Screenshot of USA Paralympic Team member Amy Dixon from her GoFundMe page.
As the world turns its attention to the kickoff of the Tokyo Olympics Friday, Mission Federal Credit Union is focused on the Paralympics taking place later in the summer – and one athlete in particular.
The $4.5 billion, San Diego-based Mission Fed announced Thursday that it is sponsoring Amy Dixon, a local athlete and member of the USA Paralympic Team, with a $5,000 match. Dixon, who is vision impaired and based in Encinitas, Calif., is the reigning Aquathlon World Champion, a seven-time ITU Gold Medalist, a current two-time U.S. National Champion triathlete, the USA Paracycling Time Trial National Champion and ranked sixth in the world in the Paralympic International Rankings. She'll compete at the Paralympics in Tokyo from Aug. 24 to Sept. 5.
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"We're deeply honored to contribute to Amy's participation in the 2021 Paralympics in Tokyo," Mission Fed President/CEO Debra Schwartz said. "At Mission Fed, we are simply people helping people. It's in our DNA, and we are here to serve all. Amy is a remarkable human and a wonderful representative for San Diego. We wish her the best on her journey."
Dixon lost 98% of her vision to a rare autoimmune disease and now serves as a patient advocate and president of the non-profit Glaucoma Eyes International. In 2017, she founded Camp "No Sight No Limits," the first camp dedicated to producing elite-level blind triathletes in San Diego. For her service to the blind across many countries, Dixon received the Glaucoma Research Foundation 2020 Visionary Award, and was honored by the Lions Club International as a "Lion of Sight" and by Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Joel Anderson (R-Calif.) for her continued dedication to improving the lives of those living with low-to-no vision. She also received a congressional award from Rep. Mike Levin (D-Calif.) for her work advocating for the blind.
"I'm humbled that Mission Fed is stepping up to help with my road to the Paralympic Games," Dixon stated. "Training was a huge challenge during COVID, especially for those of us with physical impairments. The next few weeks before we leave for training camp are critical, and with Mission Fed's kindness and generosity, I plan on representing my hometown proudly on the world's biggest stage."
Mission Fed, which said its sponsorship reflects its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, encouraged others to support Dixon's journey by making a donation on her GoFundMe page.
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Natasha Chilingerian
Natasha Chilingerian has been immersed in the credit union industry for over a decade. She first joined CU Times in 2011 as a freelance writer, and following a two-year hiatus from 2013-2015, during which time she served as a communications specialist for Xceed Financial Credit Union (now Kinecta Federal Credit Union), she re-joined the CU Times team full-time as managing editor. She was promoted to executive editor in 2019. In the earlier days of her career, Chilingerian focused on news and lifestyle journalism, serving as a writer and editor for numerous regional publications in Oregon, Louisiana, South Carolina and the San Francisco Bay Area. In addition, she holds experience in marketing copywriting for companies in the finance and technology space. At CU Times, she covers People and Community news, cybersecurity, fintech partnerships, marketing, workplace culture, leadership, DEI, branch strategies, digital banking and more. She currently works remotely and splits her time between Southern California and Portland, Ore.
