The Hartford Helps Paralympians Achieve Without Limits (VIDEO)

Sitting Volleyball Paralympian Katie Holloway is the epitome of determination and resilience. Born without a fibula in her right leg, Holloway’s leg was amputated when she was 20 months old. Twenty-five years later, she is a  decorated basketball and volleyball player set to compete in the 2012 Paralympic Games. Watch Holloway discuss how she achieved athletic success through mentorship and hard work:

Related: Olympic Medalist Chris Klug on Second Chances

Katie Holloway competing during the Beijing Olympics

This will be Holloway’s second Paralympic Games appearance. She hopes to inspire others to achieve their dreams, regardless of the obstacles in their way.

“What I do and what I stand for is enabling people with physical disabilities, but also looking at overcoming your adversity and trying to express that to everyone,” she told genConnect. “No matter what you’re going through, pushing forward and pushing past that is what I try to do in my life.

Holloway and other disabled athletes are supported by The Hartford, an insurance and wealth management service provider. The Hartford has been a supporter of U.S. Paralympic athletes since 1994 and recently became a founding partner.

In 2011, The Hartford launched Achieve Without Limits, a multi-year campaign that champions these athletes and their dedication to achieve. The campaign kickoff includes new television spots, digital advertising and a social media-driven donation, with ongoing community events.

WATCH: Inspiration From Paralympic Legend Chris Waddell

“We use what we call ‘the ability philosophy’ as part of our business,” said John Carideo, Assistant Director-Sponsorships at The Hartford. ”Simply stated, the ability philosophy concentrates on what an individual can do as opposed to what he or she can’t do. We’ve partnered with these elite, disabled athletes to do presentations and appearances with us.”

Watch Carideo discuss other ways The Hartford is supporting the Paralympic Games:

The 2012 Summer Paralympics will take place in London from August 29 – September 9, 2012, directly after the 2012 Olympics. Unfortunately, the athletics will not be televised in the United States, but there are other ways to watch the competition on YouTube and the International Paralympic Committee website.

“We very much encourage everyone to go online and watch the competition,” Carideo said. “It’s as interesting and as great as watching Olympic competition. They just happen to be disabled. That’s the only difference.”

You can join The Hartford in supporting U.S. Paralympic athletes. Visit The Hartford on Facebook and join their Achieve Without Limits campaign.

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Tags: 2012 games, 2012 Olympics, 2012 Paralympics, ability, achieve without limits, coaches, Disability, elite athletes, Giving Back, international paralymic committee, john carideo, katie holloway, London 2012, london games, mentors, Olympic athletes, Olympic Games, paralympics, physical disability, road to london, sitting volleyball, team usa, the hartford, us paralympic team, wheelchair, www.thehartford.com

Category: Giving Back, Mentoring, Videos