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3rd Grader Born Without Hands Adds Another National Award for Penmanship to Her Trophy Case

3rd Grader Born Without Hands Adds Another National Award for Penmanship to Her Trophy Case
When people told Anaya Ellick that she couldn't compete for penmanship awards without hands, she picked up a pencil and proved them wrong.

If the name "Anaya Ellick" seems familiar, it's probably because you've heard about the youngster before.

The 9-year-old girl made national headlines two years ago for winning a penmanship competition. Not only that, but she earned first place despite the fact that she has to write with her arms instead of her hands.

The 3rd grader from Chesapeake, Virginia was born without any fingers or thumbs, so she taught herself to write by holding a pencil between her arms.

Though she originally won the prestigious Nicholas Maxim Special Award for Excellence in Manuscript Penmanship back in 2016, she just won the 2018 Zaner-Bloser National Handwriting Contest for writing in cursive, which is available to students in grades K through 8 and awarded on a state and national level.

"People told me I couldn't do it," Anaya tells WVEC. "And I [just] told them I could do it."

(WATCH the interview below)

Be Sure To Share The Inspiring Story With Your Friends – Photo by Greenbrier Christian Academy

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