Ariana Luterman

“Unknown number.” Why do telemarketers always call when I am walking to class? I turned to Courtney asking which accent I should impersonate this time. She resonated with “the Queen of England.” The stage was set for my finest performance.

I answered in perfect character, with the alter ego of my British self. I paused while a deep, male voice initiated with bewilderment, “Hello ma’am. Is this Ariana Luterman? My name is Jerry Czaki with the Pro Football Hall of Fame.”

Was this a joke? I quickly retreated and regained a bit of composure. 

He was formal, and to the point. “That’s alright Miss Luterman. Congratulations on being named one of twenty finalists throughout the country for the U.S. Army Pro Football Hall of Fame Award for Excellence, honoring excellence in academics, athletics, and community engagement. The ultimate winner shall personify the excellence, commitment, integrity, courage, and respect that both Army Soldiers and Hall of Fame athletes embody.”

Vogel Alcove is a non-profit organization providing free child services and case management for homeless children and their families. After visiting Vogel at age ten, I became impassioned with the mission and the organization. 

Utilizing my elite triathlete status, multiple All-American honors and member of Team USA, I felt empowered to change lives using my voice. I formed Team Ariana with the simple goal of raising $20,000 to benefit Vogel Alcove. Five years later, I had a company, national brand, thousands of supporters and deployed hundreds of thousands of dollars to benefit countless individuals in need. 

At twelve years old, I was an entrepreneur and established my own non-profit organization to benefit the most innocent victims of circumstance – homeless children. I handwrote letters, sent countless emails and physically met with C-level executives soliciting partnerships. My pitch was perfect. I explained how their company would receive national exposure while donations would provide vaccines, books, meals, and a safe environment where homeless children can just be kids. 

Champion System, an international sports clothing empire, responded first to the call. I designed a Team Ariana clothing line while formulating a marketing strategy. My concept was simple, but effective. Team Ariana race apparel was used as an advertising platform. Each year, corporate sponsors would jockey for prime logo positioning paying $1,000 to $5,000 for ideal placement (i.e. front and center on my racing kit, casual wear, accessories, etc.).  In return, my dedication to training, competing, and homeless children resulted in victories, a wide array of media coverage and public speaking engagements. From my standpoint, everyone was a winner with Team Ariana. 

The next milestone occurred organically. My mission of encouraging other kids to live a healthy lifestyle, find a passion, pursue it and give back to others gained momentum. Team Ariana grew beyond donations for homeless children. It evolved as a movement for other children and adults to change a piece of the world around themselves. Today, dozens of other charities for various causes have benefitted from over $200,000 thanks to thousands of Team Ariana supporters.

I was honored, humbled, and truly gracious for the recognition as the 2016 U.S. Army Pro Football Hall of Fame Award for Excellence national winner. Army generals and Hall of Fame athletes touched my heart with affirmation that each one of us has the capacity to change the world and that excellence is not accomplished, it is pursued. I have not achieved excellence, despite striving for it in all aspects of life. I continue to challenge the status quo and shatter societal norms. 

Yet, even with my list of accomplishments, a singular attribute was holding me back from being at the top: I’m a girl. Minutes before national triathlons I would hear competitors pass me and say, “I hear she’s pretty good… for a girl.” While sitting in high-level meetings with CEO’s, I was often told, “You’re really changing the world! I don’t know many girls that are doing that.” Why does our society accept, promote, and support the assumption that a female is “less than” a male?

In 2014, the brand “Always” released a video called “Always #LikeAGirl.” With over 67 million views, I can honestly say I single-handedly watched the video upwards of fifty times. The message centers around the notion that teenagers believe that doing something “like a girl” is supposedly weak and inferior. Female teenagers, older boys, and younger boys were all asked to throw “like a girl”, run “like a girl”, and fight “like a girl”. In each scenario, the demonstration would be the same: throw, run, and fight, in a weak, pathetic manner. When pre-pubescent, younger girls were asked to complete the same tasks, their demonstrations were wildly different; each little girl threw, ran, and fought as hard as she could. The video asks, “When did doing something ‘like a girl’ become a bad thing?” 

This message was my international call to action.  It inspired me to continue paving the way for young girls all over the world through the sport of triathlon and with a vocal platform of philanthropy. Every time I stand on the start line of a triathlon, I think of the girls all around the world who are constantly told they are at a disadvantage because they are a girl. Yes, I am a girl. Yes, I’m not as fast as a few male triathletes. But yes, I am certainly faster than plenty of other male triathletes. 

For years, my passion inspired others. On the day I accepted this award, I once again became empowered to peer at life through an even larger lens. I can do more. I will do more. My unwavering dedication, passion, drive and belief in myself will push me to learn, observe and pursue new opportunities for impacting more lives. Team Ariana was just the beginning.  www.teamariana.org