Jackie Sayasone: Lao American Cornhole Pro
Manage episode 349033734 series 3423752
When one door closes another one opens. As refugees from Laos, Sy and Nang Sayasone were resettled in the Midwest where they quickly went to work, toiling in meat packing plants in an effort to give their children a better life. Jackie would take advantage of that opportunity and go on to be a college athlete but just as Jackie’s college soccer career was taking off, she was diagnosed with a blood disorder that abruptly ended her dream and sent her into depression. Jackie would battle back by finding ways to support the team from the sidelines and a few years later would stumble onto a new sport, cornhole. After five months of training and competing in various tournaments Jackie signed her first pro contract and realized her dream of becoming a pro athlete. Jackie now travels the country competing in tournaments in front of fans on ESPN and NBC but hasn’t forgotten where she came from. She enjoys giving back to less fortunate people and animals of Laos and is currently building a shelter for stray dogs and cats in her ancestral homeland.
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61 episodes