She departed with a dream and returned home a record-breaker.
Inspired by the Tuskeegee Airmen, 15-year-old Kimberly Anyadike flew a
single-engine Cessna cross-country from her hometown of Compton,
California to Newport News, Va. Kimberly Anyadike is thought to be the
youngest African American female pilot to complete the journey, which
took 13 days. Anyadike who learned to fly at age 12 through the
Compton-based Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum, which offers aviation
lessons in an after-school program for disadvantaged youths and
ultimately turn them away from drugs and violence, came up with the idea
for the trip on her own, the museum’s founder, according to Robert
Petgrave said.
“I told her it was going to be a daunting task, but she just said, ‘Put it on. I got big shoulders” Petgrave
said. Along for the historic ride were an adult safety pilot and
87-year-old Levi Thornhill, one of the Tuskeegee Airmen during World War
II. This group of airmen officially made up the 332nd Fighter Group and
the 477th Bombardment Group of the United States Army Air Corps (United
States Army Air Forces after 20 June 1941). The Tuskegee 332nd Fighter
Group was reported as the only operational unit first sent abroad as
part of Operation Torch, then also active in Sicily and Italy, before
subsequently deployed as bomber escorts in Europe where they were very
successful.
“They left such a great legacy,” Anyadike said of the U.S. Army Air Corps’ all-black combat unit. “
I
had big shoes to fill. All they wanted to do was to be patriots for
this country. They were told no, that they were stupid, that they didn’t
have cognitive development to fly planes. They didn’t listen. They just
did what they wanted to do.” About 50 Tuskeegee Airmen autographed the young pilot’s plane during her journey.
“I wanted to inspire other kids to really believe in themselves,”
Anyadike said. Born to Nigerian parents in Los Angeles and named the
first African-American teen to fly across the United States breaking a
stunning and exemplary record at the age of 15. Kimberly achieved this
feat in 2009. She intends to become a cardiovascular surgeon after her
college education but has a passion for flying aircrafts. Kimberly’s
dream of flying began when she was 12 years old. She was inspired among
other things, by the first African American female to travel in space
among others. Her journey into the world of piloting commenced with a
20-minute demo flight. Kimberly had determinedly paid her way through
the lessons through several regular jobs and odd jobs. She was reported
to have washed airplanes as well as done other errands to earn what was
called, ‘museum dollars,’ which she traded in for flight lessons. All
this she did while still focused on achieving her dream of flying. She
maintained an outstanding academic record during this period which was a
criterion for remaining in the programme. She covered 2,342 miles using
a Cessna C-172. She told the media regarding the super cross-country
journey that brought her to fame that, “
Flying over Texas was the
most fun because there were a lot of summer rainstorms. I wasn’t scared;
I’m never scared. I remained focused. And before every flight, I pray,”
she said. Earlier in life, Kimberly had the opportunity of
engaging in other extracurricular activities such as being a junior
lifeguard at Venice Beach for five years, and also learning to surf at
the time. Having an interest in dancing, she had gone ahead to attend
the Lula Washington Dance Academy. While she was there, she learned
ballet and hip-hop and tap dance. She was also active in church
activities and took up the role of a youth leader. During that time in
the church, she engaged in more learning, especially how to read music.
She is also learning how to play the piano, violin and guitar.
Completing a course in Los Angeles Trade Technical College at the
Saturday Science Academy at Charles Drew University, she took a variety
of art courses at the Plaza De La Raza. Kimberly has also been involved
in some charity work as a volunteer to feed the homeless in downtown Los
Angeles while maintaining her Grade Point Average (GPA) so that she
would be able to attend Stanford, Yale or Harvard University. We do hope
Kimberly keeps up the fantastic work and that she would achieve all
that she has lined up for her future.
P.S This story should inspire
young Nigerians and all over the world that the sky is not even their
limit but the beginning. They can achieve all the good things they want
to with prayers, focus, determination and discipline. This was
Kimberly’s wish, to inspire other young people with her story and hope
this story of her achievements has inspired you to go out there and
succeed.
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