The Kornhauser Clan
Athlete Lin Kornhauser and her family have joined together to thrive.
More than intelligence, ability, luck or good looks, nothing determines success and achievement more than a single quality known as grit. Defined by psychologist Angela Duckworth as having “passion and perseverance for very long-term goals,” grit involves “living life like it’s a marathon, not a sprint.” In the face of a medical prognosis proclaiming that she would likely never even walk, no one has demonstrated grit like Special Olympics athlete Lin Kornhauser and her tenacious family.
Born in Israel, Lin had extremely weak muscles that rendered her unable to hold up her own head. Her parents struggled with the doctors’ fatalist declaration of Lin’s destiny. A friend suggested that they bring Lin to Special Olympics Israel events.
The Kornhauser clan lives in the small city of Ra’anana, located in the heart of the biblically significant Sharon plain of Israel. Ra’anana has a population of 80,000, 10 percent of that of Jerusalem. In order for Lin to attend Special Olympics practices, the Kornhausers must drive her to much larger cities. Yet they have found the 2,000 miles of driving per month more than worth it.
Even though Lin began her journey with Special Olympics unable to hold up her own head, her tenacity with athletics slowly but surely gave her more strength, balance, dexterity and a sense of independence.
Finding her niche and her passion, Lin’s growth was exponential. Against all odds, she took on not one, but four sports in Special Olympics, including table tennis, tennis, swimming and bowling.
Seeing Lin thrive under the spirit of competition and inclusion of Special Olympics, the entire Kornhauser family began to participate in the organization. Lin’s older brother Tom has worked on graphic design for Special Olympics. Her sister Or gives speeches on behalf of people with intellectual disabilities, while her younger brother Omer volunteers at competitions. Lin’s father, an orthodontist, works for patients with intellectual disabilities pro bono through the Healthy Athletes program offered to all athletes at Special Olympics events. Most notable, however, is Lin’s mother Tali, who found as much a sense of passion and purpose in her life through Special Olympics as Lin did.
Tali joined the Board of Directors of Special Olympics Israel, leading a number of progressive causes for people with intellectual disabilities. She successfully lobbied the Israeli government to replace the usage of “people with retardation” in government texts to “people with intellectual disabilities,” marking a groundbreaking achievement of the r-word campaign in the Middle East.
Today Tali is the Family Coordinator of Special Olympics Israel while also providing pro bono consulting work. She has achieved her own degree of prestige within the international Special Olympics community for her drive and benevolence, yet she asserts that Lin is the maker of her own success.
“She is the leader,” Tali said of Lin. “I am the driver, the encourager for her, her supporter. Many say that she succeeds because of us. We say no.”
Lin asks her mother to let her train for swimming even when it’s raining. She trains five times a week for multiple sports each day. Despite the fact that she was still crawling while her peers were running, Lin never gave up, exemplifying the pure endurance that defines a star.
Lin has charmed everyone, from the President and Prime Minister of Israel to the C.E.O. of Coca-Cola. Yet she is characterized not just by her enigmatic personality and (literally award winning) smile. She is a master of her own destiny, a commander of her own success.
“She has endless power,” Tali continued, lauding her daughter. “She has 99 medals from 14 years of competition. She hopes to get to 100 in Los Angeles.”
Cheer on Lin as she competes in Bowling at the Special Olympics World Games Los Angeles 2015 beginning July 25th and tune in nightly on ESPN to celebrate the abilities of over 6,000 Special Olympics athletes from 165 countries!
