‘MY BIGGEST CHALLENGE ...
in basketball is getting people to believe in me’
EMMA SAZONOV
MCHS Student Journalist
Hannah Martin and I were shooting hoops when it first hit me. We were in in-school suspension at the time (more on that later; we’re not bad kids, I promise), and our SRO, Mr. Keith Cencelewski, decided to pull us from the prison so we could shoot. I paid close attention to Hannah’s skills, and I realized:
This girl is amazing! I had to ask her how. How did she get to this point? And where did her journey begin?
So, we had a conversation, and I got a little glimpse of what drives Hannah to be the inspiration she is today for so many people.
My journey with Hannah began in 2022 when I met my soon-to-be best friend (though we did not know it at the time) through basketball on her dad’s AAU team, and we became friends. It wasn’t until further into the year that we became best friends.
I worked up the courage to ask, “Hannah, so, bruh, how did you lose your arm?” She said: “When I was little, I was attacked by a shark when I was at the beach with my family.”
Now, hear me out; this may not sound like the most believable story, but it sure did sound convincing how she told it. And I believed that story for a long time. If you haven’t figured it out already, this story is not true – not at all. Hannah was born without much of her left arm, so she’s had to adapt to this way of life from the beginning.
There are obstacles Hannah faces daily that nobody ever thinks about. However, this in no way changes her mindset. I asked her what challenges she faces, and her answer really brought it into perspective. She said that she never really realized they were challenges: “Honestly, I don’t think I ever considered that until people started pointing it out to me as I got older.”
When she played basketball as a child, for example, she said, “My dad was my coach, but as I started getting older, my dad wasn’t my coach anymore, and they’d be like,
‘Oh, can you do this drill?’ Or, ‘Should you do this instead?’ Or ‘Just try to find solutions.’” Hannah says these questions from coaches made no sense to her.
Sports were a significant part of her family; she said, “My whole family does sports, so it just felt like an obvious choice.” She has previously played soccer and cross-country and continues to play basketball. So to question her ability to play sports? It was foreign to Hannah.
When asked about a specific example, Hannah didn’t hesitate: “Well, those two-ball dribbling drills. I don’t know why, but my dad always made me do those.
“Then, when I started getting different coaches, they were like, ‘Oh, you can just do this instead.’ And I was like, what do you mean? Because honestly, I never realized I had one arm until people pointed it out. It just seemed normal until people made it not normal.”
Playing basketball like everyone else has never been an issue for her. In fact, doing anything like everyone else has never been an issue for her. She states, “I want people to admire me for who I am and what I’ve done. Not just because I have one arm, but because I have truly earned their respect.
“Rather than being seen for the hardships I’ve endured, I’d rather be seen as the person who overcomes them.”
But that has not always been easy. “My biggest challenge in basketball is getting people to believe in me,” Hannah says. This surprises me because I have always believed in her, just as she believes in me. She always pushes me to be the best I can be, and I know if I ever have a problem, she will do her best to help in any way she can.
This is just the person Hannah is – not just to me, but to everyone who knows her. For as long as I have known Hannah, she has done her best to help people and be the best person.
That wasn’t always received well. Before coming to Moore County, Hannah went to Fayetteville City. When she first began high school, Hannah had a challenging experience and was looking for a fresh start.
Coming to Moore County was a chance for her to start over and find new relationships. Hannah started playing basketball with the Raiderettes in her junior year.
“I think this team has been a really great experience, and we really care about each other,” Hannah says. “This team is full of talent, and playing as a team comes second nature to these girls.”
When asked if she regrets moving here, Hannah says, “No, I love Moore County. I have found good friends, great teachers and all the people in general are very friendly and good to me.”
Hannah is exceptional on the court and works hard in the classroom. Her goals are ambitious but attainable: she plans to attend college and become a veterinarian.
After graduation, Hannah plans to open her own practice. She believes hard work ethic is a key factor in reaching these goals.
In 10 years, she sees herself buying a house next to mine. (At least, I hope that’s what her plans are.) And having one arm has not stopped Hannah from trying to achieve her dreams.
“I want to live a life that people admire, regardless of the difficulties I’ve been through,” Hannah says. “I want the joy of the Lord to shine through me so everyone can see that having one arm is not a disability.
“It is God’s plan to help me grow into someone bigger and better than I ever believed I could be.”
This inside story of how In-School Suspension cemented friendship
Now, let’s talk about this in-school suspension story. This is when I realized who Hannah really is to me. At the end of last year’s school year, Hannah and I faced the biggest challenge we had ever faced: ISS – for one day.
That day, we had taken several final exams and begged our parents to come pick us up as all our other friends had left already. Roaming the empty halls, searching for an advisor who would set us free – alas, we had no luck. We eventually gave up on our search and retreated to the library, where we decided to work on our Motlow essays, and we figured it would be fine.
The administration did not agree.
We were brought to the office, and we immediately started bawling our eyes out. We technically skipped class but didn’t think we deserved ISS. They called our parents, and just the threat was enough for me. Hannah recalls when it was her turn to take the stand.
“My dad was in Dubai at the time. Dubai. So yeah, he has to travel for his work. So, while this was happening, he was sending me selfies in the desert. He was like, ‘Look at me.’ And he was in the desert riding a camel. Yes. Look at me. So I was bawling my eyes, and he kept sending me selfies. So then I was like, call my mom, sir.”
The actual day of ISS wasn’t that bad. Hannah remembers, “Yeah. Then the next day, we were in there with the criminals, and then the SRO came in, and he was like, ‘Can I take these girls for a second?’ We were like, sure. So we went, and then he watched us shoot for about half an hour. He was like, ‘Y’all don’t belong in there.’ He was like, ‘Y’all can do whatever you want as long as you stay with me.’ ”
Emma Sazonov and Hannah Martin
Hannah continues, “They all felt really bad. The principals came to visit, too. We were bawling that hard. And then we watched Tarzan. We shot basketball for two hours. We watched Mulan. It was a good day. It was a free day. It was a good day. Yeah. We should go back. We should make it an annual thing.”
I’m not sure I agree with Hannah that this should become an annual thing, and I know my parents won’t agree, but I know Hannah would be there with me if we did. They say a good friend will bail you out of jail, but a true friend will be in the cell, right beside you. That is who Hannah is to me. – Emma
