Sarah Heinzl 2013-2015 Family

Sarah graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Health & Wellness from Kaplan University. While in college, Sarah achieved academic distinctions on the President’s list and the Dean’s list. As well, Sarah was also the recipient of the Scholar Athlete award. Sarah is very active in the disability community and is a strong advocate for herself and others who face similar challenges. She is involved in a number of different organizations including: Pennsylvania Youth Leadership Network, Children’s Hospital Advisory Network for Advocacy and Empowerment, and Unbreakable Drive. Sarah often presents on topics such as leadership, advocacy, self-determination, and living with a disability.

In her free time Sarah enjoys rowing and playing her favorite sport, wheelchair basketball. In 2009 Sarah was recruited to play for an international wheelchair basketball team in Strasbourg, France. She now plays locally for a team called the Pittsburgh Steelwheelers. Sports have always played an important role in Sarah’s life and as a result she runs a clinic on Saturdays to help children with physical disabilities learn to play adaptive sports like basketball, softball, and rugby.

Sarah is excited to learn and grow from the LEND program. She hopes to make a valuable contribution to the LEND community.