Born in India, Minda contracted polio (a life-threatening virus), which caused paralysis, and the doctor said she would never be able to walk. Wanting a better life for her daughter, Minda’s birth mother put her up for adoption, and the Dentlers from Spokane, Washington, welcomed her into their loving family.
Minda shares the frustrations of growing up with leg braces and not fitting in due to physical challenges. One specific line in the book that made me stop and re-read was this one: “Some adults talked over me because they could only see my disability.” An eye-opening lesson for adults. Her parents remind her that she can do what she wants, and her dad’s words reinforce the positive message: “You can do it, Minda. Just figure it out.” As an adult, she moves to New York where she joins a running group for people with disabilities and participates on a handcycle. After learning how to swim “one stroke at a time,” she competes in the triathlons.
THE GIRL WHO FIGURED IT OUT is an inspirational sporty girl story about adoption, inclusion, perseverance, and reaching goals. Minda Dentler is an athlete who becomes stronger, smarter, and more confident with each obstacle she overcomes and also cements her mark in sports history as the first female wheelchair athlete to complete one of the world’s most challenging endurance events The Ironman World Championship: 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile cycle, and 26.2-mile run!
Dehennin’s illustrations are stunning with a pallet of rich, vibrant colors, and the back matter supplements the text with informative boxes: What is polio, What is an Ironman World Championship, and description of adaptive equipment: handcycle and racing wheelchair.
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