mike Schumacher in Additional Comments when making a donation.

My name is Keegan and I am a proud volunteer and the son of a Kinetic Kids Program Director! My mom and I plan to team up to work hard to further promote the recreational interests and participation of those individuals with disabilities.

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Please type Keegan Stinson in Additional Comments when making donation.

When I think back to grade school and high school, my fondest memories are of my dance teams. I loved spending time with my teammates, working towards a common goal, and being a part of something bigger than myself. The team experience was crucial for me and it’s an experience that I believe ALL kids should have–regardless of disability. I choose to support Kinetic Kids because this organization gives all kids the opportunity to be a part of a team and it gives athletes the experience that I am so grateful to have had. I want to represent Kinetic Kids to bring more donors like me into the organization. I don’t have a disability, nor does anyone in my family–however, I am keenly aware of the impact that sports had on me as a kid. Because of this, I feel a responsibility (and desire!) to ensure all kids have the same access and opportunity that I did. I am excited to be an ambassador to share the great work that Kinetic Kids does to better the lives of kids with disabilities in greater San Antonio!

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Hello, I am Ella Weber. I grew up in San Antonio, and live with my mom, dad, and younger brother Allan. I am fourteen years old and the sports I do with Kinetic Kids are competitive cheer and competitive swim. I am so excited to become a Kinetic Kids Ambassador because I want to share with others the amazing things Kinetic Kids does for kids like me. The competitive swim program has taught me that I can do hard things and has shown me that I can achieve my goals. I have met a lot of really cool people and hope to make many more friends in years to come.

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Hi, I’m Kallie Williams! I love Kinetic Kids and the opportunity to compete and participate in sports previously unavailable to me. I have enjoyed soccer, basketball, cheer, dance and so much more! As a competitive cheerleader, I have gotten to travel and compete against so many other teams across the country. I have represented Kinetic Kids at many events but my favorite is the annual gala, Hootenanny! I am so honored to be an Ambassador because I believe in Kinetic Kids and I am excited to reach out to other kids and tell them all about it so that they can participate and make lifelong friends while dancing, playing, running and more! Kinetic Kids Rocks!

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Please type Kallie Williams in Additional Comments when making a donation.