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As someone who was born with spina bifida and uses a wheelchair for mobility, Hannah Smith has long been passionate about helping people who live with similar challenges. 

Now 22 years old, Smith has put that passion into action on many occasions over the course of her life. In 2024, she even received a prestigious ESPY, the Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award, in recognition of her humanitarian efforts, which include, perhaps most notably, starting wheelchair basketball camps for youth and women in the Richmond, Virginia, area where she grew up.

While Smith’s parents played a large role in inspiring her to be an encouraging light to everyone she meets, Smith also continues to draw inspiration from the four summers she spent as a teenager at Victory Junction – a Randleman, North Carolina-based camp founded by NASCAR’s legendary Petty family to serve young people with complex medical and physical needs.

“For me, the most important things were the independence and the confidence I gained there,” Smith said. “I had tried a lot of things and had a lot of life experience, but when my parents found out that I wanted to go to Victory Junction for the summer as a camper, they said, ‘Oh, well, this is a great time to tell you that you need to be completely medically independent before you go to camp.’

“Now, is that required to go to camp? No, it’s not. But my parents thought it would be a great motivator for me to learn how to take care of my medical treatments 100 percent independently. 

“And you know what? I did. So, I was allowed to go that summer because I had been motivated to learn those skills. It was the motivation I needed to be able to take that next step in managing my own personal care.”

Being a camper at Victory Junction during the week designated for kids living with spina bifida, craniofacial anomalies, and other physical challenges also fueled her desire to dedicate her life to helping others and giving back.

“While I was there, I was able to be a leader,” she said. “I tend to be a confident person, and so I was able to be a good influence and an encouragement to everyone around me. Some of them hadn’t really met many leaders with disabilities before, so I got to be kind of that leader, that positive example for the younger campers.”

Just two years ago, in the summer of 2023, Smith returned to Victory Junction as a counselor for the same week she attended as a camper.

“I had a blast,” Smith said. “I actually had a kid I coach in wheelchair basketball from the Richmond area in my cabin at Victory Junction, which was so, so special. And I got to see that camper do things that she had never done before, and I definitely saw her gain a lot of confidence over that week.”

Being at Victory Junction in a different role and seeing the smiles on the faces of the children there naturally caused Smith to reflect back on her time as a camper and how it helped shape her into the person she is today. From horseback riding to fishing to ziplining and a host of other activities, Victory Junction offers no shortage of fun for campers, but archery is the activity Smith will always remember most.

“Every year, every single morning I went to archery,” she said. “We had campers who had more limited mobility who were able to use a crossbow with a trigger release, with the help of their counselor. And we had kids who were shooting a standard bow traditionally, independently. Every single camper was celebrated for their ability and their achievements. And I always loved that, because no one had to prove anything. Nobody had to try to be ‘less disabled,’ if I may say, than they were. Everyone was celebrated for who they were.”

Smith, who graduated from college in December, recently accepted a full-time job with SOAR365, an organization that provides social groups, employment services and various therapies for people with disabilities. So, between that and her continued volunteer work, she’s busier than ever.

But, time permitting, she would love to serve again as a counselor at Victory Junction, which will always hold a special place in her heart.

“I will do it in a heartbeat,” she said. 

To hear more from Hannah, check out her appearance on Out of the Groove below:

If you know a camper who would have fun at Victory Junction, would like to help a child attend camp, or wants to volunteer, visit VictoryJunction.org/Discover.