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COMMUNITY
GILBERT SUN NEWS | AUGUST 22, 2021
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Mykayla Skinner honored for her many triumphs BY EVELYN HENDRIX GSN Contributor
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he day that Mykayla Skinner was flying over the vault in Tokyo, the Arizona flag was flying over the state capitol in Phoenix. That may not seem unusual, but this particular flag was in honor of the Gilbert native and her quest for an Olympic medal. Steve Smith, former state senator, hoisted it up himself. Skinner won a silver medal in vault in the Summer Olympic games in Japan. At a private banquet Aug. 12, Smith presented the flag to Skinner for “being an inspiration and for her patriotism to the United States of America.” State Sen. Warren Petersen also presented Skinner with an award to recognize her achievements and hard work, telling her she is a “role model for young girls that aspire to follow in your path. You are an inspiration.” Petersen believes that she has the opportunity to influence others who wish to achieve their dreams through perseverance. “I want to help Mykayla make that
Mykayla Skinner, second from right, is flanked buy her coaches, including, from left, Neela Nelson, Lisa Spini and Bob Peterson. (Leavitt Wells / Leave it to Leavitt Photography) happen,” Petersen said. He invited Skinner to speak at the opening of the next legislative session in January. Petersen also asked the audience to drive by the town’s water tower after the event. It was illuminated in red, white and blue in honor of the Olympic athletes from Gilbert.
Skinner also received a national award: a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition from U.S. Congressman Andy Biggs. Biggs was unable to attend the banquet so Smith gave it to Skinner, along with a flag that had flown over the U.S. Capitol. Skinner’s coaches spoke about her
said. “It was almost like a sense of failure.” Facciponti struggled to readjust back to civilian life and felt like she no longer had any sense of an identity. “It was like a shadow of me and a dark, dark shadow,” she recalled. Facciponti realized she had to save herself by making a change and decided she needed to find a way to continue serving her country. Instead of saving soldiers on a battlefield, Facciponti used her expertise to save veterans from their inner battles. Four years ago, Facciponti co-founded a nonprofit in Chandler that specializes
in assisting veterans and their family members in navigating the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and avoiding thoughts of suicidal ideation. Known as Operation Shockwave, the local organization attempts to shrink Arizona’s rate of veteran suicides by offering educational workshops, therapeutic activities, and a safe place for service members to share their struggles. Facciponti said the nonprofit’s name fittingly describes the seismic intervention that’s sometimes needed to rescue a veteran from the despair of their trauma. “We can’t save lives doing ripples,” she
long journey to the Olympics. Lisa Spini, head coach and owner of Desert Lights Gymnastics in Chandler who has coached Skinner since she was 11, listed a few of Skinner’s achievements. “Mykayla was a six-time national team member and three-time world champ,” Spini said. Skinner also won the gold medal on vault, floor and all-around at the 2014 Pan American Champions, and was a gold medalist at the Glasgow World Cup. Spini recalled the Olympic rollercoaster that she has ridden with Skinner, who missed a shot at the 2012 London Olympics before being named alternate to the 2016 Rio team. “Gymnastics is a very subjective sport. It’s not always fair,” said Spini. “You have to fight for a spot and Mykayla encouraged every other athlete to fight for the same spot. Always,” Spini added. Spini also gave a nod to Skinner’s successful NCAA career at the University of Utah. “She was Academic All-American as
see SKINNER page 15
Chandler veteran trying to save others from suicide BY KEVIN REAGAN GSN Contributor
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aS Facciponti had reached a breaking point in 2013. The military officer had been told by her superiors that she had to retire due to a lingering combat injury she sustained in Afghanistan. Facciponti was reluctant to leave the service after devoting so much of her life to it and fought the order but the West Point graduate was told that her 10-year military career was effectively over. “It was the only fight I had ever lost,” she
said. “We have to save lives through shockwaves of helping one another.” Operation Shockwave attempts to offer veterans a sense of community by hosting events and classes that can reduce the societal stigma often associated with mental illness. It’s work that appears to still be needed as the nation continues to grapple with a significant number of veteran suicides each year. More than 6,400 of the nation’s veterans died by suicide in 2018, a rate that was
see VETERAN page 15
