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Raised in Virginia by loving parents, mother, Dhy-Anne, and father, Morgan; brother, Geordan, and just a left arm, Baileigh grew up learning to overcome things many two-handed people take for granted.
“My parents refused to allow me to feel sorry for being born with just a left arm. One of the most difficult everyday functions to master was tying my shoes. I could not ask for help until I failed to execute the maneuver three times. I cried many days before I learned to tie both shoes, the right shoe being very difficult, properly.”
Sinaman-Daniel in action earlier this season. PHOTO: BRETT PHILLIPS/LESLEY
She continued, “Even up to this day, I challenge most two-handed people to use just one hand to tie a shoe. And remember, I had to do it as a child.”
Her mother and father pushed her to succeed. “I got it done because my parents would not allow me to accept failure. ‘You find a way to adapt and survive in this world’ was their thinking. So, growing up with one arm made me more adaptive,” Baileigh said.
Like many children growing up with a handicap, Baileigh endured bullying throughout her elementary and middle school years. “I was called T-REX by ignorant young people. After a while, I just started to ignore what ignorant people thought of me.”
But what would inspire a one-armed child to take up the game of basketball?
Baileigh said, “My celebrity crush on LeBron James got me interested in the game. I worked hard and made my ninth-grade team. I wound up playing three years of high school basketball before being cut in my senior year — one of the most painful days of my life. But there was no quit in me. I kept on playing to prove that the coach was wrong in cutting me.”
Bailey took to technology to confirm her path.
“I sent videos of my practices to over 100 colleges before getting a call from Robin Martin-Davis, head coach at Warren Wilson College,” an NAIA Division 2 school in the hills of North Carolina. “I was so excited I jumped at the offer. In hindsight, I could have waited for other offers, which did come, but I was grateful that Coach Davis was willing to give me a chance to play college basketball.”
Lynx teammates cheering on their team. PHOTO: CHARLES KRUPA/LESLEY UNIVERSITY
After playing for two years at Wilson College, Baileigh entered the transfer portal and landed at Lesley University.
“I loved my time at Wilson,” she said. I’m still friendly with my former teammates. But I felt it was time to expand my horizons and venture out into the world. When I checked out Lesley and saw the beauty of the city of Cambridge, I knew this was the place for me.” For many, the city is welcoming to all types of people.
“The difference in being in a city is that people don’t notice me being a one-armed woman as much as they do in rural settings. I have learned so much about the inner me by looking out at the people looking at me. There is so much in life to be grateful for that I don’t have time to worry about what people are thinking when they see this one-armed woman standing before them,” she said.
When asked about the history-making moment when she scored on a jump shot, she replied, “I really didn’t think that much about it because I was racing to get back on defense. My teammates on the bench went insane, but my historic moment didn’t hit me until I got a text message from my coach, Martin Rather, later that evening. He told me he was proud of me for what I had achieved. Since that moment, my life has been a whirlwind. All of a sudden, people knew me for what I had done. It is a rewarding feeling”.
Seven weeks later, on her birthday, the junior guard scored her second basket, adding to her success this season.
But the deeper depth of this woman was expressed when I asked her the question: How do you respond when a child, out of pure innocence and curiosity, asks you about having just one arm? Her response was priceless: “I just tell them that God made me this way so that I can positively influence people, especially those with handicaps. When parents ask me to speak to their children, I will bring laughter and thought to my answers.” She has had a lot of recent experience with this.
“One mother asked me to speak to her child about eating his broccoli. I took the moment to bring humor to the situation. I told him, ‘You better eat your broccoli if you want to grow up with two strong arms.’ The mother has since told me that her child eats all the broccoli that she puts in front of him; lesson learned.”
Baileigh also has a few fashion expressions that help her cope with everyday life.
“I change the color of my hair as often as possible so that people will focus on my hair and face instead of my one arm,” she said. “And I also wear makeup while playing in games.” Her reason: “if you look good and feel good you should play good.”
Baileigh, carrying a 3.5 GPA as a psychology major with a minor in political science, plans to become a forensic psychologist following her stint as a basketball player for the Lynx.
“I plan to get a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in my field of study while still playing basketball. I’ve loved the game since the first time I played it. When I am on the court, I focus on what I can do to help my team — not about being a one-armed player.
She further explains, “Every time I play, I challenge myself to overcome any obstacles. I dream of playing at a professional level, whether here in the United States or abroad.”
The junior from Stafford, Va., enjoys the spotlight but wants the public to see her whole self.
“ If I am an inspiration to handicapped people, all well and good. But I want the world to know that there is so much more to me than being a basketball player. I will always try to deliver that message to people —‚ especially children and those who are like me — a person who refuses to be anything but the best that I can be every day of my life.” There is so much more to Baileigh Sinaman-Daniel; more than enough to fill a good-sized book.
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