Third Annual Ability Games to Memorialize Founder Troy Smith
Tampa, Fla. – (April 25, 2019) – Troy Smith, 35, was the Operations Manager for Stay-In-Step Spinal Cord Injury Recovery Center and the co-founder of the upcoming Third Annual Ability Games with friend and volunteer Sunny Alexander.
Alexander said, “It is with great sadness that on April 1, Troy passed away suddenly and unexpectantly at his home. He had many accomplishments, but his most recent and precious accomplishment was the birth of his son, Kingston, with girlfriend Ciara Harding. Kingston was only 11-days-old at the time of his passing. This dedication represents all the good Troy has done and allows his spirit to live on forever.”
Before Smith’s untimely death, he and Alexander were already planning the upcoming Ability Games for June 2019. During the last planning meeting, Sunny recalled, “Troy was determined and excited about the path the Ability Games had taken, and we even spoke about taking the games to other cities to reach more individuals with spinal cord injuries.”
According to Alexander, one of his other proudest achievements was the establishment of the Ability Games which served to showcase the determination and strength of individuals recovering from and living with spinal cord injuries. The concept includes partnering up able-bodied athletes with athletes with spinal cord injuries to showcase their abilities doing CrossFit-type exercises. The money raised from sponsors and donors goes 100 percent toward the costs of spinal cord rehabilitation for individuals in need.
With Troy’s sudden death, the Ability Games has been renamed to Troy Smith’s Ability Games. The dedication and event will take place on Saturday, June 22, 2019 from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm at the Tampa Movement Lab, owned by Michelle Richards, a long-time supporter of Smith and the Ability Games mission.
To hear more about the Ability Games and Smith’s mission, please watch his video that was recorded last June at The Ability Games. (https://youtu.be/j5rWnkPKN6k) individuals wanting to participate, volunteer or donate, please visit the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/troysmithsabilitygames/.
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About Troy Smith
Troy James Smith, born in Toledo, Ohio on September 16, 1983, passed away on April 1, 2019 in Tampa, Florida. After graduating from St. John’s Jesuit High School where he honed his values of honesty, hard-work, and service to others, Troy enrolled at John Carroll University where he continued to make a positive impact on his community until he graduated in June 2005. Ever seeking to serve where he thought his talents and skills would be best utilized, Troy enlisted in the United States Navy where he served honorably for 6 ½ years as a Hospital Corpsman and later as a Physical Therapy Assistant. It was during his service to the United States Navy that Troy discovered his passion for physical fitness and competitive bodybuilding. Throughout the last 10 years, Troy dedicated himself to the sport of bodybuilding and started his own motivational speaking organization (iGrind: Conversations in Change) which allowed him to travel the country encouraging and motivating high school students. Troy continued to be a dedicated Big Brother to two boys through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay while earning two master’s degrees from Webster University. After having worked in a variety of professional positions, Troy was finally able to serve in a position that combined his commitment to service, his personal passion for fitness, and his professional organizational leadership skills when he accepted the position of Operations Manager for Stay-In-Step Spinal Cord Injury Recovery Center in 2017. In this role, Troy facilitated numerous community partnerships, but his proudest achievement was the establishment of the Ability Games which served to showcase the determination and strength of individuals recovering from and living with spinal cord injuries. While Troy’s service to his country, his community, and his co-workers brought him much satisfaction and gratitude, he was unmistakably joyful and grateful for having had the opportunity to create a family with his partner Ciara and their son Kingston. Those who desire to contribute to Troy’s life and legacy of service, may make memorial donations in his name to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay, John Carroll University, or St. John’s Jesuit High School (Toledo, Ohio).