TFK Kid Reporters: Meet Victoria

Meet Victoria Hanson, one of the 10 outstanding kids selected to be a TFK Kid Reporter this school year. Victoria is 10 years old and lives in Chadds Ford Township, Pennsylvania. Gymnastics is Victoria’s favorite activity—she says she couldn’t live without a trampoline.

Finalists in the TFK Kid Reporter contest were judged on a number of factors. One of their assignments was to write an article about a hometown hero. Victoria’s story is about athlete Mo’ne Davis. You can read it below.

Little League sensation Mo’ne Davis is a hometown hero in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Mo’ne broke barriers by becoming the first girl to pitch and play in a winning game in the Little League World Series.

Mo’ne started playing baseball at age 7. She was known for making her teammates feel good and cheering them up when they were upset. According to her former coach Steve Bandura, “When Mo’ne was playing in the Little League World Series, she did not get nervous, which surprised many people watching and playing.”

With a 70-mph fastball, Mo’ne managed to also be the first girl to pitch a shutout in a Little League World Series. When she was 13, her accomplishments on the baseball diamond put her in the national spotlight. Mo’ne even became the first young person to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

Mo’ne’s fame has brought her into contact with many famous people, including Kylie Jenner, whom she traveled to London to meet. But Mo’ne’s greatest memories are not about meeting famous people or winning games. “My favorite memory from the years with the Taney Dragons was the time spent on the civil rights tour down South,” Mo’ne says. “It empowered me when I learned about the many struggles that African Americans faced during the fight for equality.” After the tour in the South, Mo’ne began to focus on finding ways to uplift the people around her, similar to the way she lifted her teammates’ spirits on the baseball field.

In addition to being a trailblazer, Mo’ne gives back to her community by volunteering at programs to inspire girls. She pitches for the softball team at Hampton University, but she also makes time to attend youth leadership events, girls’ summits, and community programs. She also speaks to girls about staying focused on their goals.

Mo’ne is a hero because she chose to believe in herself, to ignore negativity, and to do something that had never been accomplished. She has demonstrated the importance of giving back to her community. She’s an inspiration to the girls in the Philadelphia area because she shows kids how to overcome one of the most significant obstacles in life: self-doubt. Mo’ne Davis is a remarkable athlete and an even more remarkable person. She is truly a greater-Philadelphia hometown hero.