Comcast celebrated the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games by welcoming Team Comcast athlete Trevon Jenifer, a four-time Paralympic medalist in wheelchair basketball, to speak to the youth of Alexandria, VA at an event at the Dunbar Alexandria-Olympic Boys & Girls Club.
Trevon – a DMV area native who was born in Huntingtown, MD and now resides in Fairfax, VA – shared his journey as a congenital amputee who was a successful high school track athlete and top wrestler. He started playing wheelchair basketball in 1992 with Team Air Capital in Washington, D.C. and became a world champion wheelchair basketball athlete and four-time Paralympic medalist.
The event came on the heels of a historic Paralympic Games, where the U.S. became the first men’s wheelchair basketball team ever to win three consecutive gold medals.
During a Q&A segment hosted by NBC4 Washington’s Jummy Olabanji, Trevon spoke with local Boys & Girls Club kids about his life journey and continued advocacy for the Paralympic Movement. In his remarks, he reinforced the importance of a positive mindset, courage in the face of adversity and resilience.
“This was an evening our youth will never forget, and there are life lessons from Trevon that everyone in the room left with about what it means to approach life with perseverance, passion and joy,” said Nadia Pedersen, Senior Regional Director of Operations, Dunbar Alexandria-Olympic Boys & Girls Club. “We are grateful for Trevon’s inspiration and thank Comcast for its continued investment in our organization and commitment to helping the next generation thrive.”
Broderick Johnson, Executive Vice President, Public Policy & Executive Vice President, Digital Equity, Comcast Corporation, highlighted how the Dunbar Alexandria-Olympic Boys & Girls Club serves as a Lift Zone in the Alexandria community – providing free, high-speed Internet and digital skills training to students and community members. Comcast also surprised the local Boys & Girls Club chapter at the event with a donation of 25 laptops to further help members of the community with digital literacy and career development opportunities.
This donation is part of Project UP, Comcast’s $1 billion commitment to advance digital equity through programs and community partnerships that connect people to the Internet, advance economic mobility, and open doors for the next generation of innovators, entrepreneurs, storytellers and creators.
“We are continuously inspired by Trevon’s journey and it was particularly special to see how deeply his message about strength and resilience resonated with local youth,” said Johnson. “Trevon’s continued advocacy for the Paralympic Movement aligns with our core mission of advancing digital inclusion and accessibility. We are honored to partner with Trevon and help share his incredible story.”
As a Team USA athlete, member of the United States Secret Service and motivational speaker who is often on the road, Trevon knows firsthand the importance of staying connected. He sees day-to-day life becoming more inclusive for individuals with disabilities with the help of technology.
“Being a part of Team Comcast means a lot to me. In addition to Comcast keeping me connected to my friends and family around the world, I truly appreciate the company’s efforts to address barriers to make entertainment experiences more inclusive,” said Jenifer.
NBCUniversal’s coverage of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games was accessible to more viewers of all abilities than ever before, delivering the excitement of the Paralympics with enhanced closed captioning, expanded audio description and improved digital content accessibility.
Learn more about how Comcast brought the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games to a record 15.2 million total viewers.
