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To Whom it May Concern,
My name is Jasmin Bambur and what follows in brief is my story. I am from the war torn country of Bosnia. Early on, my family moved to Serbia in order to escape the war. I spent my childhood and teenage years training to be a professional handball player with the hopes of going to the Olympics. Yet at the age of eighteen, I was drafted by the army to fight in a war I knew would be a death sentence. Being of both Bosnian and Serbian, descent my service would be short lived.
Therefore, I made a momentous decision to move to the United States leaving behind my family, friends, and dreams of being a professional team handball player. I was relocated to Indian Trail, North Carolina and started a new life with a new family. I was blessed to have such a wonderful opportunity to learn about American culture and live in an extraordinary country full of possibilities. I even got a play team handball for Middle Georgia College while pursuing a degree in International Business. I trained and studied hard with the twin goals of graduation and the Olympics in mind.
Those goals took an almost fatal blow on January 13, 2000. When driving home late at night from my job as a waiter, I fell asleep at the wheel and hit a guardrail head on. The doctors said I had a small chance of surviving the accident. My parents immediately flew over from Serbia and were devastated to find their son stricken and unable to walk ever again. Upon regaining consciousness and learning the news a part of me died. I felt my hope and ambitions fade away.
However, I quickly realized that in this country, there are strong support systems for paraplegics everywhere with endless possibilities. I underwent rehabilitation at a renowned center and learned to fight for the life I always dreamed of regardless of the obstacles placed in my path. I graduated from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a Bachelor's degree in International Business. I married a warm, smart and beautiful woman this past May. Nonetheless one dream is still in the making: my undying dream of going to the Olympics. The Paralympic Games is an international competition among the nation's elite athletes with physical disabilities and is on par with the Olympic Games in regards to the tenacity, training, skill and bravery required. The Paralympic Games follow the Olympic Games at the same venues and facilities.
The only time in my life I feel free from my wheelchair is when I ski. I would ski night and day if I could. I have skied for a NASTAR team for the past three years against able-bodied racers. I have placed in the top three in several races. I have been published in the following North Carolina newspaper: Charlotte Observer, Mountain Times, and News and Observer. I am currently taking my passion for skiing to a higher level and training for the 2010 Winter Paralympic Games in Vancouver, Canada.
The major expenses I incur are equipment and travel. I would truly support your support and assistance in making my dreams a reality. All donations are tax deductible under the non profit 501 (c)(3) organization, Turning Point. I promise to regularly update you on my progress as testimony of what your generosity has helped achieve. Please do call (704) 779-1461 or email at dzas1@hotmail.com if you are interested in sustaining my drive for gold at the Paralympic Winter Games. Thank you very much for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Jasmin Bambur |
